County board hopefuls split on value of Choose DuPage

The two candidates vying for the District 1 seat on the DuPage County Board have different strategies for attracting jobs and businesses to the county.

Democratic candidate Kathryn Salzano, a language teacher from Elmhurst, said a multifaceted approach will get more people working.

As part of this, she suggests improving public transportation and high-speed rail systems that will connect residents with more job options. Salzano also wants to open bidding for government projects to DuPage-based businesses first.

“We need to look at infrastructure, green technology ... and manufacturing opportunities (to generate jobs),” Salzano said.

Republican incumbent Donald Puchalski, an attorney from Addison, said DuPage leaders need to be more aggressive in convincing companies of strengths that already exist in DuPage.

“The county should be proactive to showcase its transportation hub, its work force, and the ability to provide educated workers,” he said.

He said the county's economic development wing, Choose DuPage, is theoretically a good idea to help attract business. But Puchalski and Salzano agree they are bothered that Choose DuPage receives county money, yet is not subject to the state's Open Meetings Act.

“I think overall it's a plus ... the concept is good ... but it should be privately financed,” Puchalski said. “We're giving them $500,000 per year and taxpayers should have a right to say ‘How are you spending my money?'”

The lack of transparency is to blame for worrying citizen groups that almost stopped Navistar from relocating to the former Alcatel-Lucent site in Lisle, Salzano added.

While Puchalski doesn't go that far, he did say Choose DuPage has been more effective in bolstering smaller businesses than attracting corporate titans such as Navistar to DuPage.

Salzano, a former small business owner providing education and curriculum materials, counters that Choose DuPage isn't doing enough for her fellow entrepreneurs.

“We need to make sure we have a county that gives them assistance in the form of loans, health insurance or tax breaks,” she said. “College of DuPage used to have a program dedicated to entrepreneurial women and it was taken away because of cuts. Where is the support?”

DuPage County District 1 covers all or parts of Addison, Itasca, Wood Dale, Bensenville, Elmhurst, Villa Park and Lombard.