Paras Parekh: 2024 candidate for Lake County Board District 12

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office Sought: Lake County Board District 12

City: Highland Park

Age: 52

Occupation: Marketing director

Previous offices held: Lake County Board District 12 since 2020; West Deerfield Township Trustee

Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running for re-election to the county board because I am deeply committed to serving our community and believe in the potential for further progress.

As an incumbent, I have enjoyed being attentive to the needs of our residents and contributing to our county’s continued success. While we have a strong foundation with a growing population, thriving businesses, and an excellent forest preserve, there is still much work to be done.

Our focus must be on addressing housing affordability, ensuring the environmental sustainability of county operations, tackling issues such as gun violence, and improving infrastructure. We have a dedicated government team, and my goal is to maintain its high functionality while being as efficient as possible. I am committed to achieving these objectives while keeping taxes low and delivering meaningful results for our community.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

As an incumbent, I’m proud of several key achievements during my term. I have spearheaded the resolution of long-standing infrastructure issues, expanded our forest preserves, and championed sustainable, climate-friendly development practices. Notably, I led efforts to eliminate single-use plastics and funded a gun violence prevention initiative. Throughout these initiatives, I have remained committed to keeping county taxes low, ensuring that we deliver on our promises without burdening our residents.

These accomplishments reflect my dedication to addressing critical issues and improving our community. As I seek re-election, I am excited to continue building on this progress and tackle new challenges with the same focus on efficiency and effectiveness.

Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.

My position has always been clear: maximize efficiency and do more with less. I've consistently advocated for fiscal responsibility, ensuring every dollar spent benefits our community. Our approach prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness, driving us to use resources wisely while maintaining essential services.

Looking ahead, our chief threats are housing affordability, attracting businesses, and retaining young families. We also face the urgent need to address climate change.

To tackle these challenges, we must:

• Enhance housing affordability by supporting initiatives for quality, accessible housing.

• Foster a business-friendly environment to attract and retain businesses, ensuring economic growth and job creation.

• Implement sustainable practices, such as net-zero buildings, expanded solar installations, and increased native plantings, to combat climate change and preserve our environment.

Does there need to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board? If yes, what would you do to help make that happen?

I think that the answer would have been “yes” several years ago. I don't that is the case today. Very infrequently do I see partisan politics being an issue. I genuinely like my Republican colleagues and consider many of them to be thoughtful and good stewards of our community. I appreciate hearing their opinions just like any other member.

What do you see as the greatest need in your district from a county (roads, etc) and forest preserve (facilities, amenities) standpoint?

From a county perspective, as with all districts, we need to encourage the development of more affordable housing and multifamily structures. However, communities in my district are already making significant strides in this area. For instance, Highland Park has constructed many multifamily buildings in recent years.

Our community was profoundly affected by the tragic event at the July 4th parade two years ago. We are not immune to gun violence, and like all districts, we are committed to addressing this issue.

Additionally, my district, like all others, is focused on combating climate change. We strive to reduce greenhouse gases and promote renewable energy sources in all county operations. We have been fortunate to expand the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve over the past year, and a key next step will be to unify the additional parcels into a cohesive experience.

What have constituents in your district been asking about that you would like to see addressed in some fashion?

My constituents are particularly concerned with many of the issues impacting communities across Lake County, including affordable housing, climate change, gun violence, and the preservation and expansion of green spaces. While we have made progress in these areas, there is still much work to be done. I am eager to continue addressing these critical issues in the next term and drive meaningful improvements for our community.

Is the county/forest board behind the pay curve compared to other jurisdictions and how can the county/forest board best strive to attract and retain key employees?

Generally, we are competitive in our pay, and retention remains a key goal for the county board. We recently completed a compensation study, which identified some gaps that we are now addressing. We had particular concerns in law enforcement, especially within the county jail, and we are actively working to resolve these issues. We continuously review and adjust our compensation practices to ensure they meet our employees' needs. We're fortunate to have many employees who have dedicated their entire working lives to the county — something that is increasingly rare in most places, but speaks volumes about our commitment to our staff.

Do you think the forest preserve should proceed with an agreement with Waukegan Port Authority for 52 acres of Waukegan Savanna? Why or why not?

The Waukegan Airport development team has yet to fully demonstrate that this expansion is the best use of the land in the area, and I cannot support the sale of the land at this time. We need to increase, not decrease, the amount of available open space for the residents. I require the Waukegan Port Authority to provide a clear assessment of the environmental impact and explain how this expansion will enhance, rather than diminish, the amount of land dedicated to open space in our community. To date, that has not occurred.

Is there a general issue or concern on your radar you would like to see the county/forest board address?

Not to be overly repetitive, but the lack of affordable housing, especially for the unsung heroes of our community — teachers, police and fire department staff, small business owners, and workers — raises a crucial question: can they live in the communities they serve? Over the past 30 to 40 years, the answer has increasingly been “no.” There are solutions available, but they require us to act as a unified community, rather than as individual municipalities. This will be a key focus for me during my next term.