2008 General Election: 1st District Kendall County Board

There are three open positions for this seat that covers the western two thirds of Kendall County, including Yorkville, Plano and Newark. Candidates include incumbent Robert H.D. Davidson, 62, a Republican; John A. Shaw, 70, a Republican; Suzanne Petrella, 51, a Republican; Paul J. Keller, 62, a Democrat; Jim Birch, 59, a Democrat and John Crawford, 47, a Democrat.

Robert H.D. Davidson
Why are you running for this office?
Feel I owe citizens of Kendall County to try to make things better than we found it and leave it better for our Grandchildren.

Why are you the most qualified for this position?
I have (25) years of political service. I think I know Kendall County history having lived here (62) years.

What major needs of the county would you like to see addressed?
I would like to see smaller government in our lives, control spending and cost of government. It is important that we balance the county budget and not spend our future away.

Now that the federal government has given its blessing to the Prairie Parkway, do you believe this road will become a reality? What role do you see the county taking assuming this project progresses? Will the parkway be beneficial to Kendall County?
Yes, I believe this road will become a reality. I see no role for county in progress but to work on interchanges with the road. I think this road will be very important in the future. Where, I don't know. But this should relieve traffic on Rt. 47 through Yorkville.

Hearings began in September for another proposed Kendall County landfill. Do you believe a landfill will be cited in the county? Do you support the citing of landfills in the county? How should the coordination between the county and its municipalities work in this regard?
Will not comment on landfill.

John A. Shaw
Why are you running for this office?
I feel that I have experience with and knowledge of Kendall County to push the County Board toward a more conservative and contituent friendly direction.

Why are you the most qualified for this position?
I have dealt with all 7 townships in District One; Big Grove, Little Rock, Bristol, Kendall, Lisbon and part of Oswego and have lived in 3 of them since 1965. My experience has been in Farm to Market & Rural Roads, Municipal streets, interstate highways, sewer & water line construction, sewage treatment plants, erosiion control & selling the original soil sweetener, agricultural limestone. I have also dealt effectively with the IEPA in the course of my managerial career. If elected, I would be the only board member who owns & manages a row crop farm.

What major needs of the county would you like to see addressed?
Alleviating traffic gridlock and environmental protection.

Now that the federal government has given its blessing to the Prairie Parkway, do you believe this road will become a reality? What role do you see the county taking assuming this project progresses? Will the parkway be beneficial to Kendall County?
A) I doubt this will happen because of the countries' current economic woes.
B) Increased costs for re-routing emergency response routes for Sheriff, fire departments and ambulance services.
C) The Prairie Parkway widened to 4 lanes of Rt. 47 South from Caton Farm Road to Interstate 80 should be pursued first.

Hearings began in September for another proposed Kendall County landfill. Do you believe a landfill will be cited in the county? Do you support the citing of landfills in the county? How should the coordination between the county and its municipalities work in this regard?
A) Possibly
B) No
C) If the Hoover Forest Preserve is any indication, a third party will probably have to adjudicate, unfortunately.

Suzanne Petrella
Why are you running for this office?
I believe this position should be filled by a person who is wholeheartedly interested in what's going on in our communities, has the time and is willing to make the committment to talk with citizens and represent their views. I have always been interested in local government, so when my youngest child graduated from high school, I decided to do my homework, go out to meet the people, listen and prepare for a seat on the board. I have been observing meetings for a year and a half, and I am constantly intrigued with the issues before our County Board and with all the community information I have gained.

Why are you the most qualified for this position?
I am a perfect candidate to help manage the changes we have experienced; I have been here long enough to understand the issues of importance. I love to investigate and ask questions - I don't know everything. I consider myself a life long learner. I have lived in communities that have been the before and after of growth, and am ready to serve here now.

I will take stand when necessary, my track record is proof of that- as a family member, personal, and professional.

I am not afraid of hard work. I am dedicated to doing what's right and sticking to it.

What major needs of the county would you like to see addressed?
Balancing the growth with environmental and sustainabilty issues is in the forefront. Making sure our citizens have the liveability that drew us all here, while thinking far ahead enough to maintain our character and not spend more than we can afford. Those things will always be first in my mind with every issue that comes before the County Board. Making sure safety is considered, along with health and human services provided.

