2018 Voter Guide

League of Women Voters McLean
County and WGLT Voter Guide

Prepared for the November 6, 2018 Election
About the Voter Guide
In partnership with WGLT, the League of Women Voters McLean County presents the 2018
Voter Guide. This guide gives you a look into the viewpoints of candidates running for office.
Candidate Responses
We sent questions to contested candidates in the following races:
US Congress
Rodney Davis (District 13)
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (District 13) - No Response
Darin LaHood (District 18) - No Response
Junius Rodriguez (District 18) - No Response
State House
Keith Sommer (88th District) - No Response
Jill Blair (88th District)
Dan Caulkins (101st District) - No Response
Jennifer McMillin (101st District)
Dan Brady (105th District)
Ben Webb (105th District)
McLean County Clerk

Kathy Michael
Nikita Richards
McLean County Board*

Gerald Thompson (District 1) - No Response
Michael Seuss (District 1)
David Siebert (District 2) - No Response
Paul Enerson (District 2) - No Response
James Soeldner (District 2)
Randy Martin (District 3)
Christopher Howick (District 3) - No Response
Mark W. Johnson (District 4) - No Response
Logan Smith (District 4) - No Response
Alexandra Engle (District 4) - No Response
David F.W. Selzer (District 5)
Elizabeth Johnston (District 5)
Ryan Scritchlow (District 7) - No Response
Sharon Chung (District 7)
Cheryl Froelich (District 8)
Shayna Watchinski (District 8)
Steve Seuss (District 8)
Lyndsay Bloomfield (District 9) - No Response
David Parker (District 9)
Sol Roberts-Lieb (District 9)
Chuck Erickson (District 10)
Kevin Woodard (District 10)
*District 6 is uncontested
McLean County Treasurer

Rebecca McNeil
Lex Green
Resources
For additional voting resources, visit the McLean County Clerk’s website. Bloomington residents
can visit the Bloomington Election Commission website.
Congress - Rodney Davis
(District 13)
Email: info@electrodney.com
Website: www.electrodney.com
Facebook: @electrodney
Twitter: @electrodney
What in your history demonstrates a

willingness to avoid partisanship and
work across party lines? Be specific.
One of the reasons I ran for Congress was to make Washington work and you can’t do that by
only working with one party. When I came to Congress for my first term, I specifically requested
to be on the House Agriculture and Transportation Committees not only because these are
important issues for this district, but because they are two very bipartisan committees where
Democrats and Republicans work together to get results.
While on these committees, I have had the opportunity to work on bipartisan, long-term
highway, rail, water, and farm bill reauthorizations. I worked across the aisle to ensure contract
towers like the one at the Bloomington-Normal airport stayed open when members of both
parties were working to close them. I worked with Mayor Koos of Normal to increase local
control of federal highway dollars and worked with Connect Transit to support federal dollars to
improve the bus system in Bloomington-Normal.
I’ve worked with like-minded Democrats to defeat legislation that could negatively impact our
union workers here in Central Illinois. I’m proud of the hard-working men and women of this
district and I’m proud to have been endorsed by 11 different labor unions.
On September 11th, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) joined me all the way from California in
visiting high schools in the 13th District to talk about our friendship and working together in
Congress. We have a responsibility to the next generation to not only make Congress work
now, but stress the importance of understanding and listening to all sides of an argument.
Jimmy and I play against each other in the Congressional Baseball Game, where Republicans
and Democrats play each other at the Washington Nationals stadium. Baseball helped bring us
together on policy. We started the bipartisan Agriculture Research Caucus and are working to
improve agriculture research in this year’s farm bill.
Jimmy and I also talked to these students about the shooting that happened last year as I was
up to bat practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game. A gunman from Illinois shot more
than 60 rounds nearly killing Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others. After this politically
motivated shooting, I vowed to be more vocal in encouraging my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle to tone down the rhetoric. We can disagree without being disagreeable. Jimmy and I
are a prime example of not agreeing on everything, but understanding where each other comes
from and working to find common ground.
While our more bipartisan work doesn’t always make the headlines, Congress just passed a
bipartisan opioid package that addresses this epidemic from every angle. This Congress
secured the biggest increase in research funding for the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 15
years to help find cures for some of our nation’s deadliest diseases. There are many more
bipartisan wins from this Congress, but these are a few good examples.
What are specific proposals you would introduce to improve the

American healthcare system?
Health care is extremely personal to me, which is why I continue to work to improve health care
for people in the 13th District. My wife was diagnosed with colon cancer 19 years ago when our
daughter was just two years old. Shannon has a genetic form of colon cancer, which means she
will have this risk, or pre-existing condition, for the rest of her life. She is the reason I fight for
medical research funding and to increase access to good, affordable health care. One of our
focuses must be increasing access to employer and group health insurance.
We should get rid of some of the government impediments that prevent small businesses or
groups, like AARP, from pooling together to offer health insurance. We passed a bill (H.R. 1101)
to begin allowing this but I believe we should go further.
I continue to support repealing, replacing, thus fixing Obamacare. Obamacare premiums have
increased 108% since 2013 so whether you’re completely healthy or have a pre-existing
condition, you’re paying those higher premiums and deductibles that many can’t afford. One of
the reasons Obamacare failed is because 18 of the 23 insurance co-ops set up under
Obamacare failed, costing taxpayers more than $1.7 billion in federal loans that will never be
paid back. Insurance companies exiting the markets have led to 75 percent of Illinois having
only one or two insurers leading less choices in providers for consumers and increase costs.
While I fundamentally disagree with Obamacare, there were changes made that I support, like
protections for pre-existing conditions, getting rid of lifetime caps, and allowing people to stay on
their parents health insurance until the age of 26. These are all things I fought to keep when the
House passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) included reforms that the nonpartisan Congressional
Budget Office confirms will lower monthly premiums, provide nearly a trillion dollars in tax relief,
and reduce the deficit by $119 billion. While this bill wasn’t perfect, it would have provided a
path for additional reforms to lower costs and offer better coverage for many Americans. Some
continue to claim that people with pre-existing conditions will be thrown off their health care, but
that is false and some of these claims have received Four Pinocchios by the Washington Post.
The bill specifically says that insurance companies cannot limit access to coverage or charge
more as long as continuous coverage is maintained. Democrats have also falsely claimed that
this will put an “age tax” on seniors, but in reality the AHCA was off of recent changes the state
of Maine made to their individual market which created indivisible risk pools and ended up
saving people age 60 more than $7,000 in premiums.
Expanding our current safety-nets like Medicaid, which was designed to help low-income and
disabled Americans, and Medicare, which seniors have worked their entire life for, is not the
answer. Obamacare expanded Medicaid costing taxpayers in Illinois billions. This has led to 1 in
4 people now on Medicaid in Illinois and 44 percent of the expanded population are
working-aged males ages 19 to 34. This has put a strain on the system and is contributing to
doctors denying Medicaid patients or long waiting periods for care. My fear is expanding
government run health care, which many Democrats are pushing, would have the same result.
Medicaid-for-all or Medicare-for-all are some of their plans which have been estimated to cost
taxpayers $32 trillion, and would end Medicare as we know it for seniors and end
employer-based health care that millions of Americans currently have. Clearly, they are not the
answer.
How would you reduce gun violence in the U.S.?

The only reason I’m still standing here today is because two people, David Bailey and Crystal
Griner, had the ability to fire back the day a crazed gunman from Illinois started shooting at me
and other Republicans practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game last June. I believe
criminals by definition do not care if they break the law and therefore, further restricting
law-abiding citizens' 2nd Amendment right will do nothing to reduce crime.
As a parent, I believe every school needs a system in place to prevent a mass shooting, which
why I led the charge to immediately re-authorize and increase funding for the Secure Our
Schools grant program that provides money to schools to improve safety. When I sent schools
in this district information on how to apply for these grants, the response was overwhelming.
This Congress also passed measures to strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background
Check System (NICS) to ensure that criminal and mental health records are up to date so
people who shouldn’t have firearms don’t. I also advocated for banning bump stocks, which
were used most recently in the Las Vegas concert shooting. I believe this should have been
done by the Obama Administration, but now the Trump administration is taking action.
Most recently, I supported a bipartisan red flag bill (Protecting our Communities and Rights Act
of 2018) introduced to provide funding to states that adopt and enact “meaningful and
constitutional” extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) to protect individuals who may be a
danger to themselves or others. Under the legislation, states receiving federal funds under this
may only deprive a person of a right to possess firearms after a hearing where the person is
given notice and is provided an opportunity to participate and if they are provided. The hearing
must include a finding of dangerousness by a neutral decision-maker with an evidentiary
standard consistent with deprivation of a constitutional right (by clear and convincing evidence).
Such orders expire no more than one year after issued and the same procedure must be
undertaken to renew an initial order. In addition, the legislation provides a mechanism to
expeditiously return firearms when the order expires or is terminated. I believe this balances a
person’s rights while protecting them and society.
Last Congress, we passed monumental legislation to change the way we treat mental illness in
this country. Nearly every mass killing in this country that is not related to terrorism has been
committed by a person who is mentally unstable and have reached a breaking point. I continue
to work with our local governments and mental health professionals to ensure these reforms
and funding are getting to them.
What do you think of President Trump’s handling of the Mueller

investigation?
I believe that we need to continue to let the Mueller investigation play out and hope his findings
will lead to changes that prevent future meddling by foreign governments in our elections. While
I don’t believe Russia changed any votes, we must invest in securing our elections. I have voted
to provide funding to states to use to protect the integrity of our election process.
The omnibus bill Congress passed in March provided $380 million to help states bolster
security. DHS, FBI, and Director of Intelligence is working with state and local officials to secure
their systems. All of our states need to utilize these grants. Illinois has received $13.2 million in
grant money and DHS has given the state high praise in their efforts to address this.
What do you think is a viable path forward on comprehensive

immigration reform?
In addition to supporting strong border security and interior enforcement, my office helps people
come to this country legally everyday and it is an incredibly difficult process that needs
reformed. Earlier this term, I met with college students here in Bloomington-Normal who were
brought here as children by their parents and we need a permanent solution for them.
Earlier this year, I advocated for and voted for an immigration plan (H.R. 6136 and H.R. 4760),
which would have provided a permanent solution for DACA recipients, those who were brought
here as children through no fault of their own, provided immediate funding for the border wall,
would move us toward merit-based legal immigration, and prevent the separation of families.
Despite this bill having the four pillars that were agreed to by Democrats when they met with
President Trump at the White House, too many Republicans and Democrats chose to play
politics instead of make important fixes to our broken immigration system and both votes failed.
We need to address border security, interior enforcement, and DACA recipients before we can
develop a plan to fix the rest of our immigration system. Both sides must put politics aside and
focus on the policy for us to pass meaningful immigration reform. I will continue to put people
above politics and fight to fix our broken immigration.
What can the federal government do to make higher education

more affordable for low- and middle-income students?
The 13th District is home to eight colleges and universities so ensuring affordable education is
important. I am also the proud parent of a college student and two high school seniors. I have
always supported Pell Grants, 529 savings plans, and other important mechanisms to help
families afford college. I also continually ask our universities how they are working to keep costs
down for students and make these dollars go a little further. I have voted for legislation to curb
the unnecessary regulations that drive up costs and prevent colleges from using technology that
can reduce costs - Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act and Advancing
Competency-Based Education Demonstration Projects Act
College debt is a huge problem. Student debt now represents the second highest form of
consumer debt and has forced many college graduates to delay making critical investments in
their future. Seven in ten college seniors last year graduated with student loan debt.
On December 22, 2017, the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This
legislation reduces an average family of four in this district’s taxes by roughly $2,000.
Unfortunately, an early version of the bill eliminated valuable tax incentives for graduate
students, including employer tuition assistance benefits and graduate student waivers. With
eight colleges and universities in the 13th district, I led the effort to encourage the Chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, and other members of the Conference
Committee to retain these important provisions in the final version of the bill. After our hard
work, these provisions were included in the final bill, which was signed into law. It’s easy to vote
no in Washington because no bill is ever going to be perfect for all 435 districts throughout the
country, but finding a way to improve a bill is necessary to end the gridlock and move our
country forward.
Last year, I introduced H.R. 795, the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act,
which engages private employers and encourages them to offer a tax-free benefit to put toward
an employee’s student loan debt, similar to the existing tax benefit for tuition assistance.
Employers would be able to use this benefit to recruit and retain young talent by assisting with
the student loan debt, and employees would receive a tax-exempt benefit to help pay off their
student loans.
In addition, I am also working on legislation to offer student debt relief to graduate assistants.
Graduate assistants should be allowed to deduct tuition waived by colleges and universities, just
as their peers in teaching and research positions receive. Graduate assistants at institutions like
Illinois State University and others deserve the ability to have tuition waivers be exempt from
taxable income and that is exactly what my bill, the GAP Act does.
What would be your priorities in the next farm bill?

