Full Name: Leslie Juby
What office are you seeking? Kane County Board Member District 11
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Geneva CUSD304 Board of Education 2007-2011; 2013-2021
City: Geneva
Occupation: Substitute Teacher
Education: BA Language and Literature
Campaign Website: Leslie for Kane County Board District 11 on FaceBook
Do you support decreasing local property taxes? If so, how would the county make up the difference?
Given the current economic climate, the revenue surplus, and the relatively small percentage of Kane County’s portion of the property tax bill, I support freezing local property taxes for another year. The county should allocate a portion of the surplus to invest in the Property Tax Freeze Protection Fund.
What local road and bridge projects should be a priority to get done in the county?
Top priority should be given to projects already in the pipeline and those that have been identified through analysis to be in need of upgrades, safety improvements, or repairs.
Do you think there is a local crime problem? If so, what needs to be done about it?
Overall, I think Kane County is a safe county. The 2021 Sheriff’s Annual Report shows countywide crime trending down 16% over the last three years. However, as people return to workplaces, schools, and social gatherings, we should expect an increase in reports of crime. The county should provide sufficient funding to law enforcement and social services to address upcoming needs.
How will you work to keep crime low in Kane County?
I support funding that will enable law enforcement to keep the community safe. I believe healthy communities have lower crime, so Kane County should invest in addressing the root causes of criminal behavior in order to divert individuals from the justice system and reduce recidivism. Behavioral health services, employment assistance, housing opportunities, addiction treatment, and food security programs help build healthy neighborhoods with reduced likelihood of certain crimes.
Do you support Kane County’s pre-arrest diversion program?
Editor’s note: This question has been updated from a previous version to correct that the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office created the program and the Kane County Sheriff’s office participates in it.
I believe in the importance of creating an environment where all residents can achieve their potential. The pre-arrest diversion program, launched in October 2021 and based on the successful Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program in Seattle, is integral to offering wrap-around support services to non- violent offenders who may be struggling with behavioral health issues, substance use disorders, poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. This collaboration between the Sheriff’s office and the Elgin Police Department utilizes a network of local providers to keep individuals out of the justice system and connect them with the help that they need to become self-sufficient. I am confident that Kane County will achieve similar success rates as Seattle, which will validate the program and demonstrate that we should expand it to include other police departments.
Do you support stronger county government ethics laws? What measures do you support?
Ethics laws need to be easy to understand, inclusive, and difficult to get around. Strong ethics laws and ordinances are important components in creating government transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct. At a minimum, the county ethics laws should build on the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and add applicable language from other county ordinances that add clarity and transparency. Governmental accountability and transparency should be the goal in any measures adopted.
What would you push for as a member of county government to boost local businesses?
I believe the county should identify and support strategic reinvestment opportunities, offer business stabilization and recovery grants, and award zero or low interest loans to qualifying businesses.
Why do you think the county has had some positions open for a while and a number of employees have left the county in recent times. Why do you think county employees are leaving?
I think the county is competing for employees who can make more money, have better benefits, enjoy a more positive work culture, and experience better job advancement in the private sector
How can the county seek to retain employees?
The county can offer more competitive pay, targeted professional development, job advancement, and create more positive work cultures. Policies and administrative procedures should be uniform and applied with fidelity. Human Resources should strive to fill vacancies quickly with qualified candidates to prevent burn out from employees taking on additional workloads due to low staffing levels. Departments should conduct exit interviews and internal reviews to pinpoint specific areas that need to be addressed in order to hire and keep quality employees.
Do you support adding either a 0.25% or 0.50% retail tax to non-essential purchases (excluding groceries and gas)? Why or why not?
I think it is premature to commit to support any type of tax increase without having the conversation about what the new dollars will support, when the tax will take effect, and whether or not the funds will be restricted or placed in the general fund. Prior discussions with the current board indicated that a .50% tax could raise more than $25,000 to support public safety, but the discussion to go to referendum was delayed until after the primary election.
If there were an increase in retail tax revenue, what would you use the additional funds for?
If the increase in retail tax revenue comes from more robust consumer spending than was budgeted, the county should use the surplus to address the looming threats of inflation, recession, and a rise in covid cases.
If the increase in retail tax revenue comes from a tax increase, I think it is important to have the conversation about where additional funds will be spent prior to the conversation about any tax increase.
