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Full Name: Seth Wormley
What office are you seeking? Kendall County Board
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Millbrook Village Board - Trustee - 2019-Present
Kendall County Plan Commission - 2021 - Present
City: Millbrook, IL
Occupation: Financial Advisor
Education: BS - Butler University 2007
Campaign Website: BS - Butler University 2007
Property taxes in Kendall County are consistently among the highest in Illinois. What would you do as a county board member to limit the continued increases residents see on their property tax bills?
Property taxes are certainly high. Education about tax bills is important because there are many taxing authorities in the county that contribute to the final bill. As a county board member, I can work with the budget available to continue providing services to the residents of the county that we can afford while maintaining a balanced budget. I don’t like tax referendums.
Is there fat in the county budget? If so, please identify which departments or programs that you would work to either curtail or eliminate to save funds.
Costs continue to rise for residents as well as for the county’s expenses. I don’t expect this to change. It is important that we serve our community and maintain a balanced budget for the line items that are most important to the community. Providing valuable services like KAT (Kendall Area Transit), Funding the Sherriff’s Department, and taking care of our roads are priorities.
Does the county sheriff’s office require additional funding and/or staff to combat crime in the unincorporated Boulder Hill subdivision or elsewhere in the county? If yes, where would those funds come from and how should they be used?
Our Sheriff has done an excellent job of working on creative ways to increase funding for the Sherriff’s office without the need to raise taxes. If the Sheriff needed additional funds for officers or equipment, it would be a priority of mine to make sure we are properly funding them.
As a county board member, would you support increased funding and the hiring of additional staff for the Kendall County Health Department?
I would need to understand more about this need before I could answer this question and what they would be using the funds for.
Do you support ongoing efforts by local municipal and county officials to bring Metra commuter rail service to Kendall County?
I am interested in the conversation and how it would impact the community. I am not in favor of the RTA tax burden it would place on the residents in the county.
Would you support the county joining the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) as a condition for obtaining the service?
No - This is a necessary evil of the Metra extension.
How would you assess the county’s efforts to date to lure new businesses and industries to the county?
Economic expansion is crucial to the healthy growth of the county. Over the next decade we will see even more opportunities and we need to be in a position to competitively attract the right business to the county. Luring new business will offset the rising costs in the county. I see appropriate economic development as the most important long-term measure we can focus on as a county.
What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?
As a member of the county board who will represent the western and many rural parts of the county, it is important to have a voice that represents local business and small communities. Growth will impact these areas and the county needs representatives that can speak on behalf of these residents.
If elected, will you enroll in the county employee health insurance program?
I am unaware of the plan benefits or the cost.
What actions can the Kendall County Board take to minimize the tax burden on residents while, not sacrificing services?
An example of this recently took place in the recorder’s office with their recent remodel of existing space. When the county is able to use existing resources or make things more efficient, it is a win for the residents and saves a lot of money. This is effective leadership.
Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?
An overwhelming majority of the property tax bill residents pay is for the area school districts and the County Board does not have any control over that line item. I believe the most reasonable way to reduce taxes for the future is not to spend or commit too many resources today for future projects that we can’t afford or do not need.
How would you encourage economic and employment growth within Kendall County?
Efficient government is good for economic growth and employment growth. Our county has started the process of bringing rural areas internet access. This will be my number one goal as a County Board Member to solve this very challenging and costly problem. There are many areas in county west and south of Yorkville that do not have access to high-speed internet. As students and parents work from home more frequently, we need to bring fiber service (100+mbps) to areas like Millbrook, Newark, Lisbon and other rural parts of the county. Economic growth and employment growth can’t happen without quality internet. Federal funds are available and its necessary to get what we need to pay for the infrastructure needed.
Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?
I am proud to call Kendall County home. I believe this is a safe place to live and will continue to support our police and sheriff’s department. Crime is in every community big and small and it’s important to support our police.
What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?
Eldamain Road Bridge
Do you support stronger county government ethics laws? What measures do you support?
Ethics is the most important in local government. I support the recent upgrades to the county building that make meetings more available online and information more transparent.
What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?
Residents have a right to know and the FOIA system allows access to information.
Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.
My plan is to support access to information on the county website to make information accessible.
Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non- disclosure agreements with private businesses?
I’m not familiar with any specific situation where I can refence a need for a non-disclosure agreement. If it is necessary, I think it could be disclosed. If there is a conflict of interest, it would allow a member to abstain from a vote or remove themselves from the conflict.
Would you push for or against government officials and employees being allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?
I’m not familiar with any specific situation where I can refence a need for a non-disclosure agreement. If it is necessary, I think it could be disclosed. If there is a conflict of interest, it would allow a member to abstain from a vote or remove themselves from the conflict.