The primary challenge facing agriculture has been the downturn in the farm economy since
record high incomes in 2013. The single greatest piece of legislation impacting the farm
economy is the farm bill. Renewed every 5 years, the farm bill provides our producers with a
farm safety net to weather the storm during tough times. With the most recent farm bill up for
reauthorization this year, I'm currently serving my farmers as a member of the farm bill
conference committee, an opportunity I also experienced as a Freshman member of Congress
five year ago. Each time, I've advocated to strengthen the farm safety net by providing choices
my farmers demanded, and defending against attacks to weaken the farm safety net.
In the 2018 farm bill, I also fought to ensure the integrity of organic labels within the farm bill by
including provisions that place greater scrutiny on organic imports. I believe consumers who
choose to purchase organic food should be able to have complete confidence in what that label
means.
Agricultural research, like that done here at Illinois State University, is incredibly important to the
future of agriculture and the area. The 2018 farm bill includes my bill (H.R. 5071), which focuses
research at USDA on agriculture’s most needed priorities, ensuring our investment in agriculture
research goes further.
Many of our communities in rural Illinois still don’t have reliable internet access. We need to
change that. This farm bill authorizes funding to significantly expand broadband services into
our rural areas that need it the most. This investment will be linked to requirements that ensure
broadband services provided to rural communities meet standards necessary for rural residents
in today’s technological age.
About 80% of the farm bill is related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
There are more people on SNAP today (42 million) with our unemployment rate the lowest it’s
been in 18 years, compared to in 2009 (33 million), during the height of the recession, when
unemployment was 9.5%. I believe we must strengthen the work requirements, invest more in
workforce training, and create more flexibility. Work requirements already exist for SNAP, but
states, like Illinois, have found ways to exempt nearly every county. Helping people get trained
to find a full-time job is the only way to end the cycle of poverty for millions of Americans. When
I visit businesses, like Bridgestone Manufacturing in Normal, the biggest issue I hear about is
finding qualified, trained workers. We have 6.6 million jobs open in the country today. If we don’t
make these investments now with a strong economy, then when?
The 2018 farm bill, passed by the House, invests historic funding in SNAP Employment and
Training (E&T) programs to help states implement a realistic and supportive work solution for
work-capable adults. It establishes streamlined, simplified work requirements of 20 hours per
week for work-capable adults ages 18-59. Children, seniors, disabled, caretaker of a child under
6, pregnant women, and 18-year olds still enrolled in high school are all exempt. It does not
prevent anyone who is currently eligible for SNAP from receiving SNAP benefits if the work
training requirements are followed.
What’s the best way for the U.S. to reduce its use of fossil fuels
and increase renewables?
I have consistently supported an "all of the above" approach to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Certainly, the benefits of renewable and sustainable "clean" energy sources are evident. I also
recognize how vital it is for our country to stay competitive on the international stage in terms of
energy production. As a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, I am committed to protecting,
conserving, and being a good steward of the environment in ways that are both economically
viable for Americans and safe for our valuable wildlife, including marine species.
I have also supported efforts to make America energy independent and biofuels, like ethanol,
are part of that solution. Policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) help lead us to
energy independence, which is why I believe the RFS must be maintained and strengthened.
The RFS sustained more than 800,000 jobs in the United States and displaced more than 13
billion gallons of oil in 2013 that America otherwise would have imported from foreign countries.
I also recognize the importance of investing in nuclear power. Nuclear power plants across our
nation provide energy as well as thousands of well-paying jobs, including those at the Clinton
nuclear power plant in my district. The state of Illinois is certainly doing good work on the
nuclear power front and I supported the Future Energy Jobs Act when it passed the Illinois
House and was signed into law.
Over the years, we have seen the use of biofuels, nuclear power, and wind energy become
more prevalent in Illinois and it’s my hope that as a state and nation, we can continue to work to
improve on this. Be assured, I will continue to support energy policies that protect our
environment while also advancing our country economically.
State House - Jill Blair (88th
District)
Email: campaign@jillblair.com
Website: www.jillblair.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blairforillinois/
Twitter: @Blair4Illinois
Do you support moving Illinois to a

progressive/graduated income tax? Why or
why not?
Yes. When the flat tax was written into the state constitution in 1970, the typical CEO made just
20 times the salary of the average worker. Today, that difference has widened to over 300 times
the average worker's salary. Our current system disproportionately burdens the middle and
working class. By implementing a graduated income tax, we'd be better positioned to fund
essential services without relying so heavily on property taxes. A graduated income tax could
add up to $2 billion of revenue for the state each year. Contrary to popular belief, our state
spending per person is actually lower than 47 other states. We can't expect to solve our fiscal
issues through cuts alone, and a graduated income tax is a common-sense solution for
generating revenue.
Do you think there should be term limits for lawmakers, legislative

leaders, or statewide officers?
I do not believe in term limits for lawmakers. Voters should have the power to re-elect
lawmakers they are happy with. Term limits could have the unintended consequence of putting
too much power in the hands of lobbyists who are able to spend entire careers in Springfield
with legislators turning over more frequently. That said, I do believe incumbency is a problem.
This can be addressed by 1) forming a non-partisan commission to handle redistricting, 2)
making sure the process for getting on the ballot is the same for independent, third party and
major party candidates, and 3) implementing campaign finance reform so that incumbents are
not able to stuff their campaign coffers based on name recognition, thus discouraging
challengers from entering the race.
I do, however, believe in term limits for leadership positions like Speaker of the House, Senate
President and Governor.
What changes would you support to stabilize Illinois’ pension
systems?
We need to do at least three things to address the pension shortfall:
1) We must revise the amortization schedule that was passed in 1995. The plan, which was
supported by both parties, effectively put the pensions on a credit card, requiring the state to
make the equivalent of a minimum payment in the years immediately after the plan's passage
and ramping up larger and larger payments as the years went by. This was an unrealistic plan
at the time, and, predictably, the state failed to keep up with the ramped-up payment schedule.
We must instead plan for level to slightly decreasing payments over the next several decades--
paying more now to avoid large shortfalls and unrealistically high payments in the future.
2) We need to revise actuarial tables that miscalculated how much the systems would be paying
out in benefits. And we should be checking and adjusting the tables on a regular basis going
forward.
3) We need to adjust assumptions about investment returns in the future.
Only about 1 percent of our current pension shortfall can be attributed to salary and benefit
increases. While we need to hold the line on pension spiking and eliminate double-dipping, we
will accomplish much more through 1-3 above rather than through cutting benefits.
Illinois’ higher education system is bleeding students to other

states. How would you make Illinois’ public universities and
colleges more competitive and financially stable?
First, we must vow that we will never go without a state budget again. The instability and
uncertainty caused by the budget impasse were disastrous for our higher education institutions.
Colleges and universities cut staff and programs, students lost their MAP grants, and still other
education professionals saw the writing on the wall and chose to leave Illinois institutions
because they couldn't rely on having a job in the long term. You can't blame students for looking
elsewhere for a more stable educational experience.
Second, we need to consider developing a funding formula for universities. Again, when
institutions have a reasonable idea of what to expect from the state from year to year, they can
ensure the stability of their programs and plan for future growth. For the last decade or so, our
institutions have been managing through one crisis after another, just trying to hold things
together instead of developing a plan based on a vision for their future.
Do you support legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana?

Why or why not?
Yes, I am open to the careful and intentional legalization of recreational cannabis. Studies have
shown that it's less addictive than alcohol or tobacco, and our past history with the prohibition of
alcohol showed that prohibition can have unintended consequences. If legalization of
recreational cannabis is pursued, we'll need to carefully plan regulations around its manufacture
and sale. For example, there should be limits on the maximum amount of THC allowed per
cigarette or edible and the amount that could be sold to a single purchaser. We need strict
penalties for those who sell to underage purchasers or those who drive under the influence.
We also must not ignore the impact our current laws have on communities of color. The
possession and use of recreational cannabis have effectively been legal for white people for as
long as most can remember. Black and brown users of cannabis are more likely to be stopped
by law enforcement, more likely to be charged and more likely to be jailed. Legalization would
eliminate this disparity and free up law enforcement to focus on more dangerous crimes.
Illinois has many infrastructure needs. Do you support another

comprehensive capital bill at this time? If so, how would you pay
for it?
Yes, we need to discuss a comprehensive capital bill. We haven't had one since 2010 and our
infrastructure-- not just roads and bridges but also the expansion of broadband internet access--
needs dire attention. Of course, we need to bring in added revenue to pay for the work, and, for
that reason, I don't know that we could pass a well-reasoned capital bill in 2019. However, if we
can work on a progressive income tax and the potential legalization of recreational cannabis in
2019, that would allow us to plan accordingly for 2020 and beyond.
Do you think Illinois’ business climate is adequately “friendly”? Do

you think the state needs to make any changes to encourage
businesses to move or expand in Illinois?
I think the best way to encourage business growth would be to work toward stability of our
economy-- that is, ensure we have a responsible budget passed every year-- and to re-invest in
education and infrastructure. The most important aspect of encouraging economic activity is
ensuring a strong workforce, which we cannot do at our current rate of support for higher
education.
I'd also like to see a stronger focus on encouraging entrepreneurship and growth of small and
local businesses. The slashing of corporate taxes and other so-called incentives to attract big
name businesses from out of state are not always in the best interest of long-term growth and
economic stability. We shouldn't be mortgaging the future of our state for immediate, short-term
"wins."
State House - Dan Brady (105th District)
Email: dan@votedanbrady.com
Website: www.votedanbrady.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vote4danbrady
Twitter: votedanbrady
Do you support moving Illinois to a progressive/graduated income

tax? Why or why not?
I do not support a progressive tax in Illinois. Time and time again the majority in the General
Assembly has repeatedly failed to look at reforms that would help balance the state’s budget
and instead turned to large tax increases to fund more spending. A progressive tax structure will
allow the practice to continue nearly unchecked. This would require a constitutional amendment,
to change our constitution to a progressive tax.

I believe term limits should be for legislative leaders. Similar to action taken by the House
Republicans several years ago.
I believe that the right to run for office should not be term limited and left up to the voters to
decide who their choice to elect should be.

systems?
This year there were significant achievements in common-sense pension reform. Creations of
buyouts give public employees a real choice when it comes to their retirement and works to
save taxpayers by reducing liability. More can be done, like testing the consideration approach
for pension reform to if it is a constitutional way to reform pensions but every year we must
adequately fund the pension systems
Affordability and reliability are what we need most for Illinois’ higher education system. This year
I was able to pass legislation that creates merit scholarships for students and will help improve
college affordability. Also, the General Assembly must reliably fund higher education through
MAP grants and increased funding to our universities.
I have worked on the bipartisan higher ed task force, the first phase was focused on legislation
to help students on tuition cost. I.e. aim high program, 4-year map, etc. The next phase of our
work is creating a tuition funding formula for Illinois higher education.

Why or why not?
I do not support legalization. Illinois should carefully study the long-term impacts legalization has
in other states before making marijuana easily accessible. I also have deep concerns of what
the work place environment could become and the safety of the public on Illinois roads.

for it?
Illinois has miles of crumbling roads and bridges and numerous repairs needed to state and
university buildings. It is time for a comprehensive capital bill and we should use it as a time to
address not only our current infrastructure, but also plan for our state’s future needs. To pay for
a capital plan I would first look at an expansion of gaming including bringing casinos to horse
racing tracks.
Our business climate needs improvement and unfortunately the majority in the General
Assembly view businesses as something to only tax and regulate. Throughout my career I have
championed workers’ compensation reform. When businesses are looking to locate or expand,
Illinois ranks near top for highest workers’ compensation costs. Simple reductions to costs will
help businesses and grow meaningful middle-class jobs in Illinois once again.
State House - Ben Webb
(105th District)
Email: Ben@votebenwebb.com
Website: www.votebenwebb.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/votebenwebb
Twitter: @votebenwebb

progressive/graduated income tax?
Why or why not?
I am a stark proponent of a graduated, progressive income tax. We have been using the
proposal from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability on the campaign trail which
estimates $2 billion in new revenue which would allow our state to begin fully funding our public
education as our state constitution mandates; we believe this proposal is only a benchmark for
how our state can begin to lessen the tax burden on working and middle-class families. Our
campaign also asserts that as our taxable base increases, this would provide for a
year-over-year plan to stabilize our budget and lower taxes in other areas as we see our state
work itself out of its current backlog of payments and promises over the next 10-20 years.

