Dawn DeSart, DuPage County Board 2022 Primary Election Questionnaire

Full Name: Dawn DeSart

What office are you seeking? DuPage County Board, District 5

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Member, Indian Prairie District 204 Board of Education ~ 2009 - 2013 Member, DuPage County Board, District 5 ~ 2018 - 2022

City: Aurora, IL

Occupation: Journalist

Education: Bachelor of Science, Minnesota State University at Mankato

Campaign Website: desartfordupage.com

What steps should DuPage County health and sheriff’s departments take to prevent opioid addiction and overdose?

The DuPage County Board doubled its investment in the Hope (Heroin/Opioid Prevention and Education) Task Force in 2022, allotting the task force $200,000 to fight the opioid crisis in DuPage County, rather than the $100,000 investment the board had invested in previous years. The coroner’s annually released statistics show that the age of those who die by overdose is trending upward, from the late teens and early 20s from just a few years ago, to the 30s, 40s and 50s. I can’t imagine someone in that age group waking up one day and thinking, “Today is a good day to try heroin.” Instead, I believe those people have possibly been over-prescribed by their doctor, and have become accidentally addicted. That is why, on February 25, 2022, I made a presentation to the Hope Task Force, with one tangible idea to mitigate the opioid crisis in DuPage County. Here is my presentation to the Hope Task Force: “It’s an honor to speak before the HOPE Task Force this morning. My name is Dawn DeSart, DuPage County Board member, District 5.

But today, I speak to you as Dawn DeSart, mother, grandmother, and concerned citizen about the opioid crisis. “For fiscal year 2022, DuPage County doubled the allocation to the HOPE Task Force from $100,000 to $200,000. My hope is that some of that money will go to an initiative to make doctors in DuPage County think twice before prescribing heavy painkillers ~ especially for minor procedures.“ ’Think twice before you prescribe’ is a quest, targeted toward healthcare providers: doctors, dentists, hospitals, anyone who prescribes medication. “I heard from a mother in Joliet whose 20-something year old daughter was in a car accident. Doctor’s prescribed painkillers, and by the time the prescriptions ran out, she was addicted. This once successful young woman turned to street drugs. She died of an opioid overdose two years ago. “Before a “root canal” several years ago, I was prescribed Vicodin. I took one pill, and - I’m told - I was a zombie for the rest of the day. Never again. “My daughter had to have her wisdom teeth extracted in the fall of 2020. She was prescribed prescription strength Motrin. The pharmacy didn’t have it in stock, so I bought over-the-counter Motrin. My daughter managed her pain just fine with the over-the-counter painkillers. “I needed surgery in May, and I was prescribed Hydrocodone. My first full day home, I was in great pain, and needed one pill. But I did not need the Hydrocodone after that one day. I was prescribed 25 pills. I took one ... and turned the rest in at a drop box at my police station. “This November, I needed surgery to repair a broken thumb. The doctor wrote me a prescription for Tylenol with Codeine. I didn’t even bother picking up that prescription. “I don’t come to you with only concerns and challenges. I come to you with - if not a solution, in and of itself - but with a path toward hope. A hard-hitting marketing campaign aimed at doctors, dentists and hospitals in DuPage County to “think twice” before prescribing high dose pain medications that could leave a patient addicted, or could wind up in the hands of teenagers and others who were not intended to take the prescribed medication. “I thought about using a caricature of a doctor prescribing medication, using some catchy name like Dr. Write Right, Dr. Piers Cription, Dr. Lo Dose, STOP DOC! (The name of the caricature doesn’t matter. What matters is a marketing campaign of this nature, that reminds doctors to prescribe less addicting medication.) “The marketing campaign - “Think twice before you prescribe” - would be produced by the DuPage County Health Department’s marketing team, and rolled out in a huge way: Radio, print, brochures, posters, flyers in every hospital, dentist’s and doctor’s office in the county. Ideally, there would be 8 x 11-inch posters in every dentist’s and doctor’s office patient room, to remind prescribers of the dangers of over-medicating their patients. “The HOPE Task Force is looking for ideas from the public, and here’s an idea from the public. “With the extra money the HOPE Task Force received from the County for FY22, the marketing campaign and roll out would be paid for. “I’ve only taken a couple of minutes here, but if you’re interested in my full concept, the health department can reach out to me personally. “Thank you for your time.” I guess you could call it a crusade of mine to encourage doctors and dentists to really think about the possible negative ramifications when prescribing pain medication.

