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Name: Bill Roth
Party: Republican
What in your professional experience best qualifies you for a seat on the Kane County Board?
I have my undergrad degree and my MBA in Finance. The majority of my career I have work in Information Technology on Financial System. I am very comfortable with financial reports and budgets which I believe is critical to helping to control the financial health of the County.
Why are you the better candidate?
Most people start volunteering when they retire. I have been volunteering for over twenty years. It was how I was raised. By being on the County Board I see myself raising the bar by being able to help more people. I represent all of the voters of my district but also all of Kane County. In less than two years I have gotten up the learning curve of becoming a board member.
I have accomplish this by executing the following processes:
1. I have met with the majority of the board one on one to get to know them and where they stand;
2. I have met with the majority of the department heads all across the county to learn more about the business and learn personally about what issues they are facing in running their department. I have found that the majority of the issues are filtered from the board, so unless you meet with the departments you will not hear the real issues;
3. I am only on 4 committees but I attend all of the 20 committees meeting every month in person. It is the best way to learn the business of the county. Also because I attend the meetings as a board member I am allow to ask question in the meetings.
What do you think are the three biggest challenges Kane County will face during the next term and what solutions would you propose?
1. I believe that the current spending is out of control. I see this coming as a side effect of the pandemic. The amount of money (COVID & ARPA) pushed down to the county from the Feds and state over the last four years has been extreme. I feel the county has become addicted to that money and has raised spending way above what our current revenue can support. With the Democrat’s in a majority they are quick to respond that we need more taxes. I have been pushing back that we need to rein in spending and also become more efficient in our processes. The County still has a lot of inefficiencies in their processes.
2. The State’s Unfunded Mandates. With the Democrats having a super majority down in Springfield they continue new laws without providing the funds to pay for the new laws. One example is the Safety Act that eliminated Cash bail. This has cost the County almost 3 million in additional payroll expenses.
3. Halting the Overreach. At the County level I am seeing the Democrats passing more and more resolutions with cost the County more in money and creates additional inefficient bureaucratic processes.
Why do you want a seat on the board? What goals would you like to accomplish during your term?
I believe I can help my voters in my District and also in the County as a whole. I return calls to the majority of the Kane county voters who reach out to me even if they are not in my District. An example is the large amount of calls that I received when the State announced in 2023 they wanted to tear down the 9 Dams in the County.
If elected in November Here are the goals I would like to accomplish over the next 4 years:
1. Continue to identify inefficiency processes and push to eliminate them or improve the process. One example is the current length of time of a lot of the committee meetings last.
2. Work on streamlining the Budget process. At this point in time ½ the board members do not understand the current budgeting process. We need to be able to mentor those board members who currently struggle with the budget process.
Do you believe you can serve your constituents in a bipartisan manner? Why or why not?
Yes, one example is that I have been meeting with the majority of the board one on one to get to know them and where they stand.
In 2019, Kane County adopted the Greenest Region Compact, the largest sustainability collective of communities in the U.S. Do you believe the county board has a role in addressing climate change? Why or why not?
Yes, the county board does have a role to play in climate change. Unfortunately, a lot of what was passed is not feasible from an affordability sense. Since our County is has limited funding available. The County has to wisely choose what we can afford to do in order to get the biggest bang for the buck. One example is that we should be planting more trees. This is one of the most cost effective move that can be implemented. Studies have shown this is one of the least expensive options that can be done while still make a big difference.