:quality(70):focal(1326x813:1336x823)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/ZCBJMF4DCRBYPJCSTHPLSKTFV4.jpg)
McHenry County Board District 7 is located in central McHenry County and includes part or all of Woodstock, McHenry, Wonder Lake, Bull Valley and Greenwood. Paul Thomas is the challenger.
Full Name: Paul C Thomas
Office sought: McHenry County Board District 7
Political party: Republican
Age: 47
Occupation and employer: Owner, Counsel Construction LLC
What elected offices, if any, have you previously held? NA
Campaign website: dist7mchenrycounty.com
Town where you live: Wonder Lake, IL
Education:
Community Involvement: Member of Chain O’Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. Coached Johnsburg White Lightning Soccer Team. My business donates supplies and labor to Make a Wish Foundation.
Marital Status/Immediate Family: Single, Proud Father of two Sons - Logan age 27 and Lee age 25
In under 100 words, please share anything else about your professional or personal background that you want voters to know.
I own a Commercial Carpentry business based in Wonder Lake, which is in District 7, and I employ over 60 Union Carpenters. If you want to know the key to juggling many personalities and organizing them to work together to complete a large goal, come talk to me! In my business, my success has been built on detailed work, coming in under budget and finishing before schedule. These practices, I believe, will be of value when serving on the McHenry County Board.
Why are you running for office?
I’m running for the McHenry County Board to promote thoughtfully planned growth, fiscal transparency and strong support for local business and our Sheriff’s department.
As a small business owner, I understand the challenges facing our residents and businesses. I’m dedicated to being a voice for practical solutions that benefit everyone in our County.
What would you identify as the top three issues currently facing the county board and how would you address them?
1. I believe over-taxation remains one of the biggest challenges to people in McHenry County. To encourage growth, we must reduce the taxes burdening residents and businesses.
2. Improving the infrastructure of our rural and underserved communities, like continuing the installation of high-speed internet and guiding well-planned development to bring economic growth to our County.
3. Another major issue for McHenry County is managing unfunded mandates from the State Legislature, which bring ongoing, unexpected costs to the County’s operating budget.
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? NA
Why shouldn’t voters choose your opponent?
I believe a vote for me will bring fresh and new ideas into our local government to help guide fiscally responsible and well-planned growth.
Should the Metra, CTA and Pace boards be consolidated into one regional public transportation agency? Why or why not?
Consolidation is not the answer, McHenry County would lose control and our say in how business and services are managed. The CTA needs to address its own fiscal responsibilities and improve services for the citizens it serves without impacting our County.
What are the county’s biggest infrastructure needs and what is your plan for funding them?
Our County’s key infrastructure needs are bridges, broadband, and rural transit. I’ll pursue State and Federal Grants, push for more bridge funding, support broadband efforts with private partners, and seek public transit funding. Additionally, I’ll prioritize long term planning and efficient use of capital funds for sustainable growth.
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?
McHenry County is accepting of Green Energy. Ultimately the State has set legislation on Solar Farms that is out of the County Boards hands when they are proposed in Unincorporated Areas of McHenry County.
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?
I do not support the expansion of sub-market workforce housing in Unincorporated areas of McHenry County due to lack of infrastructure. It would be a burden on levy.
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?
No, the County Board should not be in the business of passing resolutions or flying flags to recognize certain groups or movements. The only two flags that would be flown are the American Flag and the POW Flag below it. Our American flag, it’s what unites us.
Should the county allow marijuana dispensaries or cultivation centers to operate in unincorporated areas?
The dispensaries were introduced to bring tax revenue into the County to lower the tax burden on its residents.
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 a ownership stake receive a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding?
Yes. It’s been forgiven. [Public records accessed through ProPublica’s PPP tracker show Counsel Construction’s PPP loan of $496,325, including interest, was forgiven.]
Will you honor the results of the November election, including the presidential race? Yes