When Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant took workplace in December 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and the primary vaccine was virtually able to roll out.
In the primary weeks of his administration, Bertino-Tarrant mentioned he labored with the Will County Health Department and different businesses, such because the Joliet Fire Department and Silver Cross Hospital, to launch mass vaccination clinics. The optimistic partnerships he made in his early days in workplace have continued to this present day, he mentioned.
“This has formed my administration,” Bertino-Tarrant mentioned. “If there’s any silver lining, we have constructed actually good, trusting relationships with native governments and departments inside county places of work.”
Charles “Chuck” Maher mentioned that in his 16-year tenure on the Will County Council, he labored in a bipartisan method to ascertain a imaginative and prescient for the county. From 2002 to 2018, he labored on a number of capital enchancment tasks, together with the development of a brand new Will County sheriff’s facility and courthouse and the preliminary plans for the renewable pure fuel plant.
Maher, a Naperville Republican, is difficult Bertino-Tarrant, a Shorewood Democrat searching for her second four-year time period as govt.
The govt is chargeable for administrative features of the county that aren’t the accountability of one other elected official. The govt prepares and presents a finances to the county council and breaks ties with the county council. The govt additionally appoints the members of most boards and commissions with the approval of the county council.
Bertino-Tarrant, 55, mentioned that though her administration has achieved a lot up to now 4 years, she is searching for a second time period as a result of she continues to have a imaginative and prescient.
“I consider that authorities is a service to assist individuals, to assist communities, and day-after-day after I go to work I take into consideration what we are able to do to make one thing higher or assist somebody,” mentioned Bertino-Tarrant, a former state senator and regional superintendent of faculties. “That’s actually my motivation to proceed as county govt.”
Maher, 67, mentioned a few of the causes he received again into county politics are county finances inflation and the manager workplace not listening to the county council’s will.
“I’m not one to complain with out getting concerned,” Maher mentioned.
County finances
Maher mentioned that when he was on the board, members labored exhausting to not increase taxes. He mentioned the finances was about $600 million and the newest finances is greater than $800 million. He mentioned he has obtained calls from residents involved about property taxes and the county’s rising finances.
“We are the fourth largest county with the second largest finances,” Maher mentioned. “People could make all types of excuses to say we will use them for this, that and the opposite, however the issue is, it is taxpayer {dollars}.”
He mentioned he needs to finish the “use it or lose it” mentality and cut back authorities spending.
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned Maher is utilizing scare techniques to make residents nervous concerning the finances. He mentioned it is not only a county govt’s finances, however comprises funds for county-level elected places of work, the county council, Sunny Hill Nursing Home, 911 middle, divisions well being, public security and transportation and extra. He mentioned there is no such thing as a uniform finances presentation throughout totally different counties.
Since Maher left workplace, the finances comprises extra funds, together with hashish funds, opioid settlement funds, extra federal grants and a consolidated emergency middle with 32 communities, he mentioned.
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned she is cautious concerning the taxes the county imposes and is fiscally accountable, as evidenced by Moody’s Ratings, which earlier this month gave the county an Aa1 steady credit standing. The credit standing is the very best stage of a AA credit standing and cites sturdy stability sheet administration with multi-year planning, in addition to rising gross sales taxes and steady property taxes.
“We have a wholesome reserve, properly above what we want. We are spending what we want,” Bertino-Tarrant mentioned. “Our precedence is providers. I need to be certain that our departments have the instruments they want.”
Relations with the county council
Maher mentioned one other concern of his is that the manager workplace is just not working with the county council.
He cited an ongoing combat between Homer Glen residents and elected officers over plans to widen 143rd Street, which many residents oppose.
Maher mentioned the county council earlier this 12 months sided with residents after months of protests that the street shouldn’t be widened to 5 lanes. Bertino-Tarrant by chance signed the decision blocking the proposed undertaking, then vetoed it, triggering a lawsuit by County Council Republicans that’s nonetheless ongoing.
Bertino-Tarrant responded that the county has invested greater than $6 million in widening the street, which might enhance security. He mentioned Maher voted for the undertaking whereas he was on the council.
Maher mentioned the county board must revisit earlier plans and look at latest site visitors counts on 143rd Street, particularly after the Illinois Department of Transportation widened 159th Street, and take into account months of resident testimony.
“When issues change, particularly in the event that they influence individuals’s lives, we, as elected officers, want to have the ability to change,” Maher mentioned. “Our job is to assist individuals.”
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned she needs good insurance policies and mentioned political variations throughout the county board have been troublesome over the previous two years.
“What we do in county authorities shouldn’t be partisan,” he mentioned.
Achievements
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned her administration, via a joint effort with the county council, was capable of allocate $134 million in federal pandemic aid funds.
The county has expanded Access Will County’s phone providers for seniors and residents with disabilities to incorporate six new municipalities, Bertino-Tarrant mentioned. The county has additionally launched a number of transportation research, one that may look at electrical automobile use and associated infrastructure and one other that may research areas the place residents do not feel protected driving, biking or strolling.
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned the county was capable of fund the state’s lawyer’s workplace to fill 10 beforehand vacant positions. Recently accomplished capital enchancment tasks, together with the renewable pure fuel plant, coroner’s workplace and morgue and Children’s Advocacy Center, had been on time and on finances, Bertino-Tarrant mentioned.
The county’s Animal Protective Services Department launched a program this 12 months that enables pets to be adopted, Bertino-Tarrant mentioned. He additionally helped create the county’s first eviction diversion program to assist fight homelessness, he mentioned.
Maher mentioned he has served on a number of committees. He chaired the Energy and Utilities Impact, Economic Development, and Capital Improvement Committees and served as GOP Chairman and Majority Leader. As vice chair of the Finance Committee, he mentioned he helped full a number of massive building tasks with out a rise in tax charges. It mentioned it additionally labored with ComEd to create a brand new vp of recent building place in response to development within the Plainfield space.
“I’m fairly grounded and perceive how the county works,” Maher mentioned. “I additionally suppose I’m far more of a collaborator.”
Goals
Maher mentioned there may be an excessive amount of partisan politics within the county, inflicting divisions between the county council and the manager workplace.
“I’ve no intention of bringing Springfield to Will County,” Maher mentioned.
Maher mentioned he needs to supply property taxes in 4 funds as an alternative of two, which may make budgeting simpler for seniors or people. He additionally needs to work on a property tax freeze for seniors so they do not must pay property taxes on the rise in worth of their house. The freeze can be lifted as soon as the home was offered, he mentioned.
“We must be fiscally conservative whereas being socially accountable,” Maher mentioned.
Maher mentioned the county has lots of warehouse growth, however he needs to draw extra company headquarters, particularly in industries coping with synthetic intelligence, to the county.
Bertino-Tarrant mentioned Will County has been the very best within the state by way of job creation and can proceed efforts to be business-friendly and enhance the economic system.
He mentioned he needs to prioritize public security. About 63% of the finances is allotted to public security and judicial operations. She mentioned she want to rent 10 extra courtroom safety officers in order that sheriff’s deputies, who function courtroom safety officers, can resume patrols all through Will County.
Bertino-Tarrant additionally mentioned she needs to work with the Veterans Assistance Commission to renovate a former medical skilled constructing in Joliet right into a veterans middle, which might be the primary of its form within the state.
He additionally mentioned that after the ability’s wants evaluation is full, the manager workplace and county council ought to speak about a future county workplace constructing. A joint workplace area with the county and metropolis of Joliet may lower your expenses on hire, safety and upkeep prices, Bertino-Tarrant mentioned.
Michelle Mullins is a contract journalist.