I am opposed to term limits for State House and Senate seats. If the voters of a district find their
current representation accurate to their values and see a representative doing the job, it should
be the choice of the voter to continue to have that representation and it is their right should not
be taken away from them. Regarding limits and restrictions on leadership positions and officers
in statewide parties who also serve in the General Assembly, I would be open the discussion as
a means to address real issues of campaign finance reform and the power of unchecked
incumbency.
systems?
A promise is a promise, and Illinois needs to honor the promises it made by making sure state
workers receive the pensions they worked for and are constitutionally ensured. Moving forward,
we need to make sure that our pension funds are fully funded and more is paid into the system
in order to overcorrect for the pension decisions of past assemblies. State workers and their
union must be at the table to have a say in negotiations while our state looks for new sources of
revenue. Beyond a fair tax, the decriminalization of marijuana also provides a new taxable
source of revenue. Closing corporate loopholes such as the rebate on sales tax collections so
as to not refund rebates back to the retailer which some legislators estimate to house $150-200
million in revenue are just a few ways in which we increase our revenue to correct from the
errors of the past.

Prioritizing education funding and continuing education programs to incentivize students in our
state to attend Illinois colleges, universities, and trade schools has be a major talking point on
the campaign trail. As an employee at Illinois State, I observed what the budget impasse has
done to expedite our student exodus from Illinois schools. These are local and high-quality
institutions that are well worth the investment by our state, and making sure that students stay in
Illinois while pursuing higher education needs to be a top priority. Expanding MAP grant funding
and access to MAP and accessibility to PELL grants to extend financial assistance to those not
currently qualified. We must expand job training programs in order to have a workforce that
remains attractive to businesses considering locating in Illinois. At the university level, we must
end an era of cuts and underfunding which causes our population to celebrate a 2% increase
despite a history of underfunding and unequal funding when compared to our other state
schools.

Why or why not?
I believe it should be legal, regulated, taxed, and available to adults to smoke recreationally and
should be available medicinally to those under the age of 21 by the prescription of a doctor - our
focus should not be on the use of marijuana not as criminal justice but that of public health and
decriminalization.
for it?
With a crumbling transportation network, investing in our infrastructure is another way to create
jobs for thousands of Illinoisans. Repairing roads and bridges is an important part of investing in
infrastructure, but this should include the 105th district as a potential transit epicenter in the
heartland of Illinois and the Midwest. To pay for it, we must look at what will bring jobs back into
the state. Beyond the sign of stability with a budget, small businesses provide more than 75% of
new jobs in Illinois. In order to be successful, these businesses rely upon the GA's investment in
Illinois’ future projects and long-term solutions rather than the "band-aid" repair which will not be
longstanding.

I think we are seeing a business climate which operates amongst a "friendly" understanding of
limited trust. Without creating a dangerous spiral of incentive-based reasons for a company to
move or expand in Illinois, I see the opportunity for the General Assembly to incentivize
businesses investing in the professional development, facilities, and workforce of their
companies in order to retrain, retain, and grow our population. While our schools train the next
generation of job-seekers, businesses investing in their employees help retrain the nation to
believe in Illinois as a state to lay foundations in.
State House - Jennifer “Jen”
McMillin (101st District)
Email: jen@thefutureofillinois.com
Website: http://www.TheFutureofIllinois.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JenMcMillin101st/
Twitter: @JenMcMillin

progressive/graduated income tax?
Why or why not?
Yes, I support a fair tax model. With so many burdens on our working families, we need to stop
the regressive flat tax model and ensure that everyone is contributing their fair share to our
state's common goods.

Elections are term limits. As a first time candidate that sees the dysfunction of state and federal
government, my hope is that voters will see that our elections are term limits. However, in the
instances of leadership, which is not determined by the people, I believe leadership term limits
should be in place as to diffuse power and experience throughout the chambers of government.

systems?
The Illinois General Assembly must focus on front-loading payments to our pension systems to
reduce the amortization rates. From there, we need to discuss changes to future pension plans
that the cost of living increases are more closely tied to the rate of inflation.
To make Illinois' higher education system more competitive and financially stable, we must
make education at every level a priority of our state. This means investing in education,
including higher education. For too many years, our universities, colleges, and vocational
programs have been underfunded, driving up costs for students and leading to deteriorating
programs and buildings. From there, every higher education institution needs to evaluate career
options and learning models to provide the best outcomes for our graduates.

Why or why not?
Yes, I am supportive of legalizing the recreational adult use of marijuana, both as a new
revenue stream as well as a way of reducing costs for incarceration of low-level drug offenses.

for it?
I am supportive of a comprehensive capital bill within the next 3 years. First, Illinois needs to
stabilize its spending and identify new revenue sources to create a surplus to pay down debts.
From there, we need a bi-partisan task force to identify new funding sources for a capital bill.

At this time, I do not feel that Illinois is adequately friendly. Our track record of budget problems
and instability doesn't allow businesses to make long-term plans. Illinois must stabilize its
budget and spending if we want businesses to move to or expand here. We are going to have to
make some tough decisions on what programs if any, we decide to cut to ensure that stability.
From there, we need to place an emphasis on growing entrepreneurship opportunities, investing
in education at every level, and revitalizing our infrastructure for the 21st century.
County Clerk - Kathy Michael
Email: kathymichael16@gmail.com
Website: https://www.kathymichaelforcountyclerk.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KathyMichaelForCountyClerk/
What professional experience do you

have that you think qualifies you to be county clerk?
My nearly 8 years as McLean County Clerk has given me the hands on experience. 8 years of a
record of integrity, quality customer service backed up by surveys available to the public, 14
elections with no hints of voter disenfranchisement or any voting problems, innovative ways to
save money; cross-training of staff very low turnover in staffing. We have been among the first
counties in Illinois to join the State-wide cybersecurity program in Illinois, working with the State
Board of Elections, Homeland Security, Illinois State Police and the FBI; hosting the
first-statewide cybersecurity forum in Normal in 2018. We successfully handled the merger of
the Recorder's office, by Referendum of a vote by the voters in 2012 seamlessly. Surveys to our
Recording customers is a matter of record; both giving a score of over 4.50 with 5 being the
"best in service" in both surveys over the past 4 years. We are proud of our diverse, talented
staff and provided idea to our I.T. Department last year, to be able to provide forms on our
website available in all languages, not just 2 or three languages. Our idea was then
implemented and made available for all McLean County Government sites. We have two staff
members who speak several languages; one staff member with a Masters Degree in
Languages. We are also known for our county-wide outreach to all organizations who wish us to
speak on any issues related to our office; especially our high schools and town and township
organizations. We are proud of our voter registration drives that we assist with each and every
election cycle as well.
What steps do you think the county clerk’s office should take to
protect against cybersecurity threats, including those targeting our
election systems?
We were among the first counties in Illinois to sign up for the cypersecurity programs being
offered by the State Board of elections in conjunction with other state and federal authorities.
We have steps in place, working closely with our I.T. department and the State Board of
Elections, who we work with daily in programs that are implemented and being implemented.
We recently received federal funding assistance in the amount of $23,000 which will be used to
add additional layers of security, through software updates and other things; handled by our I.T.
Department.
What is a service provided by the clerk’s office that is especially

well-managed? And what is a service provided by the clerk’s
office where you see room for improvement?
Every service that we currently provide is well-managed. This is borne out through our daily
compliments and input from our customers. With all due modesty, it's very seldom we get a
complaint. Our goal has and continues to be excellent customer service to our bosses, the
taxpayers of McLean County, and others who come to us for service. Room for improvement?
Everyone can always strive to improve, that is what our goal is. . . . we continually look for ways
to streamline; make things work even better than they do now; we do that, as our time permits,
by researching other county sites to see what they have that we might wish to incorporate; we
go to conferences to do the same, picking up ideas, interacting with our peers to see what's new
that we may want to consider incorporating in our office.
Should the clerk’s office be proactively involved in voter

engagement, in encouraging people to vote, in hopes of
increasing turnout?
The role of the clerk's office to conduct smooth, effective, fraud-free elections. We do that. We
are always available to provide information, voter registration drive assistance, voter and
election information with speaking engagements and through information on our website and
Facebook. Ultimately, the political parties, the candidates must engage the public to give them
their reasons why they should turn out to vote. We are always there to assist with information
and ideas to help any and all who ask. We love working with our high schools to help engage
students in the election process and have a reputation for our outreach and participation.
What would you do to ensure polling places are adequately

staffed and equipped for Election Day?
As our past 14 elections have proven, we have always been adequately staffed and equipped
for each Election. We have a reputation for being one of few counties who seldom has problems
securing enough election judges each election cycle. Our County Board has always been
especially helpful in giving us what we need; when a need comes up where more judges and
equipment are needed.
Do you think McLean County should establish a countywide
election commission? Why or why not?
In 95 of 102 counties, elections are conducted by the County Clerk. If Election Commissions
were the answer; this # would be reversed. Ultimately, this should be left up to the voters. It's
their decision; it's their tax dollars. The one plus? If voters don't like the job the Clerk is doing,
they can make a change at election time. That is not an option with a Commission based
scenario. From a cost look at this; we need less government entities, not more.
County Clerk - Nikita Richards
Email: info@richardsmcclerk.com
Website: richardsmcclerk.com
Facebook: @RichardsMcClerk
Twitter: @RichardsMcClerk
What professional experience do you have

that you think qualifies you to be county clerk?
As a United States Navy veteran, I obtain a level of integrity and
discipline while being equipped with a level of dedication to service,
people and progress that those who have never served could never understand. I understand
and am ready to serve as your next McLean County Clerk. I am also a precinct committee
person and have been involved in voter registration and voter empowerment efforts for many
years.
In my role as Employment Coordinator this position requires a keen sense of attention to detail,
compliance to laws, and statues, budget management, promotional product purchasing, critical
thinking, integrity led decision making and creativity. I lead and coordinate the City’s recruitment
and community outreach efforts, the selection of new hires, facilitate onboarding processes,
train employees in areas of compliance, monitor data to improve HR metrics, quality of hire, cost
of hire, and retention.
Much of my time is spent researching, developing and participating in trainings, creating and
attending employment focused events, assessing the needs of our workforce then carrying out
the necessary actions intended for process improvement, and ROI assessment. All necessary
skills and experience needed to effectively operate the daily duties of the Clerk’s office. Once
elected this experience, will be applied to improve the training and service experience for
election judges and volunteers. Training that will have a fresh, interactive and innovative
overhaul.
Another intricate responsibility of mine while serving in this capacity is that I am the staff liaison
for the Bloomington Fire & Police Commission to ensure that sworn positions are filled in a
timely manner. An opportunity that I take much pride in. I maintain Open Meetings Act
standards while working with the Chairmen to ensure that the board functions ethically. I
prepare the agenda packets, issue all pertinent communication, collaborate across
departments, attend commission meetings, record & transcribe minutes, abide by board
deadlines, record keep and facilitate the backend process. These responsibilities are parallel to
the Clerk’s duties for the McLean County Board, except that our current Clerk doesn’t create the
agenda packets or transcribe minutes as I do.
Previously, I assisted in the development and success of the City of Bloomington’s
Administrative Court. It is here that I served as Clerk of this court for the purpose of addressing
public safety concerns, property abatement and ordinance violations. Leading up to the launch
of Administrative Court in 2015, I worked with municipal court personnel from across the state,
coordinated the selection of law judges to hear cases, verified their ability to serve, created all
initial court documentation and made the necessary modifications required as the process
manifested, worked with City inspectors of the Code Enforcement Department to prepare for
court, drafted all court documents, prepared evidence, maintained deadlines, calendars,
monitored possible conflicts of interest, built the database system that is currently used to enter
and track ordinance violation citations, court cases and vital records.
More experience is available by request but for the sake of time and writing space I have
highlighted the most recent.
What steps do you think the county clerk’s office should take to
protect against cybersecurity threats, including those targeting our
election systems?
Illinois was the target of cyber attacks in 2016 that resulted in over 76,000 voters’ information
being breached. The Clerk is the last line of defense to upholding our democracy and that
person needs to be a fierce advocate for securing voter data and the election process. This
includes the willingness to request members of congress who can vote on matters pertaining to
fully and properly funding an election systems and equipment overhaul for the state of Illinois. I
am that candidate that can and will do so, as I partner with experienced election officials from
neighboring counties and work towards progress for McLean County.
The Clerk’s office has the privilege of receiving federal HAVA funding that in the past is reported
to not have been allocated properly, so I would ensure the appropriate allocation of these funds
to use to safeguard our elections. The law provides funding to help states meet election data
protection standards, replace voting systems and improve election administration. The county’s
election equipment has not been updated/ upgraded in over 16 years, however the Bloomington
Election Commission has updated equipment. I think there’s great gains that could be made
from meeting with their staff to discuss how they were able to do so. This year the state of
Illinois received approximately 13.9 million dollars in HAVA funding for this very purpose.
Though the Clerk does not have a vote as it relates to election legislature, the Clerk can and
should serve as an advocate for constituents while petitioning and beseeching members of
Congress to address this critical issue and provide the necessary funding to replace outdated
and inadequate voting systems.
In addition, I would ensure that the County Clerk’s office staff participates in training and
activities geared toward process improvement and election protection. This includes having all
Clerk’s office personnel who are involved in the election process to become CIRA certified
(Cyber Incident Response Assistance) through the National Security Cyber Assistance
Program. Upon taking office I am fully prepared to collaborate with experts within our community
to address detection and prevention, including obtaining the support of our colleges and
universities. As it pertains to training, I am completing Cybersecurity training instructed by FBI
Special Agent Steven V. Telisak on October 3rd.
It is my strong belief that the Clerk’s office should consult and work with the County’s IT
Department to address these needs, as they play a vital role in the safeguarding process. I also
believe that the Clerk’s office should participate in and contribute to the Cyber Navigator
Program to not only show solidarity but to be a part of the solution. The cyber navigator program
will be used to support the efforts of election authorities to defend against cyber breaches and
detect and recover from cyber attacks. A stark reality is that much of the election equipment that
is currently used to collect and tabulate votes is antiquated and provided by unregulated
vendors. This is a serious problem.
Voting machines are certified by the state, however the Clerk makes the decision as to which
vendor to contract. Currently, there are no federal standards for security, operation or hiring
processes at companies that provide hardware and software for voting. As Clerk I would
advocate that members of congress review on a routine bases the vendors we are working with
to ensure that all possible measures are being taken to safeguard software, data and systems
at the state level. In the meantime and at the very least if equipment is not replaced then yearly
updates should occur.
However, I would choose to approach safeguarding our elections it is imperative that any
communication pertaining to these efforts are both informative and do not to weaken the public’s
faith in government. This can be done effectively by providing transparent, laymen term
communication to the public in a variety of ways and often.
What is a service provided by the clerk’s office that is especially

