DuPage County Board District 4 candidate Gary Fasules answered Shaw Local’s election questionnaire for the DuPage County Board primary election.
Voting ends for the primary election on the evening of June 28.
Full Name: Gary Fasules
What office are you seeking? County Board District #4
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Ten years of elected local public service- Trustee of Village of Glen Ellyn & Acting Village President and current member of DuPage Mayors and Managers Legislative Committee
Village Committees Trustee Liaison to Capital Improvements Commission, Police Pension Board, Board of Fire and Police Commission
Member Liquor Review Board
Past Member of Village of Glen Ellyn’s Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals
Past Community Activities
Member of various District 41 & District 87 committees.
Vice President of Marketing Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce
President Glen Ellyn Public Access Foundation
Current member of the League of Women Voters
City: Glen Ellyn
Occupation: Sales Consultant
Education: BS & MS University of Wyoming
What steps should DuPage County health and sheriff’s departments take to prevent opioid addiction and overdose?
I would encourage the sheriff to explore with the County Health Department the possibility of providing federally approved opioid treatment programs to inmates of the county jail.
What is your opinion of the county board’s actions and initiatives since Democrats assumed control of the board two years ago?
We need to put labels and rhetoric aside, and work as a nonpartisan group in the best interest of the all the residents of the county.
Do you support the merger of additional county offices/departments?
I would encourage the continuation of this practice, whenever it feasible financially and practical from a reporting responsibility aspect
The county sheriff has taken several initiatives to help reform inmates (tattoo removal services, gardening classes, job placement). What other initiatives would you like to see in an effort to reform inmates?
As stated in #1, I would support the continue efforts of the Sheriff to come up with unique and innovate ways to reform and rehabilitate inmates
DuPage County recently provided the DuPage Foundation $10.6 million for a grant program designed to support nonprofit organizations that address food and housing insecurity, mental health and substance use issues. Discuss the county’s role to further tackle these issues.
The county has a role to address all service that meet the needs for all its residents, not just a select few.
Assess the DuPage County Health Department’s actions to combat COVID-19.
The pandemic showed how unprepared all levels of government were in dealing with emergency health issues. I would encourage the Health Department to develop a futuristic policy and procedures for mobilizing quick and effective efforts to meet emergency health situations.
What changes, if any, need to be made related to the pandemic?
Get the municipalities more involved, what the county failed to understand that the municipality had the resources to act and mobilize on a much quicker base. They had the facilities and manpower, which the Health Department did not.
What actions can the DuPage County Board take to minimize the tax burden on residents while not sacrificing services?
Explore the possibility of implement more user fees to reduce the burden
How would you encourage economic and employment growth within DuPage County?
Tax incentive to futuristic growth companies who would relocate to the county and bring with them jobs.
Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?
We need to strive to make residents safe, by continuing to fund the County’s law enforcement agencies with staff, equipment and training.
What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?
The D & F on the Road Infrastructure plan
Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?
Off sets will need to be identified before this can happen, we need to always make certain that adequate funds are available to keep the services the county provides functioning at a effective and efficient manner
Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.
We always need to strive to improve government transparent to its constituents. We need to look at ways to engage the residents in a more timely and effective manner, be it more town hall meetings, moving the board meeting from the morning to evening so more residents can participate.