Kane County Treasurer candidates debate issues
Two Republicans are vying in the Feb. 2 primary for Kane County Treasurer. Sugar Grove resident Bob Kovanic, 48, the owner of Padgett Business Services in Aurora, is challenging incumbent David Rickert, 43, of Elgin. Here are their thoughts on issues selected from a Daily Herald questionnaire sent to each candidate.
Q. Do you support the push to make county services as close to self-funded as possible? Does the treasurer's office charge enough, too much or not enough for the services it provides to residents? Kovanic: I will strive to be vigilant in uncovering methods to reduce the tax burden on the residents of Kane County. To that end, I believe county services should be as close to self-funding as possible. In regards to the treasurer's office, each service and fee will be studied to determine cost effectiveness. David Rickert: Under Illinois law, property tax collection is required to be funded by county government. Any significant adjustment to the funding mechanism for this office would require a legislative change and in light of the current budgeting problems in Springfield this is highly unlikely.Q: Elected department heads, including the treasurer, have budgets set by the county board, resulting in some turmoil. What is the best way for the treasurer to have a budget that allows it to function efficiently, but also reflects tough economic times? Kovanic: Regardless of the economic times, all government departments should be run efficiently every day. Staffing should be analyzed to determine if the current level is appropriate, spending needs to be reviewed to uncover possible cuts, and an analysis of all departments needs to be done to determine if there is any duplication of services. During tough economic times, government should feel the same "pain" as the citizenry; budgets should be cut unless there would be an adverse effect upon essential services. David Rickert: The Treasurer's Office has remained under budget each and every year that I have been treasurer. Due to the cost-saving measures implemented during my tenure, the Treasurer's Office was able to comply with both a mid-year budget reduction and an end-of-year budget reduction that was mandated by the county board this year. The county board should regularly evaluate the budget performance of the offices (including the treasurer's) as compared to their counterparts in similarly-sized counties in Illinois. A comparative ratio analysis would quickly expose inefficiencies and highlight problem areas if they exist. Also, the county board should prioritize expenditures with statutory functions given precedence over non-statutory functions. This would go a long way to improving the budgetary process.Q. Do you support separate tax levies for elected department heads as they set their budgets? Why or why not? Kovanic: If you mean a one-time levy to fill a budget gap, then no; if a onetime levy is done once, it will be done over and over again. Effective officials, like households, need to operate within their allotted funds; households do not have the opportunity to ask their employer for an additional one-time payout so why should departments heads be given this special option. But, if you mean an elected official's budget is based upon the amount of funds received from a specific tax levy, my answer is yes. This would make the elected official responsible to the voters and force the elected official to stay under budget since the county will not be able to bailout a fiscally irresponsible leader. David Rickert: No, separate tax levies would not provide the necessary incentive to cut costs and keep operations efficient.Q. The treasurer is in charge of the county's investments. What steps would you take to ensure improvements in returns to the county? Kovanic: The state of Illinois dictates the type of institution collected funds can be deposited into, so the treasurer cannot try to maximize returns by investing in anything with high risk. I would diligently manage cash flow to ensure the greatest amount of funds are invested for the longest period of time possible - long-term investments carry a higher interest rate than short-term. I would also consider methods to increase total collections of property taxes; two such ideas are allow monthly payment of taxes or a prompt/early pay discount. David Rickert: As treasurer, my goal has consistently focused on ensuring the safety and security of the public funds while maximizing return on investment. Under my leadership, a diversified portfolio of government bonds, certificates of deposits, and overnight bank deposits has been developed that consistently outperforms the state of Illinois MMF funds. The bond fund for the county yielded more that $400,000 in additional interest income in its first year of operation. Funds are fully collateralized to ensure the security of the assets. Also, they are regularly analyzed and adjusted based on market conditions. Experience dealing with fluctuations in the financial markets is more important than ever in this current economic environment.Q. What special knowledge or experience do you have that particularly qualifies you to be county treasurer. Kovanic: In addition to being a CPA and earning an MBA, I am the owner of an accounting firm. During my career in private industry, I have been a corporate CFO responsible for managing cash flow, creating and maintaining budgets, protecting corporate assets, treasury management, and liable for the careers of my employees. David Rickert: Licensed certified public accountant, completing an average of 40 hours of continuing professional education annually. Five years of Fortune 500 experience in both auditing and financial accounting. Two years experience as the training chairman for the Illinois County Treasurer's Association. One year experience as chairman of the Illinois County Treasurer's Association - Zone IV. Former Kane County Republican Party Treasurer. Currently serving as a legislative liaison for the Illinois CPA Society.False13901852David Rickert False