well-managed? And what is a service provided by the clerk’s
office where you see room for improvement?
It appears that the marriage license process for heterosexual couples seem to run smoothly.
However, after speaking with members of the LGBTQ+ community within McLean County, I
could never forget the heart wrenching incident that was shared with me from a couple. I was
informed that the when the law changed to grant same sex couples the ability to have their civil
unions converted into marriage licenses, the current Clerk struggled to uphold this law. I listened
to the story of this couple who believed that they had been married for months only to find out
that their marriage license was not processed properly and the State Department had to assist
to resolve the mishap.
Secondly, the service of providing information distribution is currently quite passive and I would
improve this by digitalizing the Clerk’s office, working to update the offices website, including
making the site ADA user accessible, and less cumbersome. I would also implement increased
resource outreach for vital records assistance. In addition, the Clerk’s office does not provide
early voting locations to rural McLean County and I find this truly exclusive and unfortunate. I
have spoken with a countless number of rural McLean residents who support my efforts to
provide their communities with satellite early voting stations. I look forward to working alongside
the community to do so.
One other area of improvement would include better voter registration log maintenance to
ensure that the Clerk’s office is reducing waste where possible but is also being proactive in our
efforts. It is my intention to implement a two step procedure in place for returned voter
registration cards. In addition, under my administration the Clerk’s office will have a checks and
balances process in place intended to prevent the purchase of ballots for the deceased or those
who no longer reside in McLean County. This will contribute greatly to the voter registration log
maintenance process.
Should the clerk’s office be proactively involved in voter

engagement, in encouraging people to vote, in hopes of
increasing turnout?
The Clerk’s office is responsible for the training of deputy registrars and election judges; both
positions which are crucial in the voter engagement process. It is my belief that the Clerk’s office
should be proactive in the distribution of election and voting information. If carried out
effectively, these efforts will naturally increase voter turnout. It is important to encourage all who
can and are eligible to participate in our democracy.
What would you do to ensure polling places are adequately

staffed and equipped for Election Day?
Preparation is crucial in this role and I will be working with staff to assess our current
preparation process for election season. In the past, the Clerk’s office was met with some issues
that included running out of election process materials, long wait times, crowded polling
locations on ISU’s campus and poor customer service to those who encountered issues. In
addition, right before the primary election of 2018 and again prior to early voting for the 2018
General Election we have the removal or relocating of polling places.
As it relates to ensuring that polling locations have the adequate materials, I refer back to
ensuring that the voter registration log is maintained properly, research the forecasted voter
turnout expectation and have a small amount of extra readily available at restock polling place
sites. Long wait times may occur, however two - four hours to vote is inacceptable and once
way to reduce the possibility of this occurring is to ensure that election judges are thoroughly
informed on how to conduct the process without blunder but most importantly that there is a
qualified equipment operator present to resolve issues swiftly.
Another measure that would help is to secure the polling locations two years in advance,
confirm reservation and participation of these locations every six months (When approaching
election season, verify polling location commitment bi- monthly). In the case of ISU polling place
locations, secure the Brown Ballroom early to ensure that students and election officials have
adequate space and so that the polling location is easy for students to access. I would also work
to secure a second polling place on campus near Tri- Towers due to the size of the campus and
complexity of class schedules for many students.
It is important for the Clerk to provide election judges with frequent and interactive training and
resources needed so that they feel comfortable and confident problem solving on such a hectic
day. I have ideas for the election judge training experience that I look forward to carrying out.
Those who volunteer in this capacity ought to be celebrated and shown appreciation. This not
only helps with moral but helps to increase buy in. I will make a conscious effort to increase the
number of active election judges that we have by listening to and applying the suggestions of
those who currently serve, creating a committee focused on innovative recruitment and
partnering with diverse community organizations that are already involved in this work.
Lastly, as Clerk I would assess staff’s compassion, dedication, customer service skills and
ability to de-escalate during times of high stress. This is necessary while working for the public
and sharpening these skills can help election judges better perform on Election Day.

On September 29, 2017, The League of Women Voters of McLean County wrote a letter of
support for a single county-wide election commission in a letter to the editor. I too support this
stance for a non-partisan election commission. It is my belief that residents of McLean County
would greatly benefit from CIRA certified staff, increased voter turnout, modernized election
education, trainings for our volunteers, updated voting machines, and better support for election
coordinators.
I strongly agree with LWV member Julie Prandi when she said, “employees who work only on
elections will be better-trained and more-focused, and they'll conduct better elections.” These
are all things that could be addressed by an independent countywide election commission
whose sole purpose would be to protect and carry out one of the most vital civil right of our
democracy. In addition consolidation would bring about a solution to the confusion and
inefficiency of having two bureaucracies administer local elections.
I believe our elections should be professionally and independently run, which is how the
Bloomington Election Commission is currently operated. Look no further than the difference in
the information that is shared on each website to see the differences between a professionally
operated election commission and a partisan operated commission. The BEC has dynamic and
searchable data available to voters and candidates while the Clerk posts static .pdf documents
that are not searchable and are very difficult to interact with.
County Board - Michael Suess (District 1)
Email: mdsuess12@yahoo.com
Explain any experience you have working or serving with McLean

County government.
N/A
Last fall, the county had to close a $1.5 million budget gap — a
deficit that led to an early retirement program and other cuts.
What would you prioritize in future budgets if revenues remain
tight?
I would work to protect essential functions that improve quality of life for McLean County
residents as a whole. Programs that impact only a few and non-essential county jobs may be
impacted as a result.
What would be your approach to evaluating economic incentives

to help bring (or expand) businesses in McLean County?
Giving incentives puts more tax burden on others in the community. These programs should be
used sparingly. That being said, if the anticipated benefit of bringing a large company to the
county pays for the short term program, I would support it.

I do so long as it is comprised of volunteers. This commission would ensure all elections around
the county are done so in a fair manner.
Do you support changing County Board meeting times — from the

morning to afternoons or evenings?
I do. This would allow more members of the community to be involved.
How do you think McLean County government can help to provide
more affordable housing in the area?
McLean County should let the market dictate housing prices.
How would you describe the relationship between the County

Board, the Board of Health and the Behavioral Health
Coordinating Council? What role the County Board play in guiding
health policy, governance?
The County Board should defer health decision to the other boards barring large scale
economic impacts.
What would be your approach to evaluating land-use requests

involving renewable energy like wind and solar?
There would be a need to balance economic benefits with what voters in the area would like.
This may involve putting restrictions on how close to residential zones these structures can be
placed.
County Board - James Soeldner
(District 2)
Email: jimsoeldner@aol.com
Explain any experience you have working

or serving with McLean County
government.
Vice Chairman of the Board
Chair of Rules subcommittee
Chair of Legislative subcommittee
Member Finance committee
Member Executive committee
Former member of Land use,Justice,Transportation committees.
tight?
Our biggest expense is our payroll. I think we need to take a look at our workforce.
Economic development and increase in EAV.

Limit to manufacturing and technology companies. Limit incentives to retail.. leads to unfair
advantage.
Must have benchmarks and evidence that they are being met.
Countywide commission under the control of the County Clerk. Over 90 counties in the state
have this type of election authority..it seems to serve them well. Saves some money, but
eliminates a great deal of confusion.

I’m willing to bring up the topic after the November election to allow new members to participate
in the discussion. Evening meetings for rural districts are an inconvenience to those that have to
travel great distances in inclement weather and in Daylight saving time when it gets dark early.

I’m not sure it should. I see this as a possible money drain and competition to other housing
owners. If the municipalities and villages want to take this on, more power to them. Part of
housing expense is property taxes passed on by landlords. By keeping a handle on spending,
we help keep taxes lower.

Each entity has its place and purpose. The BHCC researches issues and makes
recommendations to the Board of Health and Health Committee,which in turn recommends to
the full board for action.Board members rely on the expertise and experience of each
committee’s members to provide information and insight on health issues of all types, not just
behavioral health. I have no doubt we in McLean County have the best health advisory system
in the State of Illinois.
The county zoning code addresses this issue. The Zoning Board of Appeals does a great job of
conducting public hearings, and the Land Use Committee takes up issues and recommends to
the full board. I believe in property owner rights, with consideration to non participating property
owners.
County Board - Randy Martin (District 3)
Email: ponymart@frontiernet.net

County government.
I have served on the Property committee. I am now serving on the Justice, Health,
transportation and the legislative subcommittee.
tight?
I am not in favor of laying off employees. I believe that departments have line items that can be
identified and eliminated. We do rely on the State for some income which has not been very
helpful in the past couple of years. I am hopeful that department heads can find enough items in
their budgets to be able to get a balanced budget.

I do believe that we can offer incentives to bring business to the community. I am not in favor of
allowing the length of time that has been proposed on recent incentives. The time limit in my
opinion should be closer to 5-7 years instead of 20 plus years.

I do not believe that we should establish another commission. The County is already paying
expenses for two election bodies. We should combine the two into the Clerks office to save
money.
I do not care when the Board meets. If we go to late afternoons or evenings it would be better
for me with my current job. I disagree with the reason stated in the past for changing the
meeting time because of transparency.

I do not have a plan for providing more affordable housing in the County. I would allow the EDC
and the local Chamber to come up with a plan.

In my opinion the current relationship between the County Board, the Board of Health and the
Behavioral Health Coordinating Council is very strong. All three entities are working together for
a common goal and are making progress. This is good for all of McLean County residents.
The County Board, specifically John McIntyre and Susan Shaffer, were instrumental in helping
to shape the current mental health policy.

