Q&A with Carey

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

The challenges we face today in Lake County - traffic congestion, rising property taxes, loss of jobs - demand qualified and effective leaders to address them. The county cannot act alone in dealing with these issues. We must work with municipal, township, and state officials. District 11 deserves a representative who is experienced and has demonstrated leadership abilities.

As Mayor of Grayslake, I was known for my ability to work with others, build consensus and move forward to solve problems. I will bring that same ability to get things done to county government.

As a leader in the county, I will champion transportation projects, including an environmentally sound Route 120 bypass and the expansion of Route 45. I will bring a renewed focus to the value of a strong countywide economic development program and look for opportunities to promote green energy and building initiatives as an integrated part of that program.

2. For incumbents and non-incumbents:

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

I will bring 12 years of local government leadership, 20 years of business experience and several years of economic development expertise to my role on the county board. I plan to focus on transportation, economic development and environmental initiatives, while working to keep taxes in check.

I will push for the Route 120 bypass and other key road projects in central Lake County. I will propose that we staff a director of the environment position at Lake County to bring a stronger focus on integrating green technology and practices into all aspects of county government. I will support a strong economic development program to keep jobs in the county and increase our tax base overall and I will focus on opportunities to integrate green initiatives with economic development programs. I will support fiscally conservative policies to control spending, while working to ensure that the tax assessment process is equitable.

3. Should a new golf course be built at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve? Why or why not? If so, what type of course should be built? If not, what about the promise to residents and the Army?

I believe the best case is to preserve this land as open lakefront, accessible to all county residents. However, I understand that a deed restriction calls for the land to be a golf course and I would explore the possibility to renegotiate with the Army and reach an agreement with Fort Sheridan homeowners, in order to forego the golf course and preserve the land as open space.

If that is not possible, I would look at the performance of the district's existing golf courses to determine what might work at Fort Sheridan. A review of revenue numbers for all courses for the past fiscal year shows that ThunderHawk, the most expensive of the district's courses, has taken more of a revenue hit in the current economic downturn than the less expensive courses. My personal preference would be for a moderately priced course, which would be accessible to more residents.

4. In November, Lake County residents will be asked to approve a $185 million plan that will raise money for land purchases and development. Is this the right economic time to make such a request? Why or why not?

Yes. The preservation of open lands is one of the most important things we can do today, as the county grows rapidly. The cost of land is at a low point, which will work in favor of the district.

Today the district owns 26,500 acres, which is about 8.8 percent of the land in Lake County. The referendum would allow the district to acquire as much as 3,000 acres, which would bring the total percentage to 9.8 percent. This is still short of Cook and DuPage counties, which each have more than 11 percent of their land preserved.

Even if approved, the tax rate will decrease for most homeowners. If it is not approved, a typical homeowner might see a $24 decrease in their taxes. I believe residents will agree that, given the environmental and recreational value of forest preserve lands, the return on investment for their $24 is worth it.

5. If that proposal passes, where (geographically) would the forest board focus its immediate energies and money? Why?

I believe the current holdings of the forest preserve are fairly well distributed across the county. I would support acquisitions of lands that had extraordinary value environmentally, as well as lands that provide accessible recreational value to residents of the county. While focus is often on acquiring significant acreage to create a new preserve or add to an existing one, I also believe we need to look at acquiring smaller parcels in the more urban areas in the county to provide exposure to natural environments to as many residents as possible.

I would also look for opportunities to cooperate with other entities, public or private, to leverage forest preserve dollars to protect as much land as possible.

6. Within the next few years, Lake County will have a large enough population to allow the forest board to split off from the county board and become its own agency. Should it do so? Why or why not?

Yes, I would support a split of the boards, primarily to avoid conflicts of interest between the mission of the forest preserve and the objectives of county government. At recent forest preserve meetings I witnessed discussions that were a great example of the potential for conflict. The issue being discussed was county road projects that could impact forest preserve lands. While individuals talk of "wearing their forest preserve hat one day and their county hat the next", it is unrealistic to expect someone to focus on the best interests of each entity, when they are basically negotiating with themselves.

This is an issue that the board should discuss before Lake County reaching the threshold of 800,000 residents, which I understand would trigger the split. One important caveat is that I would want to ensure that the cost to residents is not increased as a result of splitting the boards.

7. Are there additional steps, besides those already under way, that the county board can or should take to provide traffic congestion relief?

The county needs to continue to lobby state and federal legislators to acquire funding for critical transportation projects. The county also needs to strategize in order to arrive at a new local funding source, whether it is a sales tax or gas tax or other revenue mechanism. If we cannot fund the local portion of the project costs, we will miss out on potential state and federal funding. If other avenues are not available, I would support another referendum to increase the sales tax to fund transportation improvements.

While pushing for road improvements, the County also needs to provide the leadership to work with municipalities on a vision for future mass transportation. An example would be the potential expansion of the STAR Line rail project along the EJ&E corridor to Waukegan.

8. What is the most pressing county board-related issue in your district?

Traffic congestion is the top concern of most citizens in District 11. The lengthy delays have a huge negative effect on our quality of life. We need to expand Route 45, as has been promised for many years, and also push for the Route 120 bypass. As the shopping area is developed on the former Fairgrounds property, road improvements must be completed concurrently with the development.

Also of great concern are property taxes. The rates are high and there are serious issues with the assessment process. I would support a thorough review of the assessment process. Although the assessments are performed by the individual townships, the county plays a key role. This is an area where the county board can show leadership in bringing together disparate entities (18 townships in this case) to move toward objectives that are beneficial to the county as a whole.