 Campaign photo |  DeKalb 1.jpg |  Training in Hawaii.jpg |
|---|---|---|
 New Barrington Lodge 522.jpg |  Air Assault mission in Iraq.jpg |  My Platoon in Iraq 2006-2007 |
 Local Medical Engagement in Iraq |  Vote November 4th 2014 |
"My main priority will be to tackle the property tax predicament. Our county’s property tax rate is 53rd highest in the country. Our county board approved a $77.3 million budget including another property tax hike, while home values continue decreasing. In a 14-10 vote, the county board also approved a $20.9 million property tax levy. The burden rests upon the county residents, while the county government continues to spend down its reserves by almost $900,000 each year. Before raising property taxes, we must review the efficiency and effectiveness of the administration apparatus."
Issues
Choices
The voters of the 9th have a choice between two candidates with two different strategies on what to do if elected to the county board. I would just ask these questions to those in the 9th who are listening: can you communicate with your current county board member...or rather do you even know who is currently your county board member? Do you feel your county board member is mindful of the financial woes this district is facing? Are you confident that your county board member is doing everything in their power to alleviate the concerns you have regarding the financial struggles this county is facing spending down its reserves? If you are a homeowner, do you feel your county board member is doing enough to attempt to lower property taxes? Finally, do you believe it is better to send to the county board someone who will do little to no changes while in office, or do you feel it is long overdue to have a true representative work tirelessly to push fellow county board members to implement spending cuts and lowering property taxes responsibly? I will be accessible and always mindful of the constituents of this district, and will bring a bold approach to the county board. I would appreciate your vote.
COUNTY BOARD DISTRICT 9
District 9 is in the city of DeKalb. It includes to the north everything east of Sycamore Road up to Bethany, down toward First and then Fourth streets, and goes back north along the North-South train tracks, juts east and goes up along DeKalb Township’s eastern boundary line.
WHY CRAIG IS RUNNING
DeKalb County’s current economic problems did not appear overnight and they will not disappear overnight either. However, there are many things I believe we can implement to put us back on the path to prosperity. As I see it, DeKalb County has been facing the same set of issues for many years and the Band-Aid approach has not been solving the problems. It has allowed them to metastasize and harm the constituents at the same time. Here is a list of issues I believe need to be rectified immediately:
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Property taxes: DeKalb County rates 53rd in the US for highest in county property taxes. DeKalb County Board approved a 77.3 million dollar budget that includes another property tax hike, while home values continue to decrease. The Daily Chronicle stated, “They also approved a $20.9 million property tax levy in a 14-10 vote, which will result in increase of $8.72 in property tax bills for the average homeowner. The overall assessed value for property in the county is expected to decline by almost 8 percent, which is about the same percentage of decline this year as in 2012. Because of declining property values, the average home-assessed value in the county went from $200,000 in 2010 to $160,000 this year. Our total property tax levy is 20.9 million dollars. We are also in a recession and that stresses all governmental budgets due to the lack of new construction.” Again, the burden is placed upon the residents of DeKalb County, while the government continues to spend down its reserves by almost $900,000 each year.
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Expansive Judicial System: As our judicial system continues to grow, so does our County Jail population. We must meet this demand and expand the size of our County Jail. However, we must be smart in allocating money to achieve this goal. Our County jail has 89 beds, but in 2012 in the highest day there were 160 inmates and on the lowest day 109 inmates which meant housing inmates out of county. This has been an issue for quite a while and the cost in 2012 was $4,908,829.00. This included the cost of 618 transports for housing inmates out of county, which was a 6% increase from 2011. Our jails have become our default mental health facilities as resources go to the justice system instead of mental health and drug treatment. Is this good public policy? DeKalb County government spends 19.5 million dollars on our sheriff’s department, jail, and our court. Furthermore, tided to the issue of County Jail expansion was the expansion of the Mega dump. The revenue collected from the Mega dump is supposed to pay for the County Jail expansion. However, funding for the jail is tied with Waste Management's expansion of the county landfill in Cortland, which is expected to take in about 2,000 tons of trash a day, from which the county will collect increased "tipping fees." Until the landfill expansion is completed and starts accepting trash, which may be early 2015, funds for the expansion of the jail itself will not be available. That means it could be 2016 before crews could start building the addition to the jail, and the county needs a year's worth of the "tipping fees" on hand and approval from the County Board before selling bonds to fund the jail expansion project.” Furthermore, DeKalb was not on the list of counties receiving money from the state to help take the pressure off our current prison population. Again, poor budgeting and administrative leadership has allowed this problem to burden the County far into the future.
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Unfunded mandates are a real problem for local taxing bodies. They do not always come from state and federal sources. However, most come from shortsighted decisions and that includes the local units.
WHEN IN OFFICE
I will not be part of the status quo on the county board. Many of the current board members are disconnected from their constituents and act in their own self-interests. I have a multitude of leadership experience from my 11 years in the military. I believe it is crucial to bring transparency, foresight and prudence to DeKalb County. I am running to be the representative voice of my constituents. Regardless of your position on the political spectrum there are many fundamental similarities we all can agree on, for example lower property taxes. We must understand that the vitality of the county and the freedom of individuals are intertwined, not competitive. James Madison said it best, “A good government implies two things; fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.” My question for DeKalb County is simple, how happy are you with the current state of affairs and are the county needs being attained in a logical fiscal manner?