Now that the federal government has given its blessing to the Prairie Parkway, do you believe this road will become a reality? What role do you see the county taking assuming this project progresses? Will the parkway be beneficial to Kendall County?
I believe the Prairie Parkway will become a reality, but as we can see from the news reports and from the present funding problems, it may take a very long time.

County leadership will be needed to provide information and insight to the decision makers to ensure that the needs of the local citizens are met during the development and building process.

The benefits we hope to see will be decreased truck and automobile traffic on Route 47 and greater accessibility to our communities.

Hearings began in September for another proposed Kendall County landfill. Do you believe a landfill will be cited in the county? Do you support the citing of landfills in the county? How should the coordination between the county and its municipalities work in this regard?

I believe the citing of a landfill in Kendall County could be determined before I have an opportunity to become involved at any level. Legally it would be wrong to publically comment if in the event I am elected, I would be disqualified from participating in future hearings as a biased participant.

There are nine criteria that must be met for a landfill to be approved. Once these have been met, I would want to be sure we have the best available technology to protect the environment and the lifestyles of our residents, while assuring they won't face exorbitant costs for waste removal.

The project should be in the full light of day, with complete disclosure and ample opportunity for all to be heard who wish to be heard.

Paul J. Keller
Why are you running for this office?
I feel that the board members are out of touch with their constituents. The County Board members are like the Board of Directors for a corporation. The residents are stock holders in this corporation. The board members are elected by the stock holders to oversee their interests. When the board members do not perform their duties, they are replaced.

Why are you the most qualified for this position?
I feel with 18 years of elected official experience, chairmanship of all committees, presenting balanced budgets as finance chairman, instituting 911 program and allocation of Motor Fuel Tax Fund monies, I would be most qualified for this position.

What major needs of the county would you like to see addressed?The major needs that I feel should be addressed are improving the county's infrastructure, maintaining of services without tax increases and maintaining open spaces.

Now that the federal government has given its blessing to the Prairie Parkway, do you believe this road will become a reality? What role do you see the county taking assuming this project progresses? Will the parkway be beneficial to Kendall County?A completed Prairie Parkway will probably not become a reality in my lifetime. If this project progresses, our infrastructure will have to be compatible with the ingresses and egresses of the Parkway. I don't believe the "parkway" will be of any direct benefit to the county. I will attract some businesses that will be desirable to and some that will be undesirable to the county. The Prairie Parkway will only benefit eastbound I 88 to eastbound I 80 and westbound I 80 to westbound I 88.

Hearings began in September for another proposed Kendall County landfill. Do you believe a landfill will be cited in the county? Do you support the citing of landfills in the county? How should the coordination between the county and its municipalities work in this regard?
Having gone thru a similar process 25 years ago as a Bellwood village trustee, we enjoined with the village of Hillside to fight a landfill in the Hillside quarry at Mannheim Road and I 290. The quarry if filled and I've heard the John Sexton Sand and Gravel is bankrupt. The rodents and smells live on. Based on that experience, I would hope that a mountain of garbage will never be sited in this county. I view the income (tipping fees) as 30 pieces of silver in relationship to the harm that the environment would suffer. I do not know why the board invited proposals for landfills in the first place. After the first round of hearings, they should have placed a moratorium on landfills. Kendall County would only generate 6 % of the total waste in that mountain of smells, pollution and rodents.

