Election

Kari Galassi, DuPage County Board 2022 Primary Election Questionnaire

Election 2024
DuPage County Board candidate Kari Galassi

Full Name: Kari Galassi

What office are you seeking? DuPage County Board District 3

What offices, if any, have you previously held? I have not held a public office.

City: Hinsdale

Occupation: Former CPA, executive recruiter, managing director and currently a stay at home mom

Education: Bachelors of science in Accounting from Indiana University

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Campaign Website: www.karigalassi.com

What steps should DuPage County health and sheriff’s departments take to prevent opioid addiction and overdose?

Saving lives should be the highest priority for the Health Department, Sheriff’s Department, and the award winning HOPE Taskforce. Therefore, ensuring adequate supplies of Narcan (lifesaving overdose medication) for law enforcement is imperative. Additionally, expanding options for treatment should be a priority – specifically, the establishment of an intake center for those suffering from substance use and mental health issues. We also must prioritize and expand education for children in schools regarding drug use. Lastly, the Sheriff’s department and State’s Attorney should work with the County Board to oppose any effort to reduce sentencing for fentanyl possession.

What is your opinion of the county board’s actions and initiatives since Democrats assumed control of the board two years ago?

The DuPage County Board has achieved many great things in recent years. However, I am troubled by the extreme partisan approach that some members of the majority party have demonstrated since taking power. The issues before the County Board are not inherently partisan. I am running for office because I want to be a problem solver and unite the board. I will work with the Chairman and members of both parties to ensure we are delivering what is best for all residents of the county without a political agenda.

Do you support the merger of additional county offices/departments?

Yes, I support exploring mergers and identifying efficiencies to potentially save the taxpayers money. Beyond County appointed agencies, I also would look internally to the county’s general fund departments to identify areas where process improvements could save additional funds. Utilization of technology and leveraging attrition are two other avenues I would like to explore to reduce costs.

What are your overall thoughts of the sheriff’s department’s job performance?

I am extremely impressed with Sheriff Jim Mendrick’s job performance and fully support him. Sheriff Mendrick has worked closely with State’s Attorney Bob Berlin to address the rise in violent crime. He has implemented innovative programs that have helped reduce recidivism including a drug rehab program and the gang tattoo removal program. He is utilizing technology, such as license plate readers, to fight the crime surge. He was also able to keep COVID-19 out of the county jail until the omicron surge (one of the only jails in the state to accomplish this). Sheriff Mendrick is a great asset to our county.

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?

One of the best predictors of whether a criminal will commit future crimes is his or her employment status. Any additional job training programs within the jail system would be beneficial. I would like to see additional manufacturing training for inmates. I would also welcome collaboration with local employers and labor unions to further training offerings for 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.

I support the county’s partnership with the DuPage Foundation. The issues of food and housing insecurity and mental health and substance use are of real concern in our area and need to be addressed. Partnering with a not-for-profit like the DuPage Foundation offers many benefits. First, the Foundation is able to invest the funds provided to increase their value, and thus their positive impact on the community. Secondly, the Foundation will provide additional accountability ensuring the funds are spent in the most impactful manner to benefit the county residents. I believe partnering with the Foundation to address these important social needs is a much more beneficial and efficient way to address challenges versus creating new government programs.

Assess the DuPage County Health Department’s actions to combat COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, first responders and health care professionals have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID. I am so grateful for all their efforts. When the pandemic first broke out in our area, the mitigations were understandable as experts learned more about the virus. However, as we approached the end of the summer 2020, I believed our children needed to be in school. Test to stay should have been utilized sooner, quarantine times should have been reduced and social distancing requirements in a classroom should have relaxed. These three changes would have made it possible for students to avoid performance and achievement losses, which should have been a higher priority.

What changes, if any, need to be made related to the pandemic?

While restrictions have eased from the pandemic, our younger generation and vulnerable populations are still negatively impacted from the lockdowns. I would support the formation of committees partnering parents and superintendents to identify where learning gaps and mental struggles exist so they can be addressed. Identifying solutions to close achievement gaps and offer support for mental health and substance abuse is also necessary.

What actions can the DuPage County Board take to minimize the tax burden on residents while not sacrificing services?

One action would be evaluating current processes to identify where efficiencies or technological advances could result in cost savings. Additionally, growing the current tax base and maintaining a balanced budget and low tax level is critical. This can be achieved by recruiting additional business to relocate to DuPage. Finally, by maintaining strong educational systems and public safety, DuPage County can attract new families to reside here, which would increase the property tax base.

How would you encourage economic and employment growth within DuPage County?

Through Choose DuPage, I would fight to increase the DuPage County brand. There will be continued opportunity to attract new businesses to DuPage from Cook County to escape high taxes and violent crime. We must also explore ways to make public transportation for commuters from the city easier.

Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?

Unfortunately, DuPage has seen an increase in armed carjackings of 300% and unlawful use of a weapon of 100% in roughly the last three years, to site a few examples. This increase is stemming from “soft on crime” policies in Cook County. The county board has a responsibility to fully support Bob Berlin and his approach to fully prosecute violent criminals. Additionally, I would support a salary increase for the sheriff’s department so we can attract and retain a strong force of deputies to DuPage County. We need to continue to fully support Bob Berlin and Sheriff Mendrick’s offices by ensuring they both have the funding they need to attract great candidates and stay fully staffed.

What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?

Much of our traffic management infrastructure is nearly 40 years old. I would work with DuPage Department of Transportation staff to prioritize the revitalization of our traffic management systems, particularly on the 75th Street corridor in District 3. This project will help make commuting times more manageable and help our local economy.

Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?

Absolutely, I support decreasing property taxes. We have some of the highest property taxes in the country and we need to provide relief to our residents. I’d propose looking for ways to eliminate government waste rather than finding new ways to suck more money out of people’s pockets.

Do you support stronger county government ethics laws? What measures do you support?

Yes - our elected leaders should be held to the highest standard, especially when it comes to spending. Every dollar spent should go directly to serve our county and its residents— not toward benefitting politicians. I believe serving in government is about public service, not self- service. I would also lead by example in this case. I will not take the taxpayer subsidized health benefits and I will never vote for a pay increase for myself.

What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?

I will make sure staff responds to FOIA requests in a timely manner. Government operations should never be out of sight from the people being governed.

Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.

In 2011 DuPage implemented the ACT Initiative — Accountability, Consolidation and Transparency. It not only provides an open look into the operations of our county government, but it also streamlines communication between agencies and reduces duplication saving the taxpayers $100 million. I will continue to find ways to make government more transparent and save the taxpayers money. We need to empower our residents to participate as much as possible in the local government process.

What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?

Our small business community is so vital to our economic strength. As a member of the board, I will be proactive in supporting our businesses. I will look for ways to cut unnecessary regulations, needless fees and licensing, and piled-on taxes that hold our businesses back from flourishing and providing opportunity to all. We can also support businesses with grants and zero- interest loans (as needed) and create programs and partnerships for non-profits, minority-owned businesses, and other businesses that need access to resources to help them thrive.

Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non- disclosure agreements with private businesses?

In some cases, I understand employers may require employees to sign NDAs. I believe Board Members, especially those who sign NDAs, must make sure they comply with all ethics ordinances and requirements currently applying to public officials.

Would you push for or against government officials and employees being allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?

Against.