What is your opinion of the county board’s actions and initiatives since Democrats assumed control of the board two years ago?

I think the Democratic majority on the DuPage County Board has done remarkable things. Most importantly for taxpayers, the Board has passed a balanced budget each and every year, despite uncertain financial times. Secondly, it’s important to remember that this Democratic majority has served during the most unprecedented of times ~ a worldwide pandemic, which has sickened hundreds of thousands of people, and has taken the lives of 1,701 (as of Friday, April 1, 2022), in DuPage County alone. Not to mention the pandemic’s cost to businesses and personal finances, crippling so many financially. Through federal CARES Act and then ARPA funds, this board has met for hours and hours in special call meetings to decide how best to use these funds to benefit the most in our population. We’ve allocated millions to help restaurants and other small businesses, we’ve allocated millions to those who are housing insecure, and we’ve allocated millions to food banks and food pantries for those families who are food insecure. Money was allocated to school districts in DuPage County to provide WiFi to families who couldn’t previously afford WiFi, so their students could participate in on-line learning. Money was allocated to the DuPage County Health Department for extensive Covid testing, and then once a vaccine was made available, getting shots into the arms of thousands of residents. Other ways in which the Democratic majority has prevailed are too numerous to mention, so I’ll leave you with two items. Through our Public Works agenda, a contract came through the committee to paint three water towers in the county for $3M. The prevailing contract was from a non-unionized company in Indiana. We Democrats balked at using a non- unionized company that was out of state. We directed our staff to renegotiate the contract. In the end, we did use that Indiana company, but only after they agreed to unionize, lifting up the lives of countless employees (and their families) with union wages and benefits. The company also agreed to employ painters from our local painters union in Aurora, keeping the money right here in DuPage County. Through our Legislative agenda, DuPage County helped spearhead the law which passed in 2021 banning the use of puppy mill-sourced dogs from being sold in pet stores. DuPage County is the second largest of Illinois’ 102 counties, and one of the few that can afford our own lobbyists. Not only does that afford us the ability to contact hundreds of state representatives and senators about issues important to our constituents, it also elevates our visibility to other county boards throughout the state. The puppy mill ban was a giant victory. One note I’d like to address is that at the national level, Democrats have been broad-brushed with the false narrative that we are in some way anti law enforcement, and that could not be further from the truth, especially here in DuPage County. We believe the public’s health and safety is our #1 mission. Through the Democratic majority we’ve enjoyed these past few years, this Board has unanimously voted in favor of everything our Republican sheriff has requested. Every. Single. Time. From tactical vehicles to pay increases for deputies, to hiring more deputies, to upgrading the office’s IT, this board has been a great supporter of law enforcement in general, and in the sheriff’s office specifically. And we will continue supporting our bravest of the brave first responders at every opportunity. I’m extremely proud of everything this Democratic majority Board has accomplished in just a couple of years.

Do you support the merger of additional county offices/departments?

I absolutely support merging other county offices and departments when it makes sense and is fiscally sound. I was a big supporter of merging the county clerk’s office with the election commission, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars and eliminating duplication of work, and I would be supportive of other meaningful consolidations, as well.

What are your overall thoughts of the sheriff’s department’s job performance?

