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McHenry County Board District 6 is located in the northeastern portion of McHenry County and includes part or all of McHenry, Johnsburg, Spring Grove, Fox Lake, Lakemoor and Ringwood. Arne Waltmire is the challenger.
Full Name: Arne Waltmire
Office sought: McHenry County Board District 6
Political party? Democrat
Age: 72
Occupation and Employer: Retired Teacher, Arbitrator for new car warranty disputes part-time
What elected offices, if any, have you previously held?
McHenry Elementary (District 15) School Board elected 2019, served until-2023, Appointed Sept, 2024.
Campaign Website: arnewaltmire.com
Town where you live: McHenry
Education: Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University, Masters of Arts on Teaching & Leadership from Saint Xavier University
Community Involvement:
Presently serve on the McHenry Elementary School Board
Presently serve as Finance Chair & serve on the Trustees committee at my local church
Marital Status/Immediate Family: My wife, Diane, & I have three grown sons
In under 100 words, please share anything else about your professional or personal background that you want voters to know.
I am a retired teacher. The last 18 years, I taught Auto, Metals, and Woods classes at Crystal Lake South High. I have been an arbitrator for new car warranty disputes part time for 29 years. I listen to both sides, sort out facts, and come to a logical decision. With this position, I also was a mediator and served on an arbitration board. The 3 panel board reads new car warranty disputes and comes to a consensus of awarding or denying the customer’s claim.
Why are you running for office?
1. To ensure working families are represented on the county board.
2. To promote a healthy environment /clean air & water in McHenry County.
3. To ensure that there is quality work on county projects and the money is spent supporting local businesses and local construction workers. I support the Responsible Bidder ordinance.
4. I want to ensure the county applies for and accepts Federal Title 10 money to support women’s health care in the county.
What would you identify as the top three issues currently facing the county board and how would you address them?
1. Managing responsible growth in the county. By following the zoning ordinance for a particular area so there are not conflicts with the land use and people or businesses nearby. An example would be to not allow gravel pits by residential areas.
2. Replace outdated bridges. We need to prioritize updating county bridges to support large farming equipment.
3. Providing quality health care for women. The county needs to apply for federal Title 10 money for women health care funds.
If you’re an incumbent, how are you planning to vote on the upcoming budget and tax levy? Aside from the cut in the levy related to the mental health board, do you support additional cuts, or would you support holding the line on any increase? Would you support taxing the maximum allowed under the tax cap and of new EAV growth? If you’re a challenger, how would you approach this issue?
I believe it is important to maintain quality services for McHenry County residents. I believe capturing the EVA growth is a financially responsible way for the county to keep providing quality law enforcement, good roads & bridges and health care for the citizens of McHenry County
Why shouldn’t voters choose your opponent?
My opponent tried to prevent McHenry County voters from having a choice of candidates in the race for McHenry County Board Member-District 6 by filing an unsuccessful objection to my candidacy. My opponent wasted county employees’ time and taxpayers’ money in two hearings totaling about 1 hour and occupied 6 to 8 county employees’ time in those hearings with his unsuccessful objection. After the initial objection filing, when given an opportunity, he did not file a written brief supporting his objection. At the second hearing, when it was obvious that his objection was going to fail after two of the three election board members voiced opposition to the objection, my opponent withdrew the objection to avoid an adverse decision. McHenry County voters deserve a board member that is willing to engage with important substantive issues facing McHenry County rather than one that sought to eliminate voter choice.
Should the Metra, CTA and Pace be consolidated into one regional public transportation agency? Why or why not?
Yes, I believe that the transportation agencies should work with the state lawmakers to ensure they eliminate duplication of services and that the reorganization plan is fully funded.
What are the county’s biggest infrastructure needs and what is your plan for funding them?
Replacing outdated county bridges. By prioritizing the county road budget to repair or replace outdated bridges in a timely manner.
How do you propose to regulate the use of solar farms in the county? Do you support the expansion of solar farms in unincorporated areas?
1 The County should regulate solar farms by following the local zoning ordinance for the land area for the proposed site.
2. Only if it meets the zoning ordinance for the land area for the proposed site.
The county board recently convened a working group on workforce housing whose report found a need for more workforce housing in the county. Do you support the expansion of sub-market workforce housing and should the county be involved in investing in such projects?
The County Board could work with local communities so they could reduce zoning and building permit restrictions on housing units (apartments, multifamily housing) both in construction and rehabbing a dwelling. Also, work with local communities to see if they could offer tax incentives to create and preserve affordable housing units.
Should the county board limit its votes to “germane” topics as was proposed recently? And should the board be in the business of passing resolutions or flying flags to recognize certain groups or movements?
I believe that government is a place where different ideas are discussed and voted on. I believe that county board members should work together for the good of the residents of McHenry County.
Should the county allow marijuana dispensaries or cultivation centers to operate in unincorporated areas? No to both
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? No
In your capacity as a private citizen, have you or any business entity in which you have an ownership stake receive a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding? No
Will you honor the results of the November election, including the presidential race? Yes