Greg Garner: Candidate profile
Bio
Party: Republican
City: Gurnee
Office sought: Lake County Board
Age: 62
Family: (Spouse) Lavonna Garner (Daughters) Nneka, Abeni (Sons) Myles, Jared
Occupation: Sales
Education: Loyola University of Chicago B.S. Biology / Lake Forest Graduate School of Management MBA
Civic involvement:
Elected offices held: Trustee Village of Gurnee, 4 terms
Incumbent? If yes, when were first elected:
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Questions and Answers
1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?
I'm running for office to bring new perspective to the Lake County Board. I would like to transfer the knowledge and skills learned serving Gurnee as Trustee for over 14 years to the Lake County board. I am motivated by the opportunity to keep property values high, property taxes low, and operate a fiscally sound budget.
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?
As a challenger, I would bring experience and integrity to the board. I am of the view that elected officials are obligated to serve the need of their constituents with the utmost integrity. I seek to increase property values, hold the line on increasing taxes and be a voice for the residents of Lake County.
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. In particular in the suburbs, President Preckwinkle has set a goal of eliminating unincorporated areas from county oversight. Do you agree with this approach? If so, how should the county go about it?
County government should never spend more revenue than it takes in. It must strive to achieve a balanced budget annually and garner sufficient reserves for a rainy day. Chief threats are the opioid crisis in Lake County, the ethylene oxide issue with Vantage and Medline and rising taxes. The county should lend ongoing support to these issues as they affect the lives of its residents. I am not in agreement with Cook County President Preckwinkle's goal of eliminating unincorporated areas from county oversight.
4. 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.
The County is doing a good job with transparency and providing access to public records, as 69% of citizen survey respondents say they are very satisfied to somewhat satisfied with the job Lake County does in providing information to residents. However, I believe the County should strive even harder to be more transparent to the public.
5. What, if anything, should be done to improve automation and customer service in county offices? What steps should be taken to make that happen?
The County should automate where possible in the interest of cost savings and creating efficiencies for the public. Automation should be cost-effective and a net positive to County residents.