Name: Stephen J. Balich
Age: Not provided
Town: Orland Park (mailing address)
Occupation: N/A
Affiliation: Republican
Elected Political Experience: December 2012-present Will County Board Member, District 7; previously served as Homer Township Trustee
Why are you running for a seat in the 7th District?
My name is Steve Balich. I am running for re-election to the Will County Board, representing Homer Glen, City of Lockport, Unincorporated Homer Township and New Lenox, north of Interstate 80. Www.electbalich.com provides information about what I have done. Making a difference in people’s lives by being a person of action, not just words, is important. Being available to help people both in District 7 and in Will County is also important. (815) 557-7196. Less taxes, smaller government and less regulations are my guiding principles. I want to continue to be a public servant making life better for people in Will County.
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I have been able to move issues with no support forward, eventually passing: stopping aerial photos from being used to initiate building code violations and people getting their money back for towing, storage and administrative fees if they are not guilty in court. Being against tax increases, I spoke and voted against raises for elected officials. I do not take the pension and spoke against any county board member taking it. Going to most all the meetings, which I do, is an important part of the position, because that’s where opportunities to make changes begin. Being not only available to citizens but being active in the community is necessary to understand the issues. I am not afraid to stand with a resident that is getting nowhere in a dispute with local government. I believe everyone deserves respect, and it is my job to help to the best of my ability.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing the district, and what would you do to solve them?
County issues are overshadowed by how to fund them. Every board member needs to spend taxpayer money as if it was their own, and vote with the understanding of the consequence of that vote. Raising property taxes is something I can’t vote for, unless there is an extremely powerful argument. Even then, I would demand to ask the people with a referendum.
The court house, sheriff facility and health department are going to be built without raising taxes. Republicans took control of the board and said “no” to the Public Safety Tax proposed by the Democrats. These buildings are in distress should have been replaced long ago.
Jobs are so important. Building trade unions and non-union positions need government to follow the law, standing against illegal immigrants taking their work. Bringing unvetted refugees to Will County is a bad idea, overloading the system.
Public safety will continue to be a huge issue. We need to support our police, who must deal with media-driven disdain for police. Heroin is a problem we are addressing with education. However, creating a positive environment, where addicts can get a good job and even raise a family, should be a goal. Putting people in jail is very costly. The county is currently trying to find innovative ways to reduce the population. I serve on the judicial, legislative, land use, economic development, forest preserve operations and forest preserve finance committees, with the understanding government is there for the people, not the people as servants to the government.
Name: Mike Fricilone
Age: 62
Town: Homer Glen
Occupation: Director of Sales
Affiliation: Republican
Elected Political Experience: December 2012-present, Will County Board
Why are you running for re-election in 7th District?
I believe a lot has been accomplished in the past four years, and I want to continue the progress we have made. We have started several projects that I would like to see through. The public safety complex and the county courthouse are two projects that I want to make sure do not exceed their budget and do not increase our tax burden.
I also want to make sure that the road projects in District 7 receive top priority.
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
As a businessman, I bring a different approach to how government should be run. I am not a career politician. I am here to make sure we run an efficient operation that provides the best services to the community for the least tax dollars. In a business, you are always working to provide the best product at the lowest cost. Why can’t government do the same?
In the last two years, we have found a way to upgrade the Sheriff’s [Office] vehicles and start two new buildings all while lowering the tax rate. That’s efficient government.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing the district, and what would you do to the solve them?
Roads are No. 1. With the increased traffic flow on I-355 our arterial roads can no longer handle the volume.
The expansion of 159th street, 143rd street and improvements on 135th street are key to providing for current and future needs. While all these projects are under construction or still in the planning stages I will continue to make these top priority at the County.
Taxes – As Chairman of the Finance Committee I have worked with all County Board members to reduce our tax rate each of the last two years. I will continue to make our County efficient offering great services while reducing your tax burden.
While the heroin epidemic has not been as noticeable in District 7, it is a problem in Will County and that affects us all. I will continue to look for grant monies to fund new programs and bolster the programs we are currently running, with the end goal of eliminating this problem.
A healthy community, better roads and lower cost to the taxpayer is my ultimate
#Will County #2016 Election #Homer Glen #Lockport #New lenox
