22nd Senate hopefuls talk pensions, schools, term limits

The Democratic candidates running for the state senate's 22nd District seat have different thoughts on how to solve the public pension crisis, improve the education system and whether state legislators need term limits.

Cristina Castro of Elgin, a Kane County Board member, and Steve Caramelli, a Hanover Township trustee, are running in the March 15 primary left vacant by state Sen. Michael Noland, who is running for the 8th Congressional District.

Castro, 37, works as a marketing and communications manager; Caramelli, 39, of Hoffman Estates, is a state trooper.

Castro touted her experience balancing a nearly $280 million county budget that kept property taxes flat for five years, which in turn taught her how to deal with bipartisan politics, she said.

Caramelli said he's proud of his service on the township board, which opted out of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund fund two years ago. Last month, the board increased the minimum number of yearly hours - from 600 to 1,000 - for employees to be eligible to get a pension, he said.

Progressive income taxes, especially those targeting millionaires, could be imposed, Caramelli said. "If you're doing well, you should be able to pay a little bit more into our system," he said.

The legislature should revisit a 2013 bill by Senate President John Cullerton that tied pension cost-of-living increases to benefits and salary bumps, Castro said. "That would have passed constitutional muster," she said.

Caramelli said one of his priorities is to ensure that schools are appropriately funded. "That is the future of our state," he said. "That's what actually attracts new people to come in and reside here in our state."

Caramelli called finding a solution "a complex math numbers game." "That is something we need to continue to investigate," he said

The education funding formula hasn't changed since the 1990s, Castro pointed out. Also, school districts that rely more heavily on state funding and state grants suffer disproportionately when cuts are enacted, Castro said.

"We are falling somewhere and we need to start really addressing that and putting the money in the education system," Castro said.

Caramelli also said he's not opposed to consolidating township with municipal and county services if it makes sense financially.

The problem is the red tape surrounding such initiatives, Castro said. "I've always been a big proponent of trying to consolidate," she said, pointing to the heavily automated county recorder's office.

Both candidates said they believe in term limits for the Senate and House leadership.

"No offense to Chicago, I feel like we have not elected a leader since I think (former Senate President James) "Pate" Philip who was from the suburbs and understood what was going on in the suburbs," she said.

But while Castro said she's open to term limits for all state legislators, Caramelli said that should be up to voters.

"One of the most respectful things that you can do to a voter is give them the authority and the power to vote who they want to vote in," he said. "I can't imagine taking that privilege away from someone."

The legislature needs stricter ethics requirements, Castro said. The Kane County Board, for example, requires commissioners to disclose whether individuals who submit job bids have contributed money to their campaigns, she said. "I think that's a great opportunity to tighten that."

Constituents' voices need to be heard, Caramelli said, which is why he'll organize town-hall meetings and form committees for residents. "That's going to bring more added pressure to leadership and the legislature down in Springfield," he said. "When we get pressure, that's when changes happen."