Amin Karim, McHenry County Treasurer 2022 Primary Election Questionnaire

Full Name: Amin Karim

What office are you seeking? McHenry County Treasurer

What offices, if any, have you previously held? None

Occupation: Retired

Education: BSEE, MBA

Campaign Website: aminkarim.com, aminkarim.org, karimforcountytreasurer.com

What would be your top three priorities over the next four years?

1. I will work hard to build a strong team and a sound financial position in the next four years of my term. I will re-examine our Investment Portfolio for higher Return on Investment (ROI), develop a balanced budget, reduce our Debt burden and Pension Liabilities, and keep money at local banks and support local businesses by purchasing goods and services locally. Putting People First, and Money Second!

2. Overhaul the McHenry County Treasurer website. Make it more user friendly and data transparent to include detail reports on Tax Bill Analysis and Statistics, Budget and Expenses, Debt Attributions, and other useful Tools which will be very educational and beneficial to general public.

3. Make Data Transparency and Accountability a top priority through Checks-and-Balances. I will drive Process Improvements and set “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) goals in every day-to-day activity to reach operational excellence.

Taxes are a top concern raised by voters locally. What do you do within your position to address residents’ tax burden?

1. I will work hard to Lower Debt burden and Pension Liabilities to drive Lower Tax (weakened in last 3 years from 2016-2019).

2. Re-examine the Investment Portfolio for higher ROI

3. Invest tax money in locally owned and/or operated banks, and not out of state

4. Explore other refinancing options

5. Work with the County Board to lower property tax

If you could redo or reverse any one decision made by the county treasurer in the last four years, what would it be and why?

If I have the opportunity to serve as the Treasurer of the McHenry County, I would prudently invest our tax payer’s money within Illinois (and not out of state) which will benefit the local business and the county.

What do you bring to the table that your opponents do not?

I’m a lifelong learner and believe in continuous improvement. I have 30 years of corporate experience building teams, dealing with budget, finance, vendor management, supply chain management, and keen in process improvement. Unlike my opponents, I have 12 years of hands on experience working as a treasurer for a local non-profit organization. I will use my extensive knowledge and experience to build data transparency and accountability to drive operational excellence in the treasurer’s office.