I believe that wind and solar energy is needed to replace our existing sources of energy. The
land use for wind and solar can be returned to crop production where building a subdivision will
take land production out of existence forever. I would be against expanding housing onto
agriculture land but would support wind and solar. We already have CRP practices that take
land out of production for an amount of time. I don't see much difference.
County Board - Elizabeth
Johnston (District 5)
Email: elizabeth@voteelizabethjohnston.com
Website: www.voteelizabethjohnston.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JohnstonMCBoard/
Twitter: @JohnstonMCBoard

County government.
This is my first opportunity to serve the community at the County Government Level.
tight?
In the case of future budget gaps, I plan to continue to prioritize cost-saving programs put in
place by county departments; cut the budget where we can defer expenses on equipment,
paper, or non-essential office perks; and work with the state to fulfill its financial commitments
for mandated services. The county has many programs that reduce future expenditures. Some
of those programs exist to save larger incarceration costs to the county through court diversion
programs, more intense focus from public defenders to resolve cases quickly, probation
services, and the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council preemptively safeguarding the highest
users of community departments. I believe strongly in protecting the tax-payers while
maintaining quality services that ensure safety and functionality across the county.

I would like to see McLean County develop a sustainable future through more coordinated
Regional planning efforts. The county is in a unique position to facilitate comprehensive
planning among County and municipal governments while bringing everyone together to set
strong guidelines for negotiating and recruiting businesses. The current Memorandum of
Understanding between the County, Town of Normal and City of Bloomington for recruitment
expires in 2019 and when re-written can establish new negotiation options. I want to use the BN
Advantage strategy to promote our communities and our marketplace strengths to businesses
looking to thrive in Central Illinois. I would like to see us bringing in new industries that utilize our
central location as a goods transportation hub, since we are at a crossroads of major interstates
and a railway system. I would also like to see a business incubator set up to reduce barriers in
business development and to keep the innovators and entrepreneurs in our community. We
must carefully weigh the costs and benefits of any offer for financial support to businesses and
should put more emphasis on securing quality jobs, as well as voter awareness and support for
such agreements. I want to see our county build middle class job opportunities, increase
affordable housing, and support local economy so we can continue to thrive as a destination for
Central Illinois. I believe that plans for the future should be directed by the will of the voters, and
that ultimately rests with electing officials who are tuned in and connected to voters.

I am in favor of establishing a countywide election commission. The Clerk’s position is about
much more than voting, and I would prefer to have a commission solely focused on the
protection and efficiency of our elections. I am interested to see how the voters of Bloomington
will decide on this issue. I also realize that the unique law established for Peoria to dissolve their
city commission and establish a countywide one simultaneously, may be within our reach by the
2020 census. If the outcome this November is to dissolve the BEC, I would advocate for
establishing a countywide election commission. However, if the BEC remains in place, then I
would hope to pursue the simultaneous change following the next census, providing McLean
county reaches the minimum threshold of 175,000 residents.

Yes, I support moving board meetings to the evenings. I believe local government should be
more accountable to voters. This begins with increasing voter access: access to pending
decisions, access to meetings at times that don’t require a voter to miss work to make his or her
voice heard, and access to a representative who believes that input from voters matters beyond
a vote cast on November the 6th. I have spent time as a candidate working to increase that
access through social media and email newsletters to voters with regular updates on County
business before votes take place, so voters can understand what is happening and make their
voices heard before the vote. As a board member, I will continue to push for accessibility by
changing meeting times and to reconfigure the website for easier navigation and awareness.
As a county we are facing economic times where approximately 19,000 households cannot
afford fair market housing costs. Our economic development and regional planning should
include significant attention on the production of affordable housing units. This will mean
working on innovative designs and supporting projects that may not meet traditional housing
options. One example is the Laborer’s Home Development Project where there will be mixed
units for fair market price and income adjusted rates. This project is an exciting design and
shows much potential for development. However, to address the growing problem of
unaffordable housing, the housing crisis will need to become a priority.

I have witnessed a positive working relationship between the appointed county board
representatives, the Board of Health and the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. I have
enjoyed watching the collaboration and efforts put forth by the members to ensure that services
are delivered to people in crisis in a way that will save the county money. A few years ago, the
statistics showed that homelessness costs local governments an average of $40,000 a year per
person. The county board has brought together service providers and community stakeholders
to make sure their plans, procedures and goals are all in line to be an efficient and effective use
of tax dollars since successful outcomes make huge reductions in future expenses.

I have watched the application process for renewable energy “farms,” and I have learned a
great deal regarding the regulations of renewable energy. When new commercial development
plans are submitted for application, I will rely on testimony and evidence presented by the
McLean County residents, the Farm Bureau, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the state statutes
regarding current safety and long term soil preservation of our quality farm land. If applications
provide for the necessary protections, I will support the rights of our farmers and landowners to
profit off their land as they see fit, to provide for their families and preserve their farms. I support
the efforts in the community to develop Renewable Energy. Wind and Solar farms bring in much
needed revenue for the County and landowners; contribute to our region’s energy
independence; and provide good employment for the construction and maintenance of those
facilities. I will encourage companies looking to develop here, to use local labor for the
development and management of projects. As I have attended county meetings and spoken to
residents, I understand there are concerns and believe those concerns should be heard and
addressed when necessary. It is important to keep in mind, that as our state has moved through
this process, we have seen more safeguards put in place to protect the land and residents.
Ultimately I believe it is an industry that provides an excellent opportunity for landowners to
increase revenues without damaging or contaminating the land. Every dollar brought in by these
industries offsets the revenue needed from property taxes.
County Board - David Selzer (District 5)
Email: selzfam@yahoo.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/David-Selzer-McLean-County-1118835971517825/?ref=settings

County government.
I have served on the County Board since 2000 holding chairmanships of various committees.
Most of my time has been spent on finance with a term as the Vice-Chair of the Board
tight?
The early retirement program saved the county money. I would look at that again. i would also
look at each department and see if there is a better way we can deliver that service. Please
note: we already do this now. Priority must be given to public safety and health.

Worth what paid for. You must take a risk at times, not always knowing if your decisions will pay
off. I am proud of the incentives we have given Rivian and Brandt, both of whom are exceeding
expectations for job creation and growth. You have to have a complete bag of weapons to use
based on the circumstances presented.

No. I believe the County Clerk does an excellent job running the elections and I see no reason
to duplicate efforts. The idea of a commission being non-political is just ridiculous. Someone will
need to appoint those seats so it immediately becomes political-at least with the clerk, the
voters are choosing who they want to head their elections.

We tried this before and there was no immediate change to attendance or participation. With
today's technology and the high cost of overtime for keeping employees out of hours, I do not
support it. The majority of the work done by a county is at the committee level. Committee
meetings are already in the late afternoon. If those were to be addressed I would consider it.

The County does not provide housing. The best I could see would be through the State or
Federal grant process where the county could act as the fiduciary agent.

The County board and the health board were created by state statue, They each have specific
roles and responsibilities that sometimes puts the county board over the board of health
(budget, contracts etc) and there are items that they can work autonomously on. The BHCC is
also a creation that has certain roles and responsibilities specifically for behavioral health. The
BHCC is chaired by the county board chairman and the county board has appointment power to
the board of health as well. A clear plan, signed off by all 3 entities, guarantees us a well oiled
health machine for the citizens of the county.

Each one needs to be looked at separately based on the property and the benefit to the
community. I would like to see a program, partnered with energy companies, to utilize our
ditches, ravines and un-tillable land for solar and wind, I would like to see us use highway right
of way and overpasses and turn offs as the first option. That being said, at the end of the day,
the landowner has right to use their property as they see fit and if the choose wind or solar or
corn I will support them.
County Board - Sharon Chung
(District 7)
Email: sharonsochung@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ElectSharon
Twitter: @sharonchungIL
Explain any experience you have

working or serving with McLean County
government.
None, I am a first time candidate, excited and ready to serve.
Last fall, the county had to close a $1.5 million budget gap —
a deficit that led to an early retirement program and other
cuts. What would you prioritize in future budgets if revenues
remain tight?
The county has a duty to fulfill the mandates as set by the State of Illinois, and the
county has been able to operate to the best of their abilities with lean budgets.
Despite this, I would like to ensure that we maintain the highest quality of services to
the residents of the county. The Health Department, which advocates for public
health and wellness, and the Highway Department, which maintains the roads and
bridges, are places where cuts would be detrimental and would negatively affect the
greatest number of people.
Programs such as BN Advantage and organizations such as the Economic Development
Council and the Chamber of Commerce have done a good job in identifying and advertising our
strengths in McLean County. Their efforts have brought in some new companies in recent
years. While I believe that overall, this is good for our county and the economy, there should be
better standards and practices in place before offering a broad incentive package. For instance,
I think there should be claw-back provisions and hiring benchmarks in place for all incentive
agreements, especially ones that include a tax abatement. I believe there should also be a
commitment to hiring local workers and union labor, where possible. I believe that we, as a
county, should know our value and our worth, and should think carefully before any decisions
are made that may compromise that.

Yes, I believe we should have an independent, professionally-run, countywide election
commission. The League of Women Voters of McLean County has stated their support for a
countywide election commission in the past. I also support the idea of an appointed
commissioner or commissioners rather than an elected official to oversee all election duties and
functions. I do not agree with the question on the November ballot of dissolving the BEC, and
will be voting no. The question on the ballot does nothing to create a single countywide election
commission.
For me personally, the differences between the BEC and the County Clerk's Office has been
markedly disparate. The Bloomington Election Commission website, documents, and data have
all been user-friendly, especially as I have navigated their site in my campaign. I would hate to
not have that ability if the BEC were dissolved.

I believe that meeting times need to be changed from the mornings to the evenings. The later
time will make the meetings more accessible to the general public. In speaking to the residents
of District 7 on the campaign trail, everyone is shocked to learn of the inconvenient morning
meeting time. And in speaking to them, they also express interest in possibly attending more
meetings if they met in the evenings. I truly believe that when people feel like they can be
involved, and that they have a stake in the matter, that is when meaningful collaboration can
happen. After all, a County Board member's duties are to represent their constituents' interests
and concerns, and if the constituents want a later meeting time, then it would behoove the
County Board to change it.

I am pleased that this issue has gotten more coverage and notice lately, as it is an ongoing
issue in our area. The Town of Normal and the City of Bloomington have started to examine this
issue and have been working on finding solutions. I believe that collaboration between the
bodies of government is one way we can help the residents of the county as whole. The facts
are that 1 in 5 residents in the county live in poverty. While there are some options for affordable
housing, the options for safe, quality, affordable housing are very few. The City of Bloomington
has also decided to hold so-called "slumlords" accountable, for leaving their properties in
disrepair. And while the issue of affordable housing is more applicable to the Twin Cities as
opposed to the rest of the county, I think that the McLean County government can and should
assist, either in the way of referrals to social service providers, and working with the regional
planning commission and the other municipal governments to come up with an acceptable
solution.

The Behavioral Health Coordinating Council was created to examine mental health in our
county, and was integral in developing the county mental health action plan in 2015. The council
is made up of people who have a variety of experience and knowledge. The Board of Health is
also made up of people with wide-ranging abilities and interests, and governs the McLean
County Health Department. These two groups play a very important role in advising the county
of the needs of its residents. There is a very close partnership between the County Board and
the Board of Health and the BHCC. The Health Committee of the County Board deals with
oversight and any fiduciary issues. In the past, the relationship between the Board of Health and
the County Board has been rocky, but I have been impressed with the work they have achieved
together with the new Health Department director and her advocacy. Communication between
the different bodies is very important, but above all, the residents of the county of which they
serve should be a priority.
I have been very favorable about the renewable energy projects that have been built in our
county. We are at the crossroads of something very exciting and innovative here in McLean
County with our very visible commitment to renewable energy. Each wind and solar farm project
brings good union jobs to the county, and these projects also are not looking for tax breaks or
incentives. The money that goes back into our economy is a benefit as well, and farmers are
able to make money off their land, especially since crop prices are down. The Zoning Board of
Appeals examines each project, hears testimony, and then submits their decision to the County
Board. I trust their process and their due diligence, and will likely vote for projects that are
unanimously approved by the ZBA.
County Board - Cheryl Froelich (District 8)
Email: CFroelich.McleanCountyB@gmail.com
Facebook: CherylFroelichMcleanCountyBoard

County government.
None to date.
tight?
First priority would be protection of Public Safety programs then close evaluation of where
reductions could occur without detrimental effects on the community.

My approach would be dependent on a case by case basis with a consideration focusing on
what the business may bring to the community by way of economic growth potential, the career
force it demands and does our community need it.

No. Any appointed commission that receives taxpayer dollars should be held accountable for
revenue and expenses. An elected official is accountable not only to the constituents but also
the county board which has oversight on their budget. 95 out of 102 counties do not have a
countywide commission. The current Bloomington Election Commission has no accountability
for anything to either the county or the city.
My employer will support my attendance as a McLean County Board member no matter the
meeting time.
I believe firmly that people will prioritize and make arrangements if they have a pressing issue
they wish to address with the board, therefore, I am open to changing the meeting time.

