Name: Anthony Catella

What office are you seeking: County Board District 13 of Kane County

What is your political party?

What is your current age? 55

Occupation and employer: Northern Illinois University Event Staff Coordinator

What offices, if any, have you previously held? I ‘ve been a Precinct committeeman for St Charles 18 since 2018

City: St. Charles

Campaign website:

Education: High School diploma 1989, College diploma 1994 (American Studies), Divinity Degree 2008

Community involvement: I’ve been an election Judge, a committeeman, Congressional candidate, Library board candidate, County board candidate, US Army active duty, Reserve, Guard, State Guard Defense Force (Indiana) , Veteran Reserve Corps and US Volunteer, Clergyman, Police and Fire Departmental chaplain Salvation Army volunteer bell ringer, American Legion, VFW, American Veterans, store clerk, school teacher, Civil Air patrol senior , CUSD 303 substitute, Member of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Memorial Squad.

Marital status/Immediate family: NO

What are your top three priorities for this district?

My priorities for this 13th county board district are to give it an economic recovery plan. 1.) Control County spending 2.) Enlist the cooperation of the various government agencies to give a full disclosure of public expenditure. 3.) Allow businesses to thrive without unnecessary and unwanted government regulation. 4.) Grant a 10% tax rate cut upon property taxes across every tax bracket for the next three years. That’s my plan for Kane County’s economic recovery. This will help achieve my top three priorities. 1.) Reduce the property tax 2.) Reduce the gas tax and 3.) Reduce the grocery tax. Instead of raising millions of $ in taxes I seek to reduce taxation and increase revenue, instead of raising $10 million in taxes I am for raising $10 million in revenue for the people and businesses of this County district.

Should the County Board regulate short-term rentals? If so, what regulations would you want to see?

I am for the least amount of regulation possible. Why regulate something someone will only rent and just for a little while anyway?

How would you like to see the former Fabyan Parkway jail site redeveloped? Should all or part of the property be sold?

Any land we have in surplus should be wisely used for the public enjoyment and leisure. We should only sell the property if we really don’t need it but then at a price we want and not the buyer. If we determine what we would like this former site to become it might give more jobs thus generate more income for our people and more revenue for our County.

Last year, the board was divided on a “We Stand Against Hate Week” proclamation. What is your view on it?

Let us stand united and unanimous as one people and one County. “We Stand United Against Hate Week”. This sounds well and good, but what is the real reason for this? Is it motivated by a hidden agenda or is it in the true interest of all the people? To hold a certain political position and respectfully profess it, is not hatred or hate speech. Every citizen and group has this right. In fact, real tolerance is putting up with an idea you disagree with for the benefit of your fellow citizen who holds to that view and true freedom is then to be afforded the selfsame right to speak your view. “United Against Hate”, okay but better still “United we stand”. For my part I believe in the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of ignorance.

The Kane County Board has limited federal immigration enforcement on county property. Do you support that move? Do you support the Illinois TRUST Act more broadly and what, if any, reforms to it would you like to see?

It is the responsibility of all County officials to respect and follow Federal law. I am for whatever must be done in cooperation with both Federal and County agencies to keep our people safe and to be at peace in their communities. I support any moves to protect life and property in our County. I would have to familiarize myself more on the TRUST Act before further comments.

The county board is expected to have another tight budget season this year. Looking ahead, if you must decide between raising the property tax levy or cutting programs, what would your choice be? What specific areas of spending would you prioritize cutting? How much further are you willing to dip into reserve funds to avoid program cuts? Do you support the diversion of RTA revenue from transportation to public safety?

I attended the first session of the County Board for this year and here is what I heard, The Board must be ready to govern, solve problems and serve everyone. One citizen urged the Board to bear down and do its job particularly do what needs to be done to reduce the County’s $31 million deficit. The people want budget cuts NOW! The unoccupied seats on the board need to be filled. Many feel the Board increases its power but does not do much with it. The Health department needs attention, Unions have too much of an influence. We need more revenue for the county, one citizen said, “Something is not always better than nothing.” The Board raised $10 million in taxes from property, gas and grocery. It’s a simple matter, when tax rates are up revenue is down, that’s an economy that works against us, when tax rates are down revenue is up and this is an economy that works for us and I am for this kind of an economy, and if elected to this 13th Board seat I will vote for an economy that works for us! The question before the board should be “What Permanent spending is reduced before permanent taxes are raised?”

The fact is tax rates are too high and revenue too low and the best way to raise revenue is to cut tax rates NOW not later. I would cut property taxes so we can have more revenue for county programs. We need to prioritize spending by spending only on what we need and cut spending on the items we don’t need. I don’t have an answer to every question here but this I do know as an economic truism which can be a good guide to our economic decisions, our true choice is not between tax reduction on the one hand and avoidance of large deficits on the other, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates does not produce enough revenues to balance the budget-just as it will not produce enough jobs or enough profits. as I’ve said the best way to raise revenues in the long term is to cut rates now. It might be interesting to note an Economist from the 14th century, Ibn Khaldoon noted “At the beginning of the dynasty taxation yields a large revenue from small assessments. At the end of the dynasty taxation yields a small revenue from large assessments.” I believe in large revenue from small assessments. I stand for lower taxes and higher revenue not higher taxes and lower revenue. I don’t believe in bigger government but in smaller government, which is better government. If you believe this, elect me to the Board and I will implement these kinds of economic policies, policies that work for us and NOT against us.

Along those lines, are you willing to consider other new revenue sources like asking voters again to approve a countywide safes tax increase or increasing the motor fuel tax?

The best way to raise new revenue is to cut tax rates. I will not ask voters to vote for the giveaway of their own money. I will not vote for any tax increases whatsoever and absolutely NO increase in the motor fuel tax.

One financial stressor is the end of COVID-19 relief dollars. What should the county do with programs funded by federal COVID-19 dollars?

This sounds like a government surplus, in this case when the government has money left over from a program the choice is simple- give the people their money back, give them a refund. The County should take a look at itself and see if it really needs those programs still to be in effect. If the program is done the money flow should stop. This is one way to decrease waste and fraud in government.

What is your stance on solar energy facilities or data centers on agricultural land? Does the risk of lawsuits factor into your stance? What about battery storage?

The sun my Earth Science teacher used to say is the spoon that stirs the universe. The sun can be a great source of energy for us. Solar energy facilities can help us store and study and develop alternative forms of energy. Agriculture is the science that feeds us, the more we know about it the better we’ll be and the less will be threat of starvation. There is the concern that solar engineering on farmlands could be dangerous. These concerns should be addressed by scientists and engineers and farmers. Battery storage is a matter of safe electrical engineering and expert handling. There will always be pros and cons to this issue, these two interests; solar and agriculture, they can both help us and with wise decisions never hurt us.