Jim Birch
1. I feel that I can best represent the residents of Kendall County. Too many things are just not addressed. What should the county do with the old jail? Should it be bulldozed, donated to another governmental body, or fixed up and put to use? The board did vote that it should be put on preservation list, yet, someone had to donate funds to fix the roof.
Are we going to have some form of public transportation or not? Are we building developments that are designed with this public transportation in mind? If public transportation is not worthy of county funds, then why should federal funds be used for it?
2. No, I do not support the proposed parkway. I would try to shift funds to more worthwhile projects like improving the state highways that pass through the county. I think we need to follow a "sensible growth" philosophy. This would protect open space, coordinate transportation and development, assure water quality, and improve housing options. We need to improve existing local roads and push the state to improve 47.
3. No, I think the county board should eliminate landfills from the solid waste plan. The unincorporated part of the county is responsible for the smallest portion of waste. Municipal solid waste planning should be a cooperative effort with local municipalities.
4. I would want all discussions held in open session.
5. I don't know who I would support as the next county board chairman. I would look for certain qualities in that person. Are they fair, are they willing to put in extra time, do they have an agenda of what they want to accomplish? But, I think the voters should be able to elect the chairman. The LaSalle County residents have changed the way their county chairman is elected. The voters now decide, not the board members. We should watch if that turns into the calamity our current board members predict would happen if Kendall County did the same.
6. I don't know. If the sheriff can justify the need, I would support the additional deputies. Overtime records, number of calls, and time to answer calls would be helpful data.
7. I think that the county should be reaching out to the towns and villages whenever possible. As growth continues, the role of the county government will become smaller and smaller. Transportation is a major area. Villages are running right up to the other's borders. How can we keep transportation moving without cooperation between the entities? Preservation of open space is another area where cooperation is needed. How do you have an efficient public transportation system without coordination between governmental bodies? We also need to develop a better relationship with Springfield.
8. Are you speaking of the earlier reconfiguration to add an extra courtroom, or the addition to the courthouse? I know the addition is needed. I hope its construction has fewer problems than the original building.
9. We have money to maintain existing roads, but we need to improve traffic flow in an efficient manner. We should not have to keep coming back to an intersection making improvements, like the Orchard/Galena intersection. On the public transportation side, Senior Services could use another bus and more drivers. We should also start a limited bus service where the need is greatest.
10. No, just look at the traffic on local roads. Much of that is caused by the lack of improvements to the state highways. The new development is driven by lower home prices compared to other areas. People are not moving here to be closer to their job. We should take advantage of the slowdown in growth to work on a regional solution.
11. I don't have an answer to preservation of farmland. Some farmers do not want restrictions on their land. They see the sale of their land as their retirement nest egg. Any restriction on the sale of that land causes a huge reduction in their retirement income.
The county needs to be vigilant in preserving high quality natural areas. They must also maintain their current holdings. The preservation of open space improves our quality of life, and keeps that land from turning into houses, which causes the creation of more schools and higher taxes.
12. I think the board needs to figure out how to cut down on lawsuits. As taxpayers, we don't want our money used to defend the county board against bad decision making. If the board has designated an area for mining operations, then they should have defensible reasons for turning down a mining application. I think the board needs to think about letting the voters elect the chairman, and not appointing him. The board should think regionally, and remember that people living in villages also pay county taxes. Ground water is a limited resource. How do we monitor and regulate its use?
Visit my website at http://www.jimbirch2008.org.

John Crawford
Why are you running for this office?My son, Reid, is the inspiration. He is a lot like I was at his age. I was always curious about politics and public service as a boy, and was directly involved in campaigns from the age of 10 (!). As a college newspaper publisher in the '80s, I had the opportunity to interview, meet with, and endorse candidates. After college, life happened. Up until the time my son was born in 2000, I saw others in my party, just like me, who had decided they were too busy to get involved. I was nearing 40 when Reid was born, and his arrival made a great impact on me. I see this as an investment not only in the future of Kendall County, but in his future, and he's proud of the time we invest in it together. It's a great lesson - for both of us - in "what could be."

Why are you the most qualified for this position?I bring a wealth of professional and life experience to this race. For 16 years I was a newspaper operations manager with the Chicago Tribune, where I managed one of the largest staffs (and a multi-million dollar budget) and worked in the largest bureau in Chicagoland. I was taught to work well with others, to think strategically, treat my employees better than any other employer could. I played a key role in the strategies behind, and implementation of, some of the best publishing technology available all through the '80s until 2001. All along, we combined that with absolute excellence in service. We arrived at record-breaking revenue for 12 consecutive years with that formula. From there, I went on to become a senior operations manager with the Sun-Times companies, became miserable with their "anti-strategy" and cost-cutting approach that severely harmed their business. After that, I worked for a few years selling publishing technology into the newspaper market worldwide. I've traveled extensively, met with many newspaper publishers and executives all over the country, and it's given me a great big view of things that have worked, and others that haven't.
The future growth of Kendall County is at stake, now more than ever. What our countywide government needs is an infusion of strategic thinking and leadership from people who understand that we can always do better, and do more.

