Amanda Roudebush: 2022 candidate for DuPage County Board District 3

Bio

Party: Democratic

Office sought: DuPage County Board District 3

City: Hinsdale

Age: 46

Occupation: Consultant, ALR Bilingual Consulting

Previous offices held: N/A

Q&A

Q: 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.

A: DuPage County has a responsible balanced budget. The county is committed to reducing inefficiencies and duplicate services through investing in new technology initiatives. Instead of spending on multiple technologies across departments, now one system will allow all county departments and residents access to budget and spending information.

Future threats to DuPage County are in housing and food insecurity. For some residents, continued recovery from the pandemic is now compounded with inflation where food, gasoline, and housing costs are rising faster than household earnings. Nationally it is estimated that households are spending $500 more monthly than a year ago. This increase will impact our most vulnerable residents. The county will need to consider additional spending on existing rental/housing assistance and our food pantries. The county did well in securing COVID relief and set aside funds that remained for the DuPage Foundation, which should continue.

Q: Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

A: As part of my platform, I believe elected officials and government in general should be accessible and transparent for the public. I will work to identify areas where transparency and access can be improved.

As an educator, I hope to enhance county communication with residents and any opportunities to engage the community through outreach to all DuPage residents.

Civic engagement is key to the survival of any democracy and my education background allows me to identify areas where the county does not provide the "education" residents need to understand what the county does and is doing for them.

Q: Should the county board continue to start its regular board meetings with an invocation? Please say why or why not.

A: The invocation at the beginning of board meetings is a topic that I believe warrants continued conversation.

As a former public school teacher, I understand the balance between separation of church and state, while supporting and respecting religious beliefs and freedoms.

Since the discussion around 2018 surrounding mainly Christian based invocations, the board has worked harder to incorporate a more broad range of religious beliefs. I would continue to pressure the board to monitor the balance of religious representation of our residents should the practice continue.

Q: Does there need to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board? If yes, what would you do to help make that happen?

A: If elected to the board I believe in working together with all board members. At the national and state level, too often we only see voting along party lines.

DuPage County Board members have worked together on many important initiatives and I would like to see this continue. As an elected official, we must always remember that we represent all the residents of our district, whether they are from the same party or not.

As a public school teacher, I employed strategies to understand the diverse needs of many students and families and how to work to meet all of their needs within the context of a classroom, program, or school. I believe these strategies can be utilized in representing constituents and working together, across the aisle.

Q: If your political party has control of the county board after the November election, how would that benefit DuPage residents?

A: I believe that if a democratic majority continues on the board we will be best able to continue the work of the current board with less need for transition.

Under Democrats, there has been tremendous support for law enforcement, community services, and mental health. This majority saw the county through the very difficult times during COVID and are a time tested, cohesive group. Residents can continue to expect these programs to be strengthened and well supported if a democratic majority continues.

Q: The COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the need for mental health services. What role should the county play in this?

A: DuPage has one of the most comprehensive county-based mental health departments. Across the nation, mental health services are in high demand, but short supply.

In focusing on children's mental health services, there are simply not enough child, adolescent, or teen mental health professionals. Private practices in DuPage and surrounding counties have months-long waiting lists. Children in crisis simply cannot wait months.

We have crisis services in DuPage that can send a social worker or therapist to a home or other location within one hour. The child is evaluated and it is determined if immediate hospitalization is required or this becomes the first step in intake for county provided psychiatry and/or therapy.

As an educator, I saw first hand how this service saved students and families in crisis and provided a bridge until the child could be seen in a private practice or was the child was able to stay in the county's behavioral health services until stable.

Q: What is the single most important issue facing your district and how should the county address it?

A: In District 3, many residents are concerned with public safety. There is often the misconception that Democrats do not support law enforcement and this simply is not true.

The Democratic majority on the county board has delivered an incredible amount of support and funding for law enforcement.

Of the millions of leftover COVID relief funds, much of that went to bolster law enforcement through programs like Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team (MERIT), license plate readers, and the future crime portal.

MERIT is an important countywide task force necessary for investigating serious crimes; license plate readers allow for immediate identification of a stolen vehicle or vehicle involved in a crime and law enforcement quickly notified; and the crime portal will be a live, real-time, resource where residents and police agencies can monitor calls for service.

All of these initiatives combat the microbursts of crime experienced in District 3.