Corinne M. Pierog: 2024 candidate for Kane County chairman

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office Sought: Kane County Board chairman

City: Batavia

Age: 73

Occupation: Politician; previously management consultant

Previous offices held: Kane County Board chairman since 2020; two terms on the St. Charles Unit District 303 board

Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running for reelection because there is still much to accomplish, and much to complete.

Supporting the board’s public health initiatives to help quell the fentanyl and mental health crisis is one of my main concerns. Another is balancing the need for growth versus preservation of the county’s thriving agricultural industry and conservation of our open space.

Other next steps include: updating the county’s 2014 strategic plan to represent our current and future obligations; launching the county’s first Economic Development Organization; fostering the work of the county’s 1,300 employees by assuring pay equity both internally and externally to maintain the best talent to serve the needs of our county; providing the necessary resources for Kane County’s Department of Transportation so our roads and bridges remain in good repair and sustain future transportation needs; and encouraging the board to develop and maintain strong and balanced fiscal policies.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

• ARPA Grant distribution: Allocated over $26 million in the areas of mental/behavioral health, homeless shelters, food pantries, veterans, and other local nonprofits. Additional funds also addressed the impact of the pandemic upon tourism and local industry.

• Responding to the pandemic: Opened Kane County’s Mass Vax Site transforming an empty Sam’s Club into an effective vaccination center, administering 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

• New voting machines: Replaced Kane County’s 19-year-old voting machines which were held together with duct tape and spare parts, with touchscreen machines featuring modernized security and accessibility components allowing for audio ballots, braille guides, and updated auditing capabilities.

• Longmeadow Parkway Bridge toll: Answering the need to remove the Longmeadow Bridge toll, I lobbied Springfield and was awarded $30 million in grant funds to pay down the bonds, saving taxpayers $50 million ($30 million in bonds plus $20 million in interest)

Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.

For the past 14 years, Kane County’s property tax levy has remained steady. Budgets were balanced using existing revenue sources, but this eventually came with a cost. Due to noncompetitive wages, employee turnover was high, and some were actually eligible for SNAP benefits. The county’s buildings were not able to be properly maintained.

With the help of the ARPA funds, the board was able to retain a balanced budget, but soon this money will be gone.

To address this looming fiscal deficit the county board was asked to reduce its budget, but to what impact?

Already fiscally lean, this reduction in expenses would reduce services that directly impact the residents of Kane County.

In the next two years, the board will have to clearly focus on the costs and level of support it wants to provide for its citizens.

But the reality is that Kane County will fall off a fiscal cliff without resourceful ways to increase the county’s revenue without posing additional burdens upon our residents.

Does there need to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board? If yes, what would you do to help make that happen?

In 2020, my platform mentioned that I was committed to working in a bipartisan manner. My first vice-chair was a respected Republican whose advice help me to navigate the complexities of county government, and the committee chairs remain a blend of Republicans and Democrats.

By encouraging respectful listening and fellowship significant ordinances and resolutions have been passed. As a board of 24 diverse members, we passed a Responsible Bidder Ordinance, the purchase of a new building in Elgin for use by the public health department and the county clerk; and programs such as the Economic Development Organization and the Fabulous Fox River Trail.

Collaboration can be hard when strong political beliefs supersede negotiation, and the passion of one’s views prevents finding middle ground.

In the context of this current political climate where bipartisanship and compromise seem like harmful traits, I find continued strength in embracing a bipartisan approach to managing Kane County

What role should the county play in combating the opioid crisis?

The Kane County Board has made every effort to support the work of the public health department, the coroner, the state’s attorney, and the sheriff in developing effective programs in combating the opioid crisis.

Initiatives have included a specialty drug court, the establishment of a forensics lab.

In addition, 17,842 doses of naloxone were distributed to Kane County first responders, organizations, agencies, businesses, and the public in 2023.

The resources to pay for these programs come from the Illinois Opioid Settlement, federal grants, partnered with funding from the ARPA funds.

What role should the county play in increasing affordable housing in the region?

It is important that Kane County works to ensure our workforce, not only for our government employees but also our teachers, nurses, librarians, and our service workers have the opportunity to work and live near the community they support.

The average monthly rent in 2024 for a two-bedroom apartment in Kane County is $1,700, while the actual median household income in Kane County in 2023 was $91,336. This issue is a challenging one for it needs to strike a balance between affordability and construction costs.

Affordable housing is a fundamental factor in a household’s economic stability and prosperity. So, while these issues are separate, the development of Kane County’s workforce and housing is genuinely interconnected.

Overwhelmingly, Kane County’s residents are concerned about the inflated cost and lack of affordable housing for middle income earners. Kane County will continue an active advisory approach to address this issue.