Election 2024 Questionnaire: Ben Schmidt, Kendall County Board District 1

Name: Ben Schmidt

Party: Democratic

What in your professional experience best qualifies you for a seat on the Kendall County Board?

I’ve been a utility worker for almost 20 years. In my career, I’ve worked on some of the largest infrastructure projects in the state. I’ve worked in most of the towns and counties in Northern Illinois. In that time, I’ve seen first hand what it takes to make projects successful and what it takes to make towns and counties successful. I can bring my hands-on experience to Kendall County at this critical point in time.

There are only three seats open for this district. What makes you one of the top candidates in the race?

I bring fresh eyes and fresh perspective to the issues facing the county. I’m not an incumbent, and I have no ties to the Boards of the past. I have no interest in petty partisan bickering, no interest in feeding my own ego, or working to further any agenda other than what’s best for Kendall County

What do you think are the three biggest challenges Kendall County will face during the next term and what solutions would you propose?

The first issue that needs to be tackled is apparently the County budget. It seems to me that in a county with such high taxes that there shouldn’t be a budget shortfall that requires cutting county workers or salaries.

The second issue is forming a comprehensive long term plan to attract more business to Kendall. With the development starting near Ridge road and the beginning of more development on Eldamain rd, we need to be ready for and in fact ahead of any issues that could hinder business growth in the area.

Third and also related to number 2 is future infrastructure development. These projects are not cheap and will need to be thoughtfully planned in order to facilitate growth but not destroy the character of Kendall County.

Why do you want a seat on the board? What goals would you like to accomplish during your term?

The only thing that I want to do is ensure that Kendall County heads into the future as the best County it can be. I didn’t grow up here, but my kids have. To my kids, Kendall will always be home and I owe it to them to make sure it is always a great place to live.

Do you believe you can serve your constituents in a bipartisan manner? Why or why not?

I have no problem working across the aisle, I think that opposing viewpoints and opinions are vital in Government. I truly believe that at the end of the day, both sides basically want the same things, it’s just a question of how we get to the end result. As a lawmaker, your policies should be able to stand up to the harshest of scrutiny. No citizen should ever vote for a cadre of “yes” men and a cult leader.

As Kendall County continues to grow in population, what is the best way to address the additional traffic caused by the growth? How can the Kendall County Board prepare the county’s infrastructure and help municipalities do the same?

It all comes down to proper planning.and zoning. At the County Board, we have to look at each decision as affecting the County as a whole. We need to build the proper framework to facilitate commerce and day to day quality of life. We need to work hand in hand with all municipalities to make the system function as a whole.