McLean County government can help by demonstrating how different models of housing for can
impact the the community. Examples would be the Frequent Utilizer pilot and Pay For Success.

The County Board has led the direction in the behavioral health area. The Behavioral Health
Coordinating Council is an advisory group to the County Board. The Board Of Health is the
oversight for the Health Department. As defined in the Mental Health Action Plan, collaboration
and coordination among internal and external entities is critical to improving health, both mental
and physical for all county residents.

I support property owners rights, however, I will be open minded and respectful. Listening to
concerns is very important and I will not lose sight of that.
County Board - Steve Suess
(District 8)
Explain any experience you have working or

serving with McLean County government.
As Chairman of the McLean County Libertarian Party, I have
worked with the Clerk’s office in many different capacities
concerning local elections, leading to a deep understanding of
the local election process. I have been personally interested in
both the ballot access and voter registration processes regarding
our local elections. In my professional life, I have been a
nonpartisan campus advocate for voter registration at Illinois
State University, working alongside organizations like the
American Democracy Project to get students registered to vote in elections and encouraging
political participation and civic engagement.
tight?
McLean County should focus its budget on essential services provided by the county, including
roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. That being said, our roads are currently in better than
average condition, and several less-traveled county highways are maintained with high-grade
materials. The county should consider looking at some of the less-traveled asphalt roads and
converting them to cheaper surfaces (BST, gravel) the next time they are due for maintenance.
McLean County also needs to reexamine the frequency at which rural highways are maintained.
Frequently, highways receive maintenance before the roads absolutely need it. Infrastructure
should be prioritized, but the County should also avoid spending more than what’s absolutely
necessary on infrastructure as well.
Economic development in McLean County should begin with property tax breaks for everyone –
both businesses and individuals. Low property taxes across the board will encourage both new
businesses to come to our community and current businesses to expand their enterprise.
Additionally, low property taxes may attract people who want to live in McLean County but work
in neighboring counties, which would increase demand for service jobs and other industries.
Additionally, both county and municipal government should consider reform in zoning and
licensing, which frequently put up road blocks for new businesses starting or current businesses
trying new ideas.
I am entirely against providing businesses special economic deals that do not apply to the
citizens of our county, including TIFF Districts and tax abatements. Too often, our local leaders
will use these corporate welfare tactics to attract businesses to our area. Corporate welfare
rarely works in favor of the communities that offer it, and the practice of providing businesses
these breaks is incredibly unfair to individuals paying property taxes, most notably the poor.
Even with safeguards in place such as job creation benchmarks, these deals often create a
commuter workforce that may work in our county but live in surrounding counties with cheaper
property taxes. Corporate welfare also often favors new development over businesses that have
been in our community for years. Our local officials should not be choosing winners and losers
in the local marketplace.

I have no preference as to whether the clerk or an independent commission runs elections in
McLean County, but the current system utilizing two election authorities is inefficient and
confusing for voters and candidates. I see both positives and negatives involving both the clerk
and an independent commission running elections. The clerk is directly responsible to voters,
since it is an elected position. I do, however, see the conflict of interest in allowing a partisan
elected official administer elections and handle voter registration, although I do not believe our
current clerk or her opponent would ever abuse those powers. I question whether an
independent commission can really be “non-partisan.” The current Bloomington Election
Commission claims to be non-partisan; however, there is not representation of all major political
parties on the board. I would not support a county-wide independent commission unless the
clerk’s budget was adjusted accordingly; the clerk’s budget should be reduced by the amount
budgeted for the independent commission.
Regardless of which unified system is used, both are incredibly better than our current system
of running two separate election authorities.
Yes, and committee meetings should all be after work hours as well. I would support meetings
at literally any other time of day, including late nights, early mornings, weekends, and holidays.
It is the responsibility of the board to ensure that the public has as much access as possible to
meetings. Transparency in government needs to be protected, and the best way to ensure
transparency is to ensure the public can attend meetings.

A recent Regional Housing Study by the McLean County Regional Planning Commission
claimed most of the rental units in McLean County are affordable to most people, but there are
still around 8,000 households with incomes low enough that the household would need to pay
30% of their income for rent on an average market-rate unit. The study used that statistic to
suggest that McLean County has issues with affordable housing. The problem with the
methodology of this claim is that it compares low income households with average market-rate
units, not specifically low-income housing. 30% of a $25,000 income is $625/month. A quick
online search for available apartments will show plenty of units under $600, and around 40
unites listed for under $500.
If county government would like to ensure housing stays affordable, lowering property taxes
would help lessen the burden on homeowners and renters, who feel the effects of high property
taxes as landlords increase rent to compensate. For too long, our local governments have been
giving tax breaks to large companies while giving average citizens nothing but tax increases.
Additionally, municipal governments in Bloomington and Normal could either re-zone or
eliminate zoning laws all together, allowing for more multi-family living spaces in the county.

It’s important for the McLean County Board to have advisory groups of volunteer experts in
certain fields, including mental health. Many of the initiatives suggested in the 2015 Mental
Health Action Plan are worthy of pursuing, including better marketing current services, seeking
additional federal funding for mental health, and the establishment of the advisory committee.
However, that 2015 Action Plan also suggested that our community expand the community
dialogue about mental health solutions, and I believe that objective has not been met. The
conversation regarding mental health solutions starts and ends with government-administered
programs, and rarely includes solutions that are not administered by government. I believe
government is an inefficient way to administer mental health services, and both the County
Board and advisory committees should look to other means of administering those services,
including nonprofits, charities, and religious organizations. In many instances, these
organization can better help those in need of mental health help, because they are not
burdened by the bureaucracy of government. I also see the Action Plan ineffectively discussing
law enforcement’s role in mental health. While the report mentions law enforcement and
services at the jail, neither one is part of the short term or long term objectives in the plan. Too
often, people who need mental health services are taken to jail, and frequently these people end
up back in jail because they aren’t getting the help they need.

I reject the very premise of land-use requests. Government should not be able to dictate how
individuals or companies use the land that they have purchased. Zoning, permits, and other
hurdles to new construction – for energy use or otherwise – put up road blocks to progress.
Particularly with wind and solar, the development of this land could lead to lower energy costs
for families in McLean County, as well as providing jobs.
County Board - Shayna
Watchinski (District 8)
Email: shaynaforcountyboard@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteShayna/
Twitter: @Shayna4McLean8

working or serving with McLean County
government.
(No Response)
tight?
In future budgets I will work to find ways to protect the taxpayer without abandoning our
obligation to care for our most vulnerable citizens.

Economic incentives are only one tool in the county toolbox. We must also make sure we have
adequate government services, roads, and infrastructure to ensure that our county attracts new
business.

Yes. I would support a non-partisan countywide election commission.
Absolutely. The current meeting time of 9 am is not acceptable. I will work to have the meeting
time changed to afternoons or evenings in order to allow more working families and students to
be involved in their local government.

The county can work with the municipalities and rural areas to find opportunities to provide more
affordable housing. We can help facilitate communication between the parties involved.

I see the relationship between the County Board, the Board of Health and the Behavioral Health
Coordinating Council as an important collaboration. The work they do together, along with the
mental health action plan, will help to avoid the pitfalls that can come from working in silos. By
working together they ensure we provide vital services to our most vulnerable citizens.

I would approach every special use permit on an individual basis making sure to take into
consideration the needs of the community and the rights of property owners.
County Board - David Parker
(District 9)
Email: parkerformcleancounty@outlook.com
Website: www.davidparkerforillinois.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/parkerformcleancounty/

working or serving with McLean
County government.
None in my professional life. As a member of the Pepper
Ridge Elementary Promise Council, I have been involved with bringing members of the McLean
County government into the school to speak to the children.
tight?
We must plan for the long term, even when the budget is tight, and not succumb to quick fix
solutions. One example would be the McLean County nursing home: There was a time when
the nursing home was a financial asset to the county, but we allowed our ratings to slip to the
point where we no longer qualified to receive Medicaid and Medicare patients. This was causing
the county to lose money, which prompted some county officials to suggest selling the nursing
home. Some of us advocated instead to make improvements to the nursing home to boost our
rating, and make the nursing home profitable again. Fortunately the Board chose to adopt these
measures. This is the type of long term planning that we must pursue, rather than make
shortsighted decisions.

I do not believe that certain businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, should receive
incentives to build here. The market will determine the need for such businesses. In regards to
manufacturing or other job-creating opportunities where we are competing with other
communities, I can see the benefit of offering tax incentives. However, I believe that McLean
County has a very skilled workforce, a number of colleges, and is centrally located, so we need
to sell the prospective employers on all that McLean County has to offer beyond just tax
incentives.

I do believe that a countywide election commission should be our long-term goal.

I support changing the meeting times to any times that the residents of McLean County choose.
It is the elected officials that should inconvenienced, not the citizens.

I believe that there should be more grants offered to low-income individuals who own their own
homes, but don't have the resources to update or remodel their homes to make them safe and
functional, and are subsequently at risk.

The role of the County Board is primarily to ensure that they are properly allocating the finances
needed to the Board of Health and the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council to ensure that
quality healthcare services are being provided to the county.
I believe that land owners should be allowed to utilize their land any way they see fit, so long as
it's not negatively affecting their neighbors.
I am personally a big proponent of renewable energy technology, and believe that various
incentives should be considered in encouraging land owners and energy companies in pursuing
renewable energy technology in McLean County.
County Board - Sol Roberts-Lieb
(District 9)
Email: solserves@outlook.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SolServes/

government.
I currently have no experience serving McLean County. I do
have experience working with the County Clerk's office. As
someone who has ran for school board I worked with the clerk's
office during my run for board. In the fall of 2017, I again worked with the Clerk's office to look
into established party rules for the Libertarian Party. Through many discussions, we determined
that the party did meet eligibility requirements and was given established party status for the
first time in 2018 elections
tight?
The question shouldn't be "if revenues remain tight". The government, county government, in
particular, should always have tight budgets. They should prioritize what is the responsibility of
the government as opposed to the expanding scope of government. We should focus on what is
required first: police, fire, roads, infrastructure. Once all of the required functions of county
government are complete, we should stop. The remaining funds should be used as an
emergency fund and future taxes reduced.
Services that are not core to the county should be returned to the cities, towns, and local
organizations.
The incentive should be that the business can make money in our community. We should show
them what we have to offer as a community. The county should not be giving tax breaks or TIF
districts or anything like that. They have shown not to be effective in the long run, in fact, they
take money away from schools and core government services.
Businesses should want to come to McLean due to our workforce, our strong schools, and
natural resources.

Yes. This should be a non-question for anyone running for the board. Government is there to
hear the voices of the people. By having two election commissions, we cause two problems.
The first is confusion on who to contact and for what. As someone who ran for school board, I
had to work with both commissions to find out the rules, the ballots were different, and it was
very confusing. Not to mention the voting machines are different, polling places, are different. In
general different policies are used. This causes much confusion on how to get informed and
involved.
Second, and this is the lesser of the two issues is the cost to run two separate commissions. It is
estimated that the $500,000 budget for the BEC could be saved with the duties going to the
County Wide commission for no new dollars. That is a win for the taxpayers. One commission
for all your election needs at a reduced cost. Who wouldn't want that?

This is a resounding yes. Our citizens work. Most work during the Morning and early afternoons.
If we want a government for the people by the people, then meetings should be when most of
the people can make the meetings. This would be in the evenings. In addition, the meetings
should be recorded, live-streamed, and an option for participation from those attending the live
stream. We have the technology to increase participation.
Having meetings in the morning, when people have to work not only stops people from
attending but also those running for office because they would have to take off work on a
continuous basis. This is not a good step for an involved, informed electorate.
One way: Lower Taxes. The county should focus on what is a core service and sunset all other
non-core services. This sunset could be moving them to the town, to local organizations, or in
some cases, a service costs more than the benefit.
When you lower property taxes and other taxes, housing can be more affordable.

The county is responsible for citizens of the county, this includes health and wellness. The
county doesn't need to provide these services, but rather should ensure that it's citizens have
these services available to them. I don't know enough to honestly say how the relationship is.
There have been times when there is contention over resources but other times where it seems
to work ok.
The overall issues though is not what the county should be providing but that it is provided. The
county should provide information on the needs of its citizens but does not need to enact new
laws to provide health reform. That should be done by local community organizations, hospitals,
doctors, and more. The county needs to get out of the way.

