Greg Elsbree: Candidate profile

Bio

Party: Democrat

City: Aurora

Office sought: Kane County Chairperson

Age: 57

Family: 4 adult children, 6 amazing grandchildren

Occupation: Business representative, Secretary Treasurer-International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Education: High School diploma

Civic involvement: volunteer for Indivisible Aurora, Hesed House, Trinity Sandwich Board, Treasurer/Vestry member-St. David's Episcopal Church, Kane County Fuel tax advisory board, Treasurer - Three Rivers Construction Alliance. Vice President of Fox Valley Building Trades, Member of Aurora Planning Commission.

Previous elected offices held: Chair of Aurora Township Democratic Central Committee, Precinct Committeeperson Aurora 4-6

Incumbent? No.

Website: https://www.elsbreeforkane.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElsbreeForKane/

Twitter: @Elsbree_for_KC

Questions and Answers

1. 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 seeking the office of Kane County Board Chairperson because I believe there needs to be a change in how the board functions. I want to see a more open process that encourages constituent input. The board should represent the voices within our diverse county and allow time and space for tough conversations. When we have dialogue, we can move forward with better plans that support economic growth with living wage jobs, environmental sustainability and expansion of health and mental health services.

2. 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?

I bring real world experience in negotiating and reaching agreement for employment contracts that support working families. As Secretary-treasurer of a growing Local of 3,000 members, I manage a budget of $3 million. I cooperatively work with the management of companies and local municipalities to bring economic development to communities while ensuring that workers receive fair compensation. I am not afraid of bringing different points of view to the table to build consensus. I want to have these conversations about creating good paying jobs, environmentally friendly development and concerns about health care costs and services.

3. 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.

The current lack of balance between spending and revenue has stunted the county's growth in services provided to constituents. The county will need to look for ways to increase revenue or we will have to continue cutting services. Every budget decision involves evaluating the monetary cost of a service or plan and what we value as a community. Value-based budgeting is more than bean counting. Some strategies that save money in the long term require an initial investment, including automating access to records, upgrading software programs or installing green hardware on county buildings. I will advocate for a real plan for economic development to increase revenue and build on my relationships with state legislators to advocate for funds to support infrastructure and grants. I am willing to have conversations with the board about the tax levy and the cost of fee-based services (i.e. marriage licenses), but board members need to be provided with greater access to financial information so that they can make an informed decision. The lack of leadership from the board chair has prevented productive discussions about addressing the balance between spending and revenue.

4. For a long time the county board and chairman have pushed to have a frozen property tax levy. Do you support a totally frozen levy? If so, how do you balance that against rising salary costs, union contracts and public safety programs (such as the electronic home monitoring program that was a budget cut a couple years ago)?

We need to have discussion about both the revenue and spending sides of the equation. The frozen tax levy has also frozen the county's ability to meet our service and infrastructure needs. This has already compromised public safety when the electronic monitoring program was cut. We have also seen the effects of understaffing and high rate of employee turnover which have impeded the county's ability to provide services and respond to the health/mental health concerns of constituents. I question whether continuing to maintain this rigid stance is really fiscally responsible. I want to empower and support board members to have conversations and hear from residents about what they want from county government and what they might be willing to pay for those services. Without a complete picture of the county's financial picture, making a long-term promise without the facts is irresponsible and frankly is why we are in this situation.

5. The county board recently voted to ban the sale of recreational marijuana in unincorporated Kane County, but it approved a county tax on sales in local municipalities. Do you support the ban and the tax?

I feel the county board should have tied the ban on the sale of recreational marijuana and the tax on it together. If the county chose to ban the sale, it should not reap the benefits of those entities that had the courage to allow the sale within their municipalities. This would have been another instance to encourage input from county residents and increase awareness about how the sale and the tax should be connected. Another factor in this decision is the county's portion of the state tax revenue that is dedicated to mental health and substance abuse prevention. Our county needs additional revenue for increased funding for mental health services to fight the opioid crisis, to reduce the jail population, and to assist our residents who desperately need these services. An informed discussion about these issues did not occur prior to the board's vote on this matter. With the county facing more expenses than revenue as has been discussed previously, I believe that the decision to ban was contrary to sound economic policy.

6. The Longmeadow Parkway project has widespread support by other local government leaders but was opposed by many residents in the immediate vicinity of the parkway and toll bridge. Do you support the project? And, as chairman, how will you balance out the opinions of fellow local leaders versus constituents affected by county projects?

I believe the discussion should have been about the financial burden of the Longmeadow project. If the cost for the project fell on the county as a whole and came out of property taxes, I believe you would have had input from constituents from all parts of the county in the decision-making process. County residents from the southern part of the county have little to no knowledge and awareness about this project, its building and maintenance costs, the environmental impact or possible support of economic development. The voice of the residents most impacted by the decision was not considered. In the future, I believe that the role of the chair is to facilitate discussion among the board members and to listen to the voice of the residents. As chairperson, I plan to hold monthly town hall-style meetings in each of the 24 county board districts both to inform the residents about what is happening in the county and to seek input from them.

7. How do you rate the county government on transparency and the public's access to records? If you consider it adequate, please explain why. If you think improvements are needed, please describe them and why they are important.

There is work to be done on improving transparency in access to records, particularly in regard to the budget and the budgetary process. Currently it is difficult to get a clear picture of the total budget and the overall vision of the board in setting the budget other than keeping the levy frozen. Board members do not have complete access to the budgeting software or a complete picture of the puzzle that is the budgeting process. As a result, the discussions are not as productive as they could be with more transparency. As County Board Chairperson, I will push for openness in the budgetary decision-making process. I would encourage board members to have meetings with their constituents. Meeting times and agendas need to be clearly set without last minute changes or special meeting times that make it difficult for board members to be present. The chairperson's role is to facilitate discussions and help to explain the decision-making process. I would support the creation of an advisory committee comprised of county residents to provide input on ways to improve transparency in county government.

8. What, if anything, should be done to improve automation and customer service in county offices? What steps should be taken to make that happen?

We are in need of state-of-the-art information systems. I would seek to gather information about systems used by other governmental entities to find out areas in which we can improve. We should review how current information systems are being used to ensure that the directors and managers of those departments are providing the necessary training and support for county employees' use of current technology. If those directors and elected officials indicate that they need additional resources for training, software, or equipment, I would facilitate discussions with the county board to address how to fund those additional resources.