Church

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Candidate: Timothy Church Position Sought: Chairperson, Tazewell County Board

1) Why are you seeking this office?

I want to bring my no-nonsense values to the Board to help make the County a better place to live.

2) Why do you believe you are qualified for this office?

I have developed leadership skills through the last decade or more of my public service. I served four years as a Tazewell County Board member from 1998 to 2002 and two years as a Trustee of Fondulac Township from 2005 to 2007. I currently serve as a Trustee of the Fondulac Park District in East Peoria. I have served as a Board Member of East Peoria Elementary School Dist 86 Foundation since 1994 and as President of the Foundation from the late 1990s. I have served as President of the East Peoria Rotary Club. I received the InterBusiness Issues 40 Leaders Under 40 Award in 1995. I have served my church in various capacities (Legal advisor, Member of Administrative Board, etc.). I served on the City of East Peoria Planning Commission in the mid-1990s.

3) If you're the incumbent, what have been your significant leadership contributions to the county board? If you are a challenger, what do you believe are the current leadership deficiencies and how will you be a more effective leader?

The County Board faces many challenges. The late property tax bills/payments have created serious issues that have negatively impacted various taxing bodies. The communication to the taxing bodies and taxpayers on these issues until recently has been poor. Hopefully, recent steps will help in the resolution of this issue. Regardless, the problem demonstrates a need for a change in leadership from outside the current Board. I would look to provide strong, principled leadership on this issue and others. Further, I would look to be a team player and try to engage all the relevant parties in open and honest discussions on issues. I would seek to bring transparency and openness to all the decisions of the Board.

4) Have you ever owned or managed a business? If yes, please explain.

I have never owned my own business. I worked as a young man mowing lawns for neighbors and relatives. Since law school, I have worked as an attorney for businesses and individuals.

5) What to you believe are the major issues facing voters in Tazewell County?

Taxes are always important. I think that there are important issues facing the County and its use of tax dollars. These issues include personnel/health care costs and energy costs. I think waste management issues are important to the voters. The County needs to help provide adequate cover for the former Pekin Metro Landfill.

6) What do you believe are the major issues facing businesses in Tazewell County?

Taxes are always important. Like the County, businesses face escalating increases with respect to personnel/health care costs and energy costs.

7) Does the County Board have a role in Economic Development? If yes, how do you propose to retain, expand and attract businesses to Tazewell County?

The answer is a definite Yes. The County needs to keep taxes low to help retain, expand and attract businesses in Tazewell County. Further, the County needs to make interacting with the County to be easy for businesses. Whether it is a zoning issue or health dept. issue, I think the County needs to embrace technology to make the contact by the business as easy and smooth as possible.

8) Do you support the continued construction of Veterans Drive in Pekin? Why or why not? If elected, how will you help with this project?

Yes, I support the continued construction. I think the County has a role to play in securing funds for this project.

9) In your opinion, what is the financial condition of Tazewell County? As the Chairperson, how would you improve that financial condition?

The County appears to be in okay financial condition. However, I believe that the County faces serious issues concerning personnel/health care costs and energy costs. As I indicate in question 11, I plan to provide leadership in developing partnership efforts to manage these costs. Further, I think thought needs to be given with what happens to the public safety tax once the Justice Center is paid for in full.

10) What should the Tazewell County Board do to ensure that the property tax bills are distributed on time?

First and foremost, they need to build a system that ensures that applicable milestones are met during the assessment/bill issuance process. One way to do this would be to provide incentive compensation to the Supervisor of Assessments and its employees to make sure the applicable milestones are attained. I also think that there needs to be clear communication to taxing bodies and taxpayers as to how the process is working. Having served on other taxing bodies during some of the past problem cycles (2005 and 2006 especially), I think a much better job can be done in communicating information about the process.

11) What do you believe are the 3 most important issues the Tazewell County Board will face in the next few years? As Chairman/Chairwoman of the Tazewell County Board, how would you lead the Board on these issues?

Taxes are always important. I would look to maintain a strict fiscal discipline with our tax dollars just as I accomplished during my four years (1998 to 2002) as a Tazewell County Board member and during my two years (2005 to 2007) as a Trustee of Fondulac Township. Further, personnel/health care costs and energy costs are important issues that will be faced by the Board. I think I can provide leadership in developing partnership efforts to manage these costs.
As to healthcare costs, the County's employees need to be involved in the creation and maintenance of the health care programs. The employees need to be informed of the costs of the program and encouraged to think of creative ways to help minimize health-care costs. Further, the employees need to be empowered to participate in wellness programs or other initiatives that will help reduce those costs. Employees need to understand how they would benefit from doing some things that would allow their employer the ability to continue to afford to provide these benefits. Similar efforts need to be undertaken with respect to prescription drug programs.
As to energy costs, I think the County needs to explore alternative ways to the acquisition of power including possibly joining with other government units in the purchase of power.