My approach is simple: who owns the land, what is the request, what is the rationale, and what
are the pros and cons of it. We should look at how to improve our society through renewables
but the county shouldn't tell private businesses what to use. That being said, the county should
look at changing over it's use of energy from fossil fuels to renewables. It should set an example
of how to behave. The market needs to make it more beneficial for companies to switch.
County Board - Chuck Erickson
(District 10)
Email: cnelaw1@aol.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/electerickson/

government.
I have been on the McLean County Board since June of 2011. I ran in a contested Republican
primary in 2012 and a contested general election in 2012. I won those elections with the most
votes in both cycles. I currently serve on the executive committee, finance committee, rules
subcommittee, which I am the Vice Chairman and I am the Chairman of the Land Use
Committee. I have never been shy about working with Democrats when I thought we had
common ground. The examples are numerous. Member Erik Rankin and I worked well with
each other to move animal control out of the health department and under the jurisdiction of the
finance committee. We both wanted more humane ways to deal with our animal population in
McLean County. Member Carlo Robustelli and I worked together to support moving the meeting
time to 7:00 pm on Tuesday. In fact, I was one of the original signatories to the letter requesting
such. Member George Gordon and I have worked closely together, when he was the Chairman
of the Land Use Committee and I was the Vice Chairman. I have that same type of relationship
with Member Wollrab. While we may not always agree, although we agree more than we
disagree, as Chairman of the Land Use Committee, I have always asked for Vice Chairwoman
Wollrab's opinions and included her on leadership decisions . I remember one particular
example of when Member Gordon and I worked well together on the Land Use Committee. We
wanted to allow small rural businesses in an agricultural zoned district. We were able to
accomplish this through a special use permit process. This allows farmers to use the land as
they wish, promotes our rural heritage, and helps the small businessperson pursue their
dreams. This was one accomplishment which I am very proud. The promotion and protection
of the small entrepreneur is near and dear to my heart. Finally, I am proud of my record of
constituent services. No matter the problem, large or small, no constituent problem is too trivial
to me. I have helped one constituent with problems with animal control and a fee payment. I
have helped another constituent get questions answered about fee requirements at Comlara
Park. And as I stated above, the individual who wanted a special use permit for a rural
business, I literally became her county board go to person to help her pass her request for a
special use permit and meet the requirements of it afterwards. I am proud of these
accomplishments, which may seem trivial to some, are certainly not trivial to the constituent with
such issues.
tight?
I supported fully what we did to close the budget gap and I still do. Priority always goes to
public safety and because only the government can really keep the citizens safe. I support our
core services approach to government, that is, there are certain services government must
provide and only government can provide. There are services that the private sector can do a
much better job at providing than the government. We should partner with the private sector
where prudent. I do not support making government all things to all people and all special
interests all the time. Ronald Reagan said this well when he said, "Government should do all
that is necessary, but only that which is necessary." 1984 Republican National Convention
Speech. "Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with
government. It is rather to make it work--work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride
on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity,
not stifle it." 1981 Inaugural Address.

I am skeptical but pragmatic. Listen, the school districts are now being squeezed to provide
services while waiting for the return on investment that these incentives promise to deliver in the
future. We have to educate our children. I am tired of giving incentives to the rich and
connected to locate businesses here in McLean County. But I am pragmatic enough to know
that most businesses would not locate to this less than friendly business climate we call Illinois
without such incentives. We have to create opportunity for all citizens of McLean County and
jobs in this county will do this. People want jobs. Taxpayers want to keep their hard earned
money without tax increases to pay for these incentives. I am afraid to say some county board
members rarely see the immediate impact of these incentives, that is, government foregoes
income in the immediate term for this so called benefit in the future. Taxpayers are not this
bottomless pit of money from which we can continue to ask them to sacrifice from their budget
because we cannot balance our budget. Every incentive we give should come after tough and I
mean that tough negotiations to extract all we can from the business we want to locate here.
We should be relentless in demanding benchmarks be met for the continuation of the
incentives. For example, when needed to certify if Rivian was meeting certain benchmarks, I
was called to see if I could go along with the assistant county administrators to verify such
benchmarks. I was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict but I insisted and I mean
insisted leave no stone unturned in making sure of compliance. We should not be lenient in this
phase but require strict compliance. Why shouldn't we be this way? This money belongs to the
taxpayers and we should protect their investment. Certainly, we have in McLean County a
transportation system second to none with the intersections of Interstates 39, 55 and 74. We
have a great regional airport with CIRA. We have first class educational institutions in Heartland
Community College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University. We have some of
the best agricultural land in the United States. There are many pluses about McLean County.
We should be proud of this and emphasize these pluses to no end. I supported the Rivian,
Brandt and Wirtz Beverage incentives. Brandt and Wirtz are creating jobs in McLean County.
Rivian is working to get there in my view. I supported working with Firestone to create jobs in
McLean County. I have gone to the floor of the McLean County Board so to speak to advocate
for the creation of more blue collar jobs in McLean County. My work with Democrat Member
Paul Segobiano for more emphasis on creating blue collar jobs in McLean County is well known
if properly reviewed and researched. Another example where I have worked with Democrats
when I thought we had common ground. I want to say this in closing the answer to this
question. Is there a better and more efficient way? Yes, deregulation, low taxation and a
business friendly environment. We do not have that in Illinois right now. We may never get
there but in a more perfect world, we would. I would add I have been an advocate on the county
board for a review of our ordinances and rules to see where we can make McLean County
more business friendly. Is this my idea and my idea only? I wish I could say that. While I do
not support nor did a majority of McLean County Board members support all aspects of the BN
Advantage proposal, one aspect I have supported without reservation or hesitation is found on
page 60, Recommendations for # 4: Build a strong entrepreneurial culture and ecosystem. It
states we need to "Empanel a task force of entrepreneurs and municipal/county officials to
review permitting and licensing processes and requirements to ensure a greater sense of
starting up a business in the Town of Normal, City of Bloomington and McLean County." Please
join me in pushing for this with McLean County Board Chairman John McIntyre. I will not stop
pushing. But I need the help of the citizens to put more pressure on the Economic Development
Council, McLean County Chamber of Commerce and Chairman John McIntyre.

No, I do not believe McLean County should create a countywide election commission. I do
believe we should create one election commission in the McLean County Clerk's Office. Listen,
every citizen of McLean County should support this as well. Let me explain. First, it will save
money. The money can be better used than using it to duplicate services. Everyone agrees on
this. Let there be no mistake. Everyone agrees it will save money. Second, I believe you leave
it in the hands of someone directly accountable to the voters and taxpayers. An independent
commission fails in this regard. It places it in the hands of appointed people who will be
appointed by partisans and then insulated in their decisions by appointment. No one truly
believes anymore that the Bloomington City Council and Town of Normal Council are truly
non-partisan. Their appointments would be based on partisan considerations. No, they would
not. Yes, they would. We should stop kidding ourselves anymore. In this highly politically
charged environment in which we live, partisan politics plays a role. I believe we should keep it
with the McLean County Clerk's Office. The clerk would be directly accountable to the citizens
and taxpayers for the decisions made. There are sufficient laws on the books that protect
voters that the clerk is legally required to follow. It is not like the clerk can be this loose cannon
and law unto himself or herself, as the case may be.

Yes, I did and still do. I joined in the letter authored my Member Carlo Robustelli to have county
board meetings at 7:00 pm. To be clear, this proposal would never have seen the light of day
but for my vote on the rules subcommittee to advance it to the executive committee. My vote
broke the tie. On the executive committee, I voted to send it to the full county board. My record
of support speaks for itself. I do want to say however that people have to stop looking at the
county board like they do our city councils. The county board has twenty members and we do
most of the work in our committees and not on the full board. This is unlike our city councils that
operate more like a committee of the whole and have less than half that many members. If one
really wants to influence policy on the board, one should follow the policy in which he or she is
concerned with the committee to which it is assigned. This means first attend the committee
meeting. This is not to say that all committees are able to pass their recommendations when
they get to the full county board. The full county board is the last resort if one wants to influence
policy on the board, not the first. To summarize, because it is the last resort, I do support
moving the meeting time to 7:00 p.m. I would not support moving the time when the committees
meet. It would be too burdensome to staff to have us meet at night, say 7:00 p.m. for each, for
the executive committee, finance committee, property committee, justice committee,
transportation committee, land use committee, health committee. We all should think about
that. Staff having to remain at 7:00 p.m. and on for seven committee meetings and then one
additional meeting, the full county board meeting. Staff would be working eight nights a month.
I do not impugn the motives of those that want to keep the full county board at the present time.
I believe them to be sincere individuals with legitimate concerns about moving the time. I only
respectfully disagree with them on the issue.

First of all, I think the question makes an assumption which is not true. The question assumes
that government has unlimited resources to spend in any and every matter. It does not. In
question two, you ask about priorities on government spending to balance the budget. Your
question would be better asked as from which part of the budget would you take to provide for
affordable housing? After reviewing the budget, I would ask what McLean County is legally
required to provide. We provide the jail, the court system, sheriff's department and highway
department. We provide a treasurer's office which collects taxes, a clerk's office which keeps
vital records such as deeds, marriage certificates and birth certificates. We provide the
coroner's office. I could go on but which of these services would you cut to provide more
affordable housing. The county is being squeezed by state government. McLean County has
essentially had to take on the issues of the mental health on its own. Treatment and proper jail
facilities to help those that are mentally ill while not described as housing, certainly provide
assistance and housing. I have so far supported this. We need to protect our citizens from harm
while giving a helping hand and guidance to those who need assistance. Secondly, McLean
County subsidizes the nursing home, which is affordable housing. I have supported this as well
but I would add, the nursing home needs to figure out how to get back to even or making
money. The county is working on a roadmap to get there. I hope with all my heart it works. I
am not without a heart. I would suggest where we can work with the private sector to reduce
regulatory hurdles and zoning restrictions which create barriers to affordable housing, we should
do so. After serving in county government for more than seven years, I have learned the
question is not what to do with unlimited resources, the question is what to do with the
resources with which we have and priorities with which we are legally required to maintain. What
is the best way to allocate scarce resources? Your question completely ignores that issue.

The county board should play as large as a role as allowed by existing law. I am not a big fan of
appointed boards. They are insulated to some extent from the voter and taxpayer and in most
cases, to insulated for comfort for me. I would support our health committee doing all it can to
exercise as much control as it legally can over all appointed boards.

I support a land owner's right to use his property as he sees fit, so long as the use does not
injure one’s neighbors. See also answer to above question number one regarding small rural
businesses in an agricultural zoned district. This is the legal standard, that is, does it injure your
neighbor's enjoyment and use of his land? What is injurious to one's neighbor is the million
dollar question. I do not see how solar farms injure someone's neighbors. I have supported
them. As Chairman of the Land Use Committee, I have supported will written decommissioning
standards that protect the taxpayers. The only goal of these is to protect the taxpayer. We are
presently trying to add such language to our zoning ordinance. As for wind farms, these new
farms place wind turbines on land which are larger than the ones presently existing in McLean
County. I support placing more distance between these and one's neighbors. The zoning board
of appeals did this for some land owners and not for others, which I could not find a clear
rationale for such. In addition, I did not find the presentation by the wind farm companies
persuasive as to the larger turbines. I have asked Members Cavallini and Metsker to present a
proposal to me to modify our ordinance with which I will place before the land use committee for
consideration. I have yet to receive it from them. I believe we need to find the right balance.
We need sufficient space between the turbines and neighbors. I support more space between
the two.
County Board - Kevin Woodard
(District 10)
Email: kwedsi@yahoo.com
Website: kwedsi.wixsite.com/kevinin10
Facebook: Facebook.com/KevinWoodardLibertarian

County government.
While serving as Traffic Engineer with the City of Bloomington I worked on projects with with
McClean County, The Town of Normal, McLean County Regional Planning Commission and
Illinois Wesleyan University. Previously I served in the the appointed position of City Traffic
Engineer for Shreveport Louisiana as a Division Head managing 40 employees, a $3,000,000
annual operations budget and a $3,000,000 annual capital improvements budget. I was also
appointed by the Institute of Transportation Engineers to serve on the National Committee on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices. I have over 15 years of experience with city governments
including working for the cities of Kansas City Missouri, Olathe Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, and
Ames, Iowa.
tight?
We have to take care of the counties most important assets, its employees. A budget that does
not provide raises for its deserving employees is a failed effort. I would also prioritize basic
services such as those provided by the Highway Department. I also support the Health
Department and am especially interested in doing more in the area of providing mental health.
One thing that the Board must face is developing a long range plan for the Nursing Home. I
support a consultant's study that will look at the next 25 years, be cost constrained, include the
cost of a new building, consider a futurists view of the next 25 year trends expected in the
nursing home industry, consider the current five year capital improvement plan, and consider an
Alzheimer's wing. Options such as selling or closing the home should also be evaluated.
I do not favor Government Welfare and am generally opposed to economic incentives. These
incentives unfairly shift more of the tax burden to existing businesses, property owners and
everyone that pays sales taxes. While I agree that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is an available
tool, it should be used sparingly and wisely. When you can land a major employer such as
Mitsubishi their use is definitely worthy of consideration. When you can revitalize a dying
shopping center like has been done by encouraging Dicks to locate on Empire Road they are
worthy of consideration. However if a project is smaller than that I highly doubt TIF is beneficial.
I also want to see our property tax rates be sound enough so that we can defend them in court
when necessary We need to stop making legal agreements with certain companies that lower
their tax rates.