As I’ve mentioned, the Democratic majority this board enjoys has been 100% supportive of law enforcement in general, and in the sheriff’s office in particular. We have voted unanimously for everything the Sheriff has requested. The health and safety of our residents and of those who visit DuPage County is our #1 mission. I do wish that the current Sheriff was more transparent. The Kane County Sheriff released data this year showing that crime is down in Kane County. The city of Aurora also recently released data showing that crime is down in that city, some of which is in DuPage County. The chairwoman of the county’s Judicial and Public Safety Committee (which oversees the sheriff’s office), has requested this same data many times, and has been thwarted with either “this crime data doesn’t exist,” or “it is too time-consuming to tally.” My point is that this question asks about the sheriff’s job performance, and that is difficult to ascertain. This board has given the sheriff’s office everything it has requested, but if we aren’t receiving basic information like, “Is crime up or down in DuPage County,” it’s difficult to assess. The Sheriff has been given the tools, has he used those resources wisely?

The county sheriff has taken several initiatives to help reform inmates (tattoo removal services, gardening classes, job placement). What other initiatives would you like to see in an effort to reform inmates?

I applaud the sheriff’s office for the gardens created for inmates to work in and for the tattoo removal from inmates who request that service. I also applaud the job training the office provides those incarcerated through janitorial internships and the like. I have spoken to the sheriff, though, about more job training opportunities for female inmates, and he seemed open to that discussion.

DuPage County recently provided the DuPageFoundation$10.6million for a grant program designed to support nonprofit organizations that address food and housing insecurity, mental health and substance use issues. Discuss the county’s role to further tackle these issues.

The $10.6 million allocated to the DuPage Foundation to administer funds to non-profit organizations came from the federal ARPA funds invested in DuPage County. The funds were allocated to be administered in the same way that the federal CARES Act and ARPA funds - which were granted to help hundreds of small businesses in DuPage County - were administered by an organization called Choose DuPage. While the county will continue to support our businesses and our non-profits in every way possible, the CARES Act and ARPA funds are finite, and have been invested already in other ways: to help the housing insecure, WiFi for families with students for on-line learning, and food pantries, and many other projects.

Assess the DuPage County Health Department’s actions to combat COVID-19.

The executive director of the DuPage County Health Department has done an excellent job since the very beginning of the pandemic. Starting in January of 2020, the Board was given weekly updates on Covid-19 and its potential impact on the county, for Board members to share with constituents. Then, when the pandemic came to DuPage County in March of 2020, we received daily updates. When Covid tests became widely available, the DuPage County Health Department was on the front lines, turning the DuPage County Fairgrounds into a mass Covid testing site. And finally, when a vaccine was approved, our Health Department pivoted to turning the fairgrounds into a mass vaccination site. Using federal CARES Act funds, the DuPage County Board approved a massive marketing campaign to keep our residents informed, and approved the purchase of a “Care Van” - a medically retrofitted vehicle that was deployed to hundreds of locations throughout the county to provide testing and then vaccinations community wide. In fact, partnering with the DuPage County Health Department, I utilized the Care Van, bringing it to District 5 (to the fire station on McCoy Drive in Aurora) for two weekends, three weeks apart, so residents could get their first and then their second dose of the vaccine right in their neighborhood. Countless residents received the vaccine through the free services provided by the Care Van. This pandemic has been fast, mysterious and brutal, and the DuPage County Health Department could not have done a better job navigating the new information, the twists and turns, the surprises and the variants this pandemic has wrought. I wholeheartedly applaud them!

What changes, if any, need to be made related to the pandemic?

The short answer is, “I don’t know.” Covid-19 has been a mystery at every turn, from the very beginning. We can’t know what new variant is around the corner. We can’t know all of the health-related issues and ramifications that will develop in those who have survived Covid - heart disease, long term fatigue, MS, and worse. We have to focus on what the data tells us regarding illness and hospitalization, and be nimble, ready to be on the offense, if the data turns negative.

What actions can the DuPage County Board take to minimize the tax burden on residents while not sacrificing services?

I believe that there are offices and departments within DuPage County government which can be consolidated and streamlined. I believe that there are some departments that need to increase their headcount based on the circumstances we find ourselves in currently (a pandemic, gas and food prices increasing, etc.), like Community Services, while other departments could reduce their headcount through attrition. DuPage County already runs a pretty tight ship on a balanced budget. The reality is that only about 3% of your property tax bill goes to fund DuPage County governmental services. If residents truly want to see a meaningful decrease in their tax burden, they would need to challenge other taxing bodies.

Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?

If our #1 goal is the health and safety of DuPage County residents and visitors, and it absolutely is, then any crime is “a local crime problem,” isn’t it. This DuPage County Board has given our sheriff’s office every tool he has requested. Unanimously. The sheriff has been asked repeatedly for timely data on crime, and has to date, refused to provide the current data. Until he provides the data requested, it’s difficult to know if crime is on the rise or decline in DuPage County. The Kane County sheriff recently released data indicating that crime is down in that county, and the city of Aurora recently released data indicating that crime is also down in that city.

What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?

DuPage County’s Department of Transportation has a robust, long range strategic plan that extends through 2040. I serve on the Transportation Committee, so I am deeply involved in the transportation planning and approval. DuPage County is responsible for maintaining 3,870 lane miles on which 24 million vehicles travel each day. The DuPage DOT also maintains 885 traffic signals and 424 bridges. 2020 data indicates that 36% of these lane miles are in excellent shape, 48% are in good condition, 10% are in fair condition, and just 6% are in poor condition. As far as which road and bridge projects should take priority, I would leave those decisions up to the engineers and the experts in transportation to tell the board where the priorities are. Obviously, the 16% of lane miles listed in poor or fair condition should be prioritized at the highest level. In April, a $150,000 contract was awarded to an engineering firm for professional bridge inspection services. I also know that maintaining the safety of the county’s more than 300 miles of trails, sidewalks and bike paths is of great importance.

Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?

I believe I’ve already addressed this issue in a previous question. DuPage County has a balanced budget, and we run lean. While some efficiencies can almost always be found, only about 3% of property taxes go toward maintaining DuPage County governmental functions. If residents desire to make meaningful progress in reducing property taxes, they need to challenge other governmental taxing bodies.

Do you support stronger county government ethics laws? What measures do you support?

I do support stronger county government ethics laws and practices. Politicians often get painted with the broad brush of “pay to play politics,” and I see that exact thing played out at almost every meeting of the DuPage County Board.

Republicans on the board who have received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from companies contracted by the county then vote on these contracts, and I think that’s wrong.

When I learn that a company we’re voting to employ has donated thousands of dollars to a board member, I often ask for a “roll call vote,” so that board member has the opportunity to recuse himself. But the Republicans don’t recuse themselves, giving the rest of us a “black eye,” with that “pay to play politics” cloud over our heads.

I’m not suggesting that others who serve on other governmental bodies don’t do this very same thing, but this question specifically asks about “county” government, so that’s what I’m addressing. I believe “pay to play politics” is wrong, and I believe to my core that those who receive money from contractors engaged by the county should recuse themselves during the vote(s).

What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?

Overall, I believe the Freedom of Information Act serves as an excellent tool for citizens to request information from their public servants. FOIA keeps public servants accountable to their constituents.

On the other hand, I have seen FOIA used as a weapon by bad actors to bog down public servants in hours and days of research and data collection.

Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.

As a journalist, transparency has always been a high priority. The lack of transparency is why I first ran for public office in 2009, when I won a seat on the Indian Prairie District 204 Board of Education. I will continue to dedicate myself to a transparent process for all of my constituents.

What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?

DuPage County continues to work closely with community partners like Choose DuPage and the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau to not only boost local businesses, but to bring new businesses to our county, as well. One of the issues I’ve worked on to “push” for that goal is what’s called, “the last mile.” We have a tremendous public transit system with our partners at Metra and Pace, but how do we get those employees who commute via bus or train from the bus stop or the train station to their job site? That is a challenge DuPage County continues to work to find a solution for on behalf of local businesses.

Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non- disclosure agreements with private businesses?

I’m unclear as to what this relates to, or to whom, specifically, this relates to. I have not heard of this being an issue before. I have certainly not signed a non-disclosure agreement with any private business. I would request some clarity before I could answer this question.

Would you push for or against government officials and employees being allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?