What major needs of the county would you like to see addressed?I grew up in a successful retail and service family business in central Illinois, and have personally witnessed the effects of many of the things that today I see going in the wrong direction in Kendall County. I saw the middle class vanish from my once wealthy and prosperous hometown of Canton in the 1980s. For generations, our city fathers depended on a couple of major industries.
My family withstood the withering effects of an economy laid bare by the disappearance of manufacturing and mining, and the decline of the area farm economy. There was nothing there to replace them so we could, most of our communities, salvage a middle-class lifestyle.
Two years ago, I was the only one talking about the shameful fact that Kendall leads all other counties in Illinois in only one category (besides growth), and that is the percentage of employed residents who work outside the county. At that time the figure was about 67%; today, it's alarming to me that a full 75% of our employed residents leave the county to work, and spend much of their disposable income in another county.
What is worse, when you look at the list of principle employers in the county, aside from Caterpillar and a gas pipeline, all are in the retail sector. That's a big problem.
I propose a new direction for economic development in the county, which focuses first on a massive effort to develop the Route 47 corridor as a clean energy corridor. That means attracting private capital and securing state and federal funds for helping any business that can unlock the secrets of, and manufacture, the energy products for the future. That's clean coal, that bio-fuels, nano solar technology, anything that gets us out of the grip of big oil. Two years ago, I dubbed this concept GEMCOR, for Green Energy Manufacturing Corridor. This approach could bring better-paying careers and continue the growth, as well as offset the tax burden in this county for generations. Interestingly enough, that is precisely what Barack Obama has been saying throughout his campaign.

Now that the federal government has given its blessing to the Prairie Parkway, do you believe this road will become a reality? What role do you see the county taking assuming this project progresses? Will the parkway be beneficial to Kendall County?
I do believe that it will become a reality unless the federal government puts a halt to it. From what I've seen, the County Board long ago did what its members clearly thought was their duty - to help along Mr. Hastert's pet project. And from that standpoint, with all due respect, I think they've done enough.
I do not see the county benefitting from the Prairie Parkway; not with thousands of acres of some of the best farmland in the world going under the paver. To think that it will improve commerce and development in our county - remember, this is a limited access highway - is folly.
From the outset, the majority of residents surveyed by IDOT have overwhelmingly stated that Illinois should focus on Kendall County's current needs before pouring several magnitudes (of what that would take) into this project.
The current project, it seems to me, lacks any semblance of stewardship of our resources, local leadership for the common good, and a real vision for progress that benefits the residents and businesses at-large.

Hearings began in September for another proposed Kendall County landfill. Do you believe a landfill will be cited in the county? Do you support the citing of landfills in the county? How should the coordination between the county and its municipalities work in this regard?
If Waste Management continues to do a shoddy job of presenting their case, no. If the next presentation to the Board is well-prepared, backed up with reasonable scientific evidence and fulfills the nine criteria mandated by state law, the Board has no choice but to accept it. That's the way this law is written. That is not to say that I think that's just fine.
It's my hope that the applicants fail to do their homework again, which will give the Board time to act appropriately. I'm in favor of pulling our ordinance and amending it with a provision (among others) that Kendall County will only site a waste-to-energy facility, to be operated either under the close scrutiny of the county government or as a cooperative with county government. The way the ordinance is written, and the way the 30 year-old law that dictates the process for approval works, the public has no voice. Public comment does not impact those nine criteria the board must consider. None of this works for the community at-large.
I believe the county and municipalities should work more closely with one another, and that the county government should have the same, direct and strict oversight role over any other facility proposed in the county.
As one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, we should be creating a new example for all others, instead of allowing a $64B company like Waste Management to continue to use decades-old technology which puts our garbage in a giant zipper bag, later to be used as a foundation for a beautiful park. These are the only "public spaces," to my knowledge, which require groundwater monitoring and carry the risk of poisoning the countryside forever.
There are other solutions on the horizon, which could lower our energy costs - or offset our property taxes - and we owe it to our residents to put an end to the never-ending application process the board opened itself to more than two years ago.