No. I do not believe there is such a thing as a non-partisan board under any circumstances. All
such board members are appointed by someone that is partisan so saying the board would be
non partisan is nonsense. We need only look to the recent action of a Bloomington Election
Commission (BEC) member to illustrate the point. That member, a Democrat, supported by the
McLean County Democratic Party challenged the petition that was presented by the McLean
County Libertarian and McLean County Republican parties to put the referendum on the ballot
to eliminate the BEC. Speaking of the petition to eliminate the BEC, those that support a
McLean County Election Commission should support it. Eliminating the BEC must be done
before a referendum to create a county wide commission can be placed on the ballot.

Yes. Move them to 7:00 p.m.,. There is no reason that these meetings can not be moved to the
evenings so that people who work during the day can attend the meetings.
I am not sure it is the role of government to provide affordable housing. Such efforts may
actually result in increasing the cost of housing for everyone as government assistance
artificially inflates costs. I am concerned that the only people that may actually benefit from
these types of projects are the developers that often receive funds from federal state and local
governments to build the projects. So the tax payer gets hit three times. He pays the developer
to build the housing, the renter to support his rent, and pays higher rent for his own apartment.
To the degree that we may want to provide affordable housing we have to be careful how we
define it. For example, if we were to say 15% of the population needed assistance with housing,
that does not mean they need assistance that would provide them with average housing.

I see the Board of Health as the professional Board that would make professional
recommendations to the County Board. My understanding is that the Behavioral Health
Coordinating Council is an advisory group. I believe the County Board should be willing to take
input from any concerned parties or groups especially these two. Regarding details the County
Board should rely heavily on the professionals for guidance and not get overly involved in day to
day activities.

I believe the process we have is more than adequate. I support both Wind Farms and Solar
Farms. Wind farms have created hundreds of jobs in McLean County. Our three existing wind
farms represent three of our top 10 biggest tax payers. Wind Farms and Solar Farms not only
provide clean energy and tax dollars but they also provide income for the land owner. I also like
the Solar Bloomington 2.0 Program largely because it doesn't require government involvement.
It is an excellent example of the power of community purchasing. I also support the Ecology
Action Center particularly their volunteer clean up programs and the current program to supply
recyclable trash carts to needy families.
County Treasurer - Lex Green
Email: lex.green@fastkarma.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexGreenForTreasurer/
What in your professional experience

qualifies you to be County Treasurer?
My experience includes eight years as an officer of the
Libertarian Party of Illinois, including four years as Chair, and ten
years as an officer of the McLean County Libertarian Party, including four years as Treasurer,
and two campaigns for public office. My campaigns were focused on financial issues and
required a solid knowledge of the respective budgets and CAFRs to make realistic suggestions
for responsible policy recommendations. As an elected position, the County Treasurer needs to
know the budget process, but also needs to work with staff to make sure all duties are
performed in compliance with law and the policies of the County Board. My experience
managing people, coupled with my understanding of budgeting, will serve me well as your
elected Treasurer.
What would you do as Treasurer to help policymakers make
informed budget decisions should revenues remain tight in future
years?
There very reason I am running is to bring the Libertarian perspective to all aspects of County
Board activities. It is important to point out where cuts can be made, even if there is a surplus.
The error of almost all governmental bodies to promote policies that maximize revenues,
instead of cutting spending. Tax money is taken from taxpayers who trust us to be responsible
with their money. But the general welfare is best served when people can keep their earnings
and spend how they see fit. The County Board, as with all governmental units, needs to be
constantly reminded that handling public money is a duty that must be done with solemn respect
for the hard work of citizens who provide it, whether times are good or bad.
What is a function provided by the Treasurer’s office that is
especially well-managed? What is a service provided by the
Treasurer’s office where you see room for improvement or
innovation?
The budget process is handled very well by the current Treasurer and her staff. I think the staff
are doing an adequate job at all of the duties of the office. With technological advancements, we
need to make sure we are making tax payments as easy as possible for residents of McLean
County. I will keep an eye out for ways to utilize smart phones and other emerging technologies
as they become available. If necessary, I would work with state legislators to make such
innovations available to taxpayers under state statute. I would also try to make all fees and
charges to taxpayers as small as is possible under state statute and county law.
The county has an Auditor. But what measures should the

Treasurer’s office use to help detect financial mismanagement or
fraud?
Both the County Auditor and outside auditors are utilized to make sure that funds are managed
efficiently and ethically. I will be vigilant in making sure everyone in the Treasurer's office
maintains that focus in all activities.
How would you evaluate whether the county is well-served by its

investment policy?
Investment policy should focus on safety and liquidity of funds as its primary objectives, seek to
maximize return, and operate within the confines of the law. The results of last year's
investments show that over $600k was earned on Cash Accounts of over $40M, representing
an increase in returns over 2016. There were sufficient funds to cover fund transfers. My feeling
is that the county is served well by the current investment policy. I would not seek to change
that policy unless it is expected that equity markets will suffer setbacks in the future.
County Treasurer - Rebecca
McNeil
Email: rebeccacmcneil@gmail.com
Website: www.mcneilfortreasurer.com
Facebook: Rebecca McNeil for McLean County Treasurer
@mcneilfortreasurer
What in your professional experience

qualifies you to be County Treasurer?
I hold a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from Western Illinois
University and I have served as County Treasurer for the past 15
years. Since 1999, I have dedicated my professional career to public service. I started my
employment with the Treasurer's office as a Payroll Accountant in 1999. I was promoted to
Assistant County Treasurer in 2001 and became responsible for managing the daily operations
of the Treasurer’s office as well as providing leadership to the staff. I was appointed County
Treasurer in March of 2003 and elected to the countywide office in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014.
My experience is enhanced by a significant level of institutional knowledge, my passion to serve
the public and professional relationships built through years of collaboration, communication
and cooperation. I also have been directly involved in administering the state statutes,
governmental accounting standards and county board policies the office must follow. I have led
efforts to improve accountability, build transparency, strengthen internal controls and develop
the website portal.
What would you do as Treasurer to help policymakers make
informed budget decisions should revenues remain tight in future
years?
The office performs a wide range of critical financial functions for county departments. We are
responsible for posting all revenue accounting, payroll expenses and accounts payable
transactions for the County. Performing these functions in a timely and accurate manner is
critical to budget tracking. The Treasurer reports to the County Board on a monthly basis. The
Treasurer presents reports that include statistical information about key sources of revenue the
County must closely monitor. The reports also include information about our cash and
investments, the County Nursing Home and tax revenue. The Treasurer also works with the
County Auditor to present the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report which reports the overall
financial position of the County to the County Board, County Administration, financial reporting
agencies and the public.
What is a function provided by the Treasurer’s office that is

especially well-managed? What is a service provided by the
Treasurer’s office where you see room for improvement or
innovation?
The office must continue to leverage technology to utilize resources in the most innovative,
effective and efficient manner possible. A function that especially well managed is the
communication we provide to the public through our internet site. The site has been designed to
provide the public with 24 hour access to many of our records and services. The site has also
been designed with input from the public to promote communication, transparency and
accountability. Technology has allowed us to communicate with the public through email, text
message and social media. McLean County is government on demand. Our online public
services will continue to be evaluated for improvement. The website is getting ready to go
through a "face lift" this fall. We are also looking at technology which will allow us to
communicate more electronically with our taxpayers in the future through e-billing. This is an
exciting time and change is constant. I believe in the work we have done and I feel the best is
yet to come.
The county has an Auditor. But what measures should the

Treasurer’s office use to help detect financial mismanagement or
fraud?
Having a strong network of internal controls and segregation of duties is essential to preventing
financial mismanagement and fraud. No one staff member has access to complete an
accounting transaction from beginning to end. The process requires a transaction to be
validated and approved by management before being posted. The office utilizes technology to
track, entitle and limit user access within the financial system. Controls are put into place during
the receipting process to monitor and authenticate the cash that is being accepted. Departments
are required to make timely deposits to the office of revenues collected. Bank accounts are
closely monitored, reconciled and have features that block unauthorized transactions. External
audits are also performed to review our work, practices and controls.
How would you evaluate whether the county is well-served by its
investment policy?
The investment policy has been written according to the Illinois Public Funds Investment Act (30
ILCS 235/). The policy emphasizes the importance of safety and liquidity over return on
investment. Investments are held in many banks throughout the County. Investments are also
held with the Illinois Funds which is the Illinois State Treasurers Local Government Investment
Pool. Banks that hold investments over the FDIC level are required to insure the safety of our
principle by pledging additional securities with a market value that exceeds the investment
amount on hand. Liquidity is necessary to allow the County to meet financial obligations
especially when funding from the State of Illinois is unpredictable and untimely. Prior to placing
some of the larger investments, competitive rates are obtained from several banks and
compared. Rate of return is not the primary force that determines where an investment it is
placed but it is certainly utilized as a factor and monitored. State law requires the Treasurer’s
Office to report monthly to the County Board a listing of all active investments and deposits held.

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League of Women Voters McLean

County and WGLT Voter Guide

McLean County Clerk

McLean County Board*

McLean County Treasurer

What in your history demonstrates a

What are specific proposals you would introduce to improve the

How would you reduce gun violence in the U.S.?

What do you think of President Trump’s handling of the Mueller

What do you think is a viable path forward on comprehensive

What can the federal government do to make higher education

What would be your priorities in the next farm bill?

Do you support moving Illinois to a

Do you think there should be term limits for lawmakers, legislative

3) We need to adjust assumptions about investment returns in the future.

Illinois’ higher education system is bleeding students to other

Do you support legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana?

Illinois has many infrastructure needs. Do you support another

Do you think Illinois’ business climate is adequately “friendly”? Do

Do you support moving Illinois to a progressive/graduated income

Do you think there should be term limits for lawmakers, legislative

What changes would you support to stabilize Illinois’ pension

Do you support legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana?

Illinois has many infrastructure needs. Do you support another

Do you support moving Illinois to a

Do you think there should be term limits for lawmakers, legislative

Illinois’ higher education system is bleeding students to other

Do you support legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana?

Do you think Illinois’ business climate is adequately “friendly”? Do

Do you support moving Illinois to a

Do you think there should be term limits for lawmakers, legislative

What changes would you support to stabilize Illinois’ pension

Do you support legalizing recreational adult use of marijuana?

Illinois has many infrastructure needs. Do you support another

Do you think Illinois’ business climate is adequately “friendly”? Do

What professional experience do you

What is a service provided by the clerk’s office that is especially

Should the clerk’s office be proactively involved in voter

What would you do to ensure polling places are adequately

What professional experience do you have

What is a service provided by the clerk’s office that is especially

Should the clerk’s office be proactively involved in voter

What would you do to ensure polling places are adequately

Do you think McLean County should establish a countywide

Explain any experience you have working or serving with McLean

What would be your approach to evaluating economic incentives

Do you think McLean County should establish a countywide

Do you support changing County Board meeting times — from the

How would you describe the relationship between the County

What would be your approach to evaluating land-use requests

Explain any experience you have working

What would be your approach to evaluating economic incentives

Do you support changing County Board meeting times — from the

How do you think McLean County government can help to provide

How would you describe the relationship between the County

Explain any experience you have working or serving with McLean

What would be your approach to evaluating economic incentives

Do you think McLean County should establish a countywide

How do you think McLean County government can help to provide

How would you describe the relationship between the County

What would be your approach to evaluating land-use requests

Explain any experience you have working or serving with McLean

What would be your approach to evaluating economic incentives

Do you think McLean County should establish a countywide