Incumbent Stephen Balich along with Anthony Granata, running in the June 28 GOP primary in the 4th District, which includes all or portions of Homer Glen, Mokena, and the Will County areas of Tinley Park.
Balich said “My goal is to “Fix where we live” I want to make Will County a safe affordable place to live now and in the future for my children and yours. My ideology is simply to cut unnecessary spending, hold firm on our traditional values that made the U.S. great, and cut unnecessary regulations, while always being concerned with public safety. I support both the police and the military understanding without them none of my vision for Will County is possible. I am adamant about protecting our Children by defending parental rights.
Balich has served on nearly all of the county board committees except for the Executive and Diversity and Inclusion committees.
He said he enjoyed his work on the Land Use and Development Committee, where he was able to help pass ordinances so code violations are complaint-driven and aerial photographs are no longer allowed to initiate code violations. He advocated for another ordinance so an inspector could only look at the work at hand and not write a violation notice if they saw something else wrong on the property. This helped encourage people to apply for permits and not perform work illegally, Balich said.
Balich said he believes some of the $133 million in federal funds the county received through the American Rescue Plan Act should be used to fund upgrades to computers and equipment at the Will County Sheriff’s Department and the Will County Health Department, as well as for water and sewer infrastructure improvements.
He cautioned against creating new programs or hiring more people when using money that has been designated to move the country out of the pandemic.
“There will be a point where the COVID money runs out,” Balich said. “When it goes away and you have to remove a program, people will be upset.”
Balich said the county needs to continue to address road improvements and designate truck routes so that trucks aren’t driving on roads that cannot handle their weight.
“If we stop growth, we will tax people out of here,” he said. “We have to have proper infrastructure for growth to happen.”
Balich said he is for keeping taxes low. He said the marijuana tax should be directed to programs at the health and sheriff’s departments and said the former Will County courthouse, which has been vacant since 2020, should be demolished.
Balich is running with Granata, who was elected to the Frankfort Square Park District board at age 19.
