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Full Name:
Susan Smith Lindell
What office are you seeking?
DeKalb County Board, District 10
What is your political party?
Republican
What is your current age?
I’d prefer not to answer this question.
Occupation and Employer:
Retired; Business owner, Lindell Research & Engineering Center
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
I am currently an elected precinct committee chairperson, DK-16
City:
DeKalb
Campaign Website:
facebook.com/p/Susan-Smith-Lindell-for-DeKalb-County-Board-100086220563153/?_rdr
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and certificate of advanced studies in English/linguistics
Certified public accountant
Community Involvement:
I am a volunteer musician at St. Mary Parish, DeKalb.
Member of the Executive Board of the DeKalb County Republican Central Committee
Precinct committee person, DeKalb County Republican Central Committee
Fitness Instructor, YMCA and DeKalb Park District
Marital Status/Immediate Family:
My husband’s name is Lennart Lindell. I have one biological son and four stepsons.
Why are you running for office?
As a certified public accountant, I would like to ensure that there is greater financial oversight on the Board. I prefer using tax monies wisely rather than spending capriciously and then raising taxes to cover those expenses.
I am also concerned with the encroachment of mega complexes on our farmland built by corporations that fail to provide adequate job opportunities for DeKalb County residents.
Finally, I am concerned about public safety and the rising crime rate in the county.
Will you honor the results of the November election?
Yes. I will abide by the will of the constituents. I will add that I plan on term limiting myself to one term, as I am running out of a sense of civic obligation. I do not wish to be a career politician.
Taxes continue to be a top concern for DeKalb County voters. If elected, how would you alleviate the tax burden on local taxpayers?
As stated earlier, the County Board is tasked with overseeing the various projects taken on by the county. I will vote in favor of any legislation to reduce the county portion of the property taxes.
I also plan on being frugal with the tax monies allocated to county projects so that there would be no need to increase property taxes. The Board needs to work within its means which may actually allow it to reduce property taxes.
The DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center’s story has made numerous headlines over the past two+ years. The County is currently suing the former would-be buyers of the facility for breaching their contract to purchase the property amid ongoing financial burdens. The County has since established a committee to oversee nursing home operations, hired a new facility director and taken action to begin overhauling its thousands of dollars of debt. Do you agree with this course of action? Do you agree or disagree with the County’s decision to keep the home publicly-owned? Why or why not? Please be specific.
My understanding is that, several years ago, a management company was hired to operate the County Home, yet that company had not been providing monthly reports to the Board. The County Home was actually over $8 million in debt because of the lack of oversight by the Board. If anyone should have been sued, it should have been the management company that did not provide timely information about the financial distress of the Home. Although I would like to see the County Home remain publicly-owned, I am not so sure that our taxpayers should be subsidizing the blunders of the former Board which allowed that debt to accrue in the first place. The question is, why would anyone expect that a new committee would be any more effective in overseeing the County Home if the Board had not been performing its due diligence in the past?
Do you support solar infrastructure? Would you vote for or against corporations seeking to build solar farms on DeKalb County land? Do you believe changes to public policy regarding solar development needs to be changed or should stay as is? Why or why not?
I think that the current policy regarding solar development is adequate. I would like to preserve our farmland which seems to be where most of the solar farms are located. Although we should not be telling farmers what to do with their own land, there should still be some limits on using farmland for solar energy.
Do you support the Prairie Band Potawatomi’s efforts to reclaim federally-recognized stolen land in Shabbona? Why or why not? Please be specific.
This question is rife with controversy. The decision should be left up to the federal government; it should not be determined by state or county policy. I understand that the Potawatomi tribe is pressing for the right of first refusal on any real estate that would fall within its jurisdiction. If that were to happen, then homeowners in Shabbona might be adversely affected when they attempt to sell their homes.
What would you prioritize in DeKalb County’s government budget if elected? Would you support any budget cuts? And if so to where?
My main priority is public safety. I would support prioritizing the sheriff department as well as county roads. I would probably support many budget cuts to projects that are not in the financial best interest of the citizens.
In your capacity as a private citizen, have you or any business entity in which you have a ownership stake received a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding?
No. My business could have received a PPP loan, but I did not believe that taxpayers should be subsidizing my business when we could just tighten our belts and make do with less.
Have you ever been convicted of or charged with a crime?
No, never.