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McHenry County Board, District 9 candidate Michael Skala answered Shaw Local’s election questionnaire for the McHenry County Board primary election.
Voting ends for the primary election on the evening of June 28.
Full Name: Michael Skala
What office are you seeking? McHenry County Board
What offices, if any, have you previously held? District 158 Board of Education
McHenry County Board
City: Huntley
Occupation: Self-Employed
Education: BA from Northern Illinois
What would be your top three priorities?
First, we must maintain the excellent services the County provides in the most efficient and economical way. Second, we need to continue to be a role model in the distribution of the ARPA money the County received from the Federal Government, so the businesses and citizens see the long-term benefits of the grants that are being allocated. Last, we must do everything we can to maintain the strong AAA bond rating and fiscal responsibility the County has enjoyed by having balanced budgets, by not borrowing for projects, and by optimizing efficiencies to maintain excellent services.
Taxes are a top concern raised by voters locally. What do you do within your position to address residents’ tax burden?
The County’s portion of the tax bill is lower now than it was when I was elected to the Board almost ten years ago. We have automated and changed the delivery of services to reduce costs and be more efficient. The County has zero debt, so unlike our state government, McHenry County is not using taxpayer money to pay off bonds and expensive interest. As the Chair of the Finance Committee, I work diligently with staff and department heads to have balanced department budgets that do not decrease services.
Voters also cited crime as a concern. What do you think needs to be done to address this concern?
While there has been an undeniable uptick in crime, McHenry County remains a safe place to live and raise a family. The State of Illinois has passed laws recently that create new challenges to keeping criminals behind bars and make it easier for the accused to be back on the street within hours of an arrest. The County’s prosecutors must work aggressively within the confines of these new laws to make sure violent offenders are not released and are held accountable for their actions. Victims of crimes deserve nothing less. Those who commit crimes must know with certainty that crime in McHenry County will be met with swift and severe consequences.
How would you encourage economic and employment growth within McHenry County?
The County is allocating the ARPA funds we received from the Federal Government to these programs. We have awarded money to improve employee training, toward educational initiatives at McHenry County College and high schools, and to internships at manufacturing facilities in the County. The County has also supported agencies in protecting and enhancing the health and wellbeing of the County’s residents.
Do you think McHenry County should continue to challenge the new state law that prohibits its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement? Why or why not?
The County should continue to pursue the challenge in Court. For me this is not about the ICE contract; it is about the division of power between County Government and State Government. Does the State of Illinois have the right to tell County Government that it cannot have contracts with the Federal Government? The case law on this very critical issue is not clear and I feel the courts must issue a clarifying opinion.
What is the County Board’s role in addressing audit issues at the McHenry County Regional Office of Education?
With the removal of the past ROE, the County is working with the department so it can become complaint with all the findings the State of Illinois and County Auditor found in their reports. The 2022 audit will still have many of the same findings because new procedures were not in place before the fiscal year started, but the ROE office should have all the old findings corrected for the 2023 audit. In the future, the State of Illinois and County need to work more collaboratively to keep the ROE accountable for fiscal responsibility. A severe lack of communication allowed the problems to go on for much longer than they should have.
What road and bridge infrastructure needs to be addressed in McHenry County?
The County does an assessment every year on all the roads and bridges to make sure they are in a drivable condition. The County has a 5-year plan for repair, maintenance and replacement of roads and bridges. Every year the plan is revised based on current data and information so that the infrastructure the County is responsible for is being maintained and/or improved.
What are the top issues facing Valley Hi Nursing Home and how should the County Board help address them?
Valley Hi is an excellent facility that meets the needs of the County residents. Unfortunately, it has been operating at a loss for the past several years. The Board is looking at ways to add a memory care addition to the facility to meet the growing needs of the County’s residents that are not being served in this area. Every year we look at the bed mix to ensure the County’s revenue stream can match with expenses so the facility can be closer to breakeven every year. The staffing issue is another concern. Just like most nursing homes and health care facilities, there is currently a staffing shortage. The County is looking for ways to maintain current staff and attract new people into the profession.
Assess the McHenry County Department of Health’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What changes, if any, need to be made related to the pandemic or any future response?
I believe the State of Illinois could have done a better job communicating with and seeking input from county health departments. Given this challenge, I think our Health Department adjusted procedures and protocols as more information was learned about the pandemic. I feel the County did a great job being flexible with the ever-changing situation, making the best decisions possible with the limited accurate information that was received. The County requested vaccines very early and set up protocols for distribution. In the future, clear communication between and State and Illinois’ 102 counties need to be a priority, and locally, procedures need to be communicated to all stakeholders, including the public, so everyone knows what to expect when another pandemic occurs.
If you could reverse one decision made by the County Board last year, what would it be?
Even when I was on the losing side to a debate and vote, I would not reverse any decision. That is the wonderful thing about democracy, and it is why McHenry County has a Board comprised of diverse individuals that look at issues and situations through different viewpoints. I support the majority of the Board whether I was on the winning side or not.
Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?
My answer here is the same answer as for question #3. While there has been an undeniable uptick in crime, McHenry County remains a safe place to live and raise a family. The State of Illinois has passed laws recently that create new challenges to keeping criminals behind bars and make it easier for the accused to be back on the street within hours of an arrest. The County’s prosecutors must work aggressively within the confines of these new laws to make sure violent offenders are not released and are held accountable for their actions. Those who commit crimes must know with certainty that crime in McHenry County will be met with swift and severe consequences.
What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?
The County’s bridges are in good condition and the ones that are starting to deteriorate are in the 5-year bridge plan for rehabilitation or replacement. The larger area of concern are all the township bridges that need repair or replacement. The Transportation Committee is working on a program that provides equity between townships to assist in the repair and replacement of these structures.
Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?
As stated in question #2, the County’s portion of the tax bill is lower now than it was when I was elected to the Board almost ten years ago. We must strike a balance between delivering the quality of services County residents expect and delivering as much property tax relief as we can. The County has worked very hard to have no debt. We would not want to be in a position that required borrowing, with costly interest to be paid by taxpayers. Again, it is about balancing quality and efficiency.
Do you support stronger county government ethics laws? What measures do you support?
The County has an Ethics Committee made up of citizens from the County. Thankfully, up to this point, ethics has not been a significant problem here. The committee has made recommendation to the Board on how to make the process better and more transparent for all involved, and their recommendations are always given serious consideration.
What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?
I believe that all information pertaining to County government should be available on the County web site. This will reduce the need for citizens to file FOIA’s and make answers more available to the people who search for information. I think the current policy strikes a good balance between the rights of the public and the time and costs associated with getting information together for the public.
Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.
I plan to continue being available to the public to answer questions and concerns that they might have. I support having all County information available on the County web site and support the continuation of streaming our meetings.
What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?
The County’s utilizes the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (McEDC) to determine what specific businesses’ needs are to be successful, and then work with the appropriate agencies to provide those resources for the businesses. We must also continue to work on any barrier’s businesses have to expanding and provide assistance to help our businesses maximize their successes.
Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?
NDA’s need to be signed when confidential or information that could do harm to a business is being disclosed during discussions. Yes, I am fine with employees or officials signing this type of document if absolutely necessary. I am not sure how or why this would come up in County government, but if ever needed for some weird reason I am OK with it.
Would you push for or against government officials and employees being allowed to sign nondisclosure agreements with private businesses?
See previous answer.