Do you support a county gas tax hike? Why or why not?
It would be difficult for me to support a county wide gas tax hike at this particular time as higher gasoline prices have added another financial burden to the residents of Kane County. As world events change and economic conditions stabilize for county residents, the county should start a conversation about indexing the tax to match inflation. This will allow the county to keep up with the rising costs of projects that this tax supports.
If there were an increase in the county gas tax revenue, how would you propose using the new money?
I believe money raised from the gas tax revenue should first support infrastructure, as safe roads and bridges are critical for a healthy economy.
Do you support more warehouse and industrial development in Kane County? Why/why not?
Any type of development should be thoughtful and compatible with the 2040 Land Use Plan, keeping a balance between a growing economy, residential growth, green spaces, agricultural use, and limited water resources. Warehouse and industrial development may require costly upgrades in infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and telecommunication systems that would be difficult to recoup if the county gives tax incentives or property tax rebates. Before I could support this type of development, I would need to know if the revenue from the warehouse taxes would cover the infrastructure expenses or if the expenses would need to be absorbed by the taxpayer for an extended period of time.
How can municipalities best deal with the increase in semi-truck traffic?
Increased semi-truck traffic is a sign of a strong economy and functioning supply chain, but at the same time it generates more wear and tear on bridges and roads, adds to air and noise pollution, and creates safety concerns. Municipalities can enforce proper truck routes and weight limits, oversee safety procedures, synchronize traffic light patterns to encourage traffic flow, and support off peak delivery times. Additionally, municipalities can keep roads in good repair, improve walkability in their communities, expand public transit options and ride share programs to reduce automobile traffic, and discourage suburban sprawl through careful planning and zoning.
Should county & municipal officials be required to disclose to the public the identity of a business, such as Amazon, that seeks to locate in the county?
If taxpayers are funding any part of the venture, through property tax rebates, local tax incentives, unrealized sales tax revenue, infrastructure updates, public safety improvements, or emergency services, then officials should be required to disclose to the public the identity of the business. If it uses public money it is public business.
What are your thoughts on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?
I support government transparency and believe municipalities should comply without exploiting loopholes.
Please state your plan to maintain government transparency.
I believe there are several actions the county can take to increase transparency, such as updating the online dashboard to make it more user friendly with information that is organized for accessibility; develop a policy review schedule that encourages discussion about best practices and current legal compliance; and implement annual professional development for employees and elected officials that includes training on the Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, and the Ethics Act.
Should government employees and officials be allowed to sign non- disclosure agreements with private businesses?
It is difficult to answer without knowing what type of information is covered under the non- disclosure agreement as there may be a reasonable exception, but in general, I do not agree with governmental officials or employees entering into non-disclosure agreements with private businesses.
Would you push for or against government officials and employees being allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with private businesses?
While I recognize the importance of public- private partnerships in some instances, I do not believe it is in the best interest of transparency to support non-disclosure agreements between government officials and employees and private businesses.
How can the county best support municipalities that are seeking to promote restaurants, nightlife, tourism (St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia)?
The county can continue to provide support to local businesses and municipalities by ensuring efficient and safe public transportation, strong infrastructure with well-lit, well -maintained sidewalks, roads, and bridges, and policies that encourage walkability and tourism.
How long should the county support the Kane Vax Center in Batavia?
The county should support the Kane Vax Center as long as the center continues to meet the needs of the community, especially those members who utilize public transportation that is accessible along Randall Road.
The County Board used more of the revenue it received from the American Rescue Plan to fund mental health services than it gave to social safety net services such as homeless shelters and food pantries. How can the county make funding for nonprofits impacted by the pandemic more equitable?
To make funding more equitable, the county can set aside a larger portion of the American Rescue Plan money so that nonprofits that fulfill the grant requirements can be awarded the amounts they request.
Do you support giving a larger chunk of the $103 million in funding the county received to social services?
Yes. The purpose of the funding was to mitigate the fiscal impact of the pandemic. As social services took the brunt of added pandemic related costs, it follows that they should receive a larger percentage of funding.
Do you agree with the county paying the college tuition of a public employee? Please explain.
I do not support the county paying the entire college tuition of a public employee. I support professional development opportunities for employees that benefit them in their current positions and allow them opportunities for growth within the county.