:quality(70):focal(132x81:142x91)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/6TSXEXVE2JAXZDSATL43OHTG2U.jpg)
Todd Milliron, a candidate for Kendall County Board District 1 in the March primary election, answered these questions from the Shaw Local News Network.
Full Name: Todd Milliron
What office are you seeking? Kendall County Board District One
What public offices, if any, have you previously held? None, Frequent Public Meeting Participant and Attendee, often making Citizen Comments as warranted during a Kendall County Board Meeting, persistently in the ROOM where it Happens
City: Unincorporated Yorkville
Occupation: Independent Insurance Agent since March of 1987.
Campaign website: https://toddm4kendall.org/
In light of the increasing influx of migrants to Illinois, how do you propose the county should address the challenges?
Let Local Law Enforcement do their Job and Encourage Congressional Republicans to Vote on the Federal Immigration Bill passed on a Bi-Partisan Vote by the US Senate and Authored by Oklahoma Senator, James Langford, one of the most Conservative US Senators in the Upper Chamber of the Federal Legislature.
What are the top issues facing your county and what would you like to do to address those issues?
The Cost of Escalating County Employee Health Insurance Premiums, routinely double-digit Annual Renewal Increases. It is one of the Biggest County Board Budget items that needs to be managed. I am an Independent Insurance Agent; I have been in the Employer Group Health Ins. Business since 1987. No other Incumbent County Board Member or KCB Candidate has the experience that I do in this area. I have made an Alternative Funding Group Health Insurance Proposal in Open Meeting; this is the year to suggest changes to be considered by the several Collective Bargaining Units that represent County Employees who are in negotiations now to set new Union contracts for roughly the next 4 years.
Should counties do more to expand access to county government?
Yes, I have been advocating for 18 years to put the County Checkbook Online, for all to see. I got it done in Oswego Township as an Engaged and Active Citizen Watch Dog. Kendall County has a New Accounting System that we tax payers have already paid for, it just a matter of utilizing it with the County Website to be more transparent with County Tax Payers.
What challenges is the region facing in terms of attracting business and tourism?
We can do more to promote our County Forest Preserves. Did you know that if you are a Bow Hunter you can apply for a Fall Deer Hunting Permit to assist in the Game Management of the Deer Population for the Kendall County Forest Preserve District (KCFPD); or that you can Rent a KCFPD Bunk House for a night or extended stay, it is a very affordable Lodging Option? How about an Equestrian Themed Birthday Party, the Horse Birthday Parties are 3 hours of FUN! The first 2 hours are hosted by the KCFPD Staff and include a Horse Themed Craft, Horse Grooming Activity and a Pony Ride for each Child. The last hour is for use of the classroom for some Birthday Fun, such as Gifts, Cake and Ice Cream.
The KCFPD also offers private use of Picnic Shelters and Camp Grounds, at Harris, Jay Woods, the New Pickernill Pigott and Richard Young KCFPD Wildlife Conservation sites.
What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?
I have Actively Assisted and PROMOTED the County Owned Broad Ban Internet Service and will continue to do so. This County Infrastructure Broadband Expansion Initiative will make and provide super-fast and affordable Internet access to County Farmers and County Business Owners, big and small. This project’s goal is to help expand more reliable and faster Internet service to rural parts of the county and municipal users, so local Businesses can grow and thrive in the fastest growing County in Illinois.
Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?
No, absolutely not!
Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?
Not so much, we need to concentrate County Law Enforcement Resources in the Unincorporated Area of Boulder Hill, which statistically has a higher Incident Rate, then provide the resources necessary to Sheriff Baird and his Team of Law Enforcement Professionals to share Intel with their Municipal Partners to be proactive in preventing Crimes from occurring. If you see something, say something and a local law enforcement officer will investigate accordingly.
What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?
At the State Level, Illinois Rt. 47 - a State Road managed by IDOT - North of Yorkville needs to be made a 4-lane Road to I-88 in Sugar Grove. So, the County of Kendall Lobbyist, hired by the Kendall County Board to Lobby in Springfield, needs to be instructed to start twisting some arms in Springfield and get this section of Rt. 47 done, ASAP.
At the County Level, something a Kendall County Board Member can actually act upon, would be to Speed Up the widening of Wolf Road in Oswego Township, it is overdue and cannot happen soon enough.
Do you support the Illinois gun ban? Why or why not?
The 1994 Federal Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, a 10-year Federal Prohibition on the Sale of Assault type weapons statistically lowered the incidence of the number of Mass Shooting during the 10-year period that Law was in force. This Federal Law was allowed to expire during the Second Bush Administration. During that period of time the incidence of Mass Shootings went down, since 2005 millions of these types of assault weapons have been sold and are now owned by private gun owners. I think it is an issue for the Federal Government, not a County issue. I am not sure these types of weapons can be removed from law abiding gun owners under the Constitution and a Citizen’s Right to Bear Arms. So far, the Courts have ruled in the favor of the State of Illinois, but I think the Cow is already out of the Barn, due to the number of these types of Guns that have been sold since 2005 and these types of prior-sale weapons are being grandfathered, even in Illinois.
What is your opinion of the role of tax incentives in economic development and business growth? Should tax incentives be offered to corporations to entice them to plant roots in local communities? Why or why not?
County Incentives have been used and have worked to attract new Businesses to the County of Kendall, most notably being used North of Minooka and North of I-80, along Ridge Road. So far, this targeted use of tax incentives has been productive for all parties, I am not opposed to priming the pump for a vetted New Business Venture, as long as the designated tax incentive has a Sun Set Date and there is a “Claw-back” Clause that is made a part of the Binding Agreement, so if the Business Owners decide to prematurely relocate, county taxpayers do not get hosed.
How would you classify the state of public health in your county? Do you believe access to affordable healthcare is an issue? Why or why not? If you believe it’s an issue, what ideas do you have to remedy it?
The State of Health in the County of Kendall, is Excellent. Routinely, on an Annual and Ongoing Basis, Kendall County is objectively assessed, using measurable Health Metrics, to be as one of the Healthiest Places to Live in Illinois. The Kendall County Health Dept has roughly 50 employees, and that number of Employees has remained static, flat for better part of two decades, a period of exceptional population growth in the County of Kendall and we continue to thrive. Our Kendall County Health Dept. has many long-term, seasoned and dedicated employees, who continue to do more, providing Affordable Health Care Options to those that qualify, while being very vigilant regarding serious communicable diseases, like Tuberculous, Hepatis and Aids which need active monitoring and management of those afflicted.