Greg Hart: 2022 candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman

Bio

Party: Republican

Office sought: DuPage County Board Chairman

City: Hinsdale

Age: 35

Occupation: Management consultant

Previous offices held: DuPage County Board District 3; co-chairman of DuPage County Heroin-Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Taskforce

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

A: I’m a third-generation DuPage resident who is now raising my own growing family in the county. This community is the reason I am who I am today. We have great schools, safe communities and a well-run government. In many ways, DuPage is an example of good governance in a state that desperately needs one.

However, we will only remain successful as a community with the right leadership. It is critical we elect a chairman with a record of bipartisanship and pragmatism who will focus on the issues that matter most to residents.

I will partner with our sheriff and state’s attorney to combat violent crime, keep our budget balanced and taxes in check, preserve our world class schools and build innovative solutions to pressing social challenges like substance use and mental health. I have the energy, experience, record of accomplishment and innovative leadership approach to help DuPage face its toughest challenges in the coming years.

Q: If elected county board chairman, describe three ways you would contribute to the position.

A: I built my career in the private sector helping some of the largest organizations in the world manage stakeholders, align on priorities and identify cost savings. I created a record applying these skills in my role as a board member. As chairman, I will lead by working with all county offices to achieve a balanced budget, cut waste, streamline processes and strategically align on where investments should be made.

Second, there is no single initiative of which I am prouder than my work as co-chair of the Heroin-Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Taskforce, which won two national awards. I will continue to fund programs to expand job opportunities for those in recovery, build an intake center at the health department complex, implement harm reduction programs and champion access to treatment and peer counseling.

During my tenure, I built one of the most bipartisan records. I will meet individually with every board member regardless of party and identify ways to build common ground.

Q: Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.

A: I believe there are two large threats to DuPage’s future fiscal security. Because of decisions made by career politicians like my opponent, the state government’s financial outlook remains bleak. As a result, future cuts to the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) are likely, thus reducing the amount of money coming back from Springfield to DuPage County.

The second threat is the implementation of the SAFE-T Act, a bill championed by my opponent that will release violent criminals from prison and drastically change the way police are able to do their jobs. Rising crime will negatively impact our budget in DuPage, resulting in a need to hire more personnel to respond to rising caseloads. Additionally, the SAFE-T Act will likely drive tens of thousands of taxpayers out of the state of Illinois, further shrinking our tax base. It is critical we elect a chairman who has a record of prioritizing fiscal responsibility and who has private sector experience managing budgets like myself.

Q: Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

A: As a business professional with a background in streamlining organizational processes, I am always looking for innovative ways to move DuPage forward.

As technology chair, I shepherded in the largest investment in technology infrastructure with the replacement of our outdated Real Estate Tax System. We must continue to make DuPage County a national leader in digital government. A digital government provides better transparency, saves money and, of course, is a lot more convenient. I will create a new program called the DuPage Digital Government Initiative. The initiative will invest in new technology and processes so that any manual task requiring a taxpayer to interact with a DuPage government employee can be done online.

The initiative will explore how DuPage County can leverage artificial intelligence and automation to increase efficiency and refocus employees to higher-value tasks. To pay for these new technological investments, I will leverage attrition as a budgeting tool.

Q: On a scale of one [low] to 10 [high], how is the county managing its growing diversity? What steps, if any, would you take to improve the county’s performance?

A: I believe positive strides have been made by DuPage County in recent years to embrace our county’s growing diversity, But there is more we can do. As chairman, I will prioritize creating economic opportunities, particularly for those from underserved populations to rise and reach their potential. I was the first to propose creating new business enterprise programs for minorities, women, veterans and small business owners to make it easier to bid and work with the County of DuPage.

As chairman, I will ensure those business enterprise programs are finally established and implemented. I also will ensure that my nominees for boards and commissions are not only the most qualified but reflect the diversity of our county.

Lastly, I will create the position of Chief Inclusion Officer for DuPage County to help manage new diversity procurement programs, source and vet nominees for boards and commissions and oversee initiatives to showcase the cultural richness of DuPage County.

Q: The COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the need for mental health services. What role should the county play in this?

A: First, I would start by building a mental health and substance use disorder intake center. This facility would allow patients to receive the treatment they need outside of the emergency room or criminal justice system.

I would also support expanded funding to the DuPage County HOPE Taskforce to broaden the focus to mental health as well as substance use disorder. Those two conditions are often linked. We must start addressing these needs and reducing the stigma associated with these conditions in our county.

I also support the formation of public-private partnerships to provide quality health and support services to those in need.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20221013/greg-hart-2022-candidate-for-dupage-county-board-chairman?cid=search