James "Jim" Zay: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Carol StreamWebsite: www.jimzay.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: DuPage County Board District 6 Age: 49Family: Katie - wife 26 yearsJimmy - son, 16Tyler -son, 12Occupation: Vice President - Service Stampings Illinois Inc / Roselle.Education: Elmhurst College, BA Political Science and HistoryCivic involvement: President - Carol Stream Travel Softball Baseball AssociationCCSD 93 anti-Bullying TaskforceKnight of ColumbusDu Page PadsGlenbard North Boosters ClubCarol Stream Park District - youth CoachCorpus Christi ChurchElected offices held: Du Page County Board MemberDu Page Water Commission - ChairmanDu Page Forest Preserve Commissioner 1999-2002Wayne Township Trustee 1997-1999Questions Answers What is your stance on county board members' pay? Is it too high, too low, or just right? Would you propose any changes?Board members pay has been the same since 2008. I think Board members pay is right for the position they hold. As a senior board member I am involved more in the running of the County and as Chairman of the Stormwater Committee I help oversee the operation of this department. I attend more than the weekly scheduled meetings and deal with a wide range of issues as they arise on a weekly basis. Attendance is a huge factor on who is actually doing their job and dedicated to the office; my attendance over all my years is around 95%.Do you think county board members should receive pensions? Why or why not? If not, would you be willing to pledge not to take one?Board members through state law can receive a pension. With a recent law being passed new Board members can no longer receive a pension. The new law passed also makes those receiving a pension now have to document their time to ensure they are working the required 1000 hours a year. If someone is not working the required hours they should no longer receive a pension. Because of my years of service I do have the pension. If the Board determines that our job has changed and feel we no longer qualify then I would stop taking the pension.With DuPage County's budget being squeezed by state funding cuts and other factors, what initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?The County Board has survived during the economic downturn and the state's budget crisis through a variety of shared services, reforms and responsible budgeting practices. As vice chairman of the finance committee, I work closely with our finance department as revenue is estimated conservatively with diligent economic and legislative research. We allocate expenditures fairly ensuring taxpayers receive the highest value in public service from their county government. This helped us sustain programs while keeping property taxes low for DuPage homeowners. We have taken the tough votes and balanced our budget every year and don't spend more than we take in.What are your thoughts about the county's Accountability, Consolidation and Transparency Initiative? What role should DuPage play in efforts to streamline and consolidate local government?The ACT Initiative allows us to reduce the cost of government without compromising services. It's provided an opportunity for us to examine our county-appointed agencies as well as county departments for opportunities for shared services, cost-cutting measures and best practices to share with others. Through this examination, we have trimmed overhead expenses by cutting headcount, reformed employee benefits and shared services between county departments, agencies and even municipalities. By working together with our government partners, we can work more efficiently and eliminate duplicate services. As Chairman of the DuPage Water Commission we reduced employees and saved millions by doing this.What initiatives, if any, do you have in mind for your specific county board district?I have accomplished a lot of work in our District. We have spent over 50 million on Stormwater projects in Bartlett - Beaver Pond, Carol Stream - Armstrong Park and Warrenville - West Branch Du Page River. We replaced the Warrenville Bridge and rebuilt Gary Ave. We need to work with other governments to reduce the burden on our taxpayers to find ways to share services. I will work with the Du Page Airport Authority to come up with a 4-5 year plan to get the airport off of the property tax rolls finally.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As the father of two sons, I'm very concerned about the rise of heroin use in DuPage County. I voted to allocate $200,000 to invest in a three-year prevention program to educate teachers, parents and students about this devastating drug, its warning signs and resources for treatment. I also strongly support the Health Department's DuPage Narcan Program that has trained and equipped law enforcement officers with the opioid overdose reversal medication. In addition, as chairman of the Stormwater Management Committee, I will continue to seek local, state and federal funding for new infrastructure to help alleviate flooding throughout the county.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.The climate right now is not best for our political leaders to much fighting and they are not setting an example for our children.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?That Mom and Dad where right and you never stop being a parent. The world has changed and my wife and children's safety comes first.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Life does not give us do-overs, I am always looking forward. Spending more time with my wife and my son's as time goes fast.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Social studies and history. To learn from the mistakes of the past and work to be a productive member of our community.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I do give my children advise and I tell them to do good in school and treat others as you would want to be treated.