Personal Information

Name: Cory Singer

Political Party: Republican

Office: Will County Executive

Campaign Contact: 815-717-8798 or cory@corysinger2012.com

Age: 40

Family: Married, has two sons (age 9 and 6)            

Education: Bachleor of Science, Northern Illinois University – 1994

Occupation: Business Development & Growth Planning Consultant. President: Singer & Associates. Member, Will County Board. President, Forest Preserve District of Will County

Previous elected or appointed offices: Elected to the Will County Board and Will County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners in 2002 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008.  Elected as President of the Will County Forest Preserve District in March, 2008 and re-elected in November, 2008 and November, 2010.  Served as Chairman of the Will County Board Public Works & Transportation Committee for three years and a member of the Executive Committee for approximately eight years.

Candidate Questionnaire 

Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?                  

Yes.  As a small business owner providing business growth and development consulting services, I have ten years of experience helping companies grow.  For a series of clients, I am responsible for developing growth strategies with specific goals and benchmarks and then ensuring the plans are executed and results are produced.

What would your priorities be if elected to this office?        

• Stop property tax increases.  The current County Executive, Mr. Walsh, has pushed for a property tax increase for seven years.  My budget will not include a property tax increase.
• Balance the County budget.  Mr. Walsh continually refuses to dedicate any funding to lower the County’s pension liabilities or institute goal oriented budgeting with annual savings established toward capital development.  I will align the County’s budget with our capital development goals.
• Grow Will County’s economy by sticking to the fundamentals.
• Invest in roads and infrastructure that support business and improve transportation time and safety for residents
• Double down on economic development investment. Currently, Will County invests .00037% of its annual budget toward economic development/job growth initiatives.
• Use my experiences as a professional committed to growing business opportunities and apply that to establishing a list of prospective organizations who may invest in Will County and  pursue them with enthusiasm.

What sets you apart from the other candidate?

Will County is facing an unemployment rate much higher than the national average, consistently leads in the number of home foreclosures and homeowners are struggling with high property tax bills.  In his seven years as County Executive, Mr. Walsh has never proposed an initiative to be part of a solution to solve these issues.  He does not participate in economic development initiatives.  I will.  I will diligently work to implement the goals listed above.

What do you believe is the most pressing issue facing your office for which you’re running, and how would you address it?

Economic development and property taxes.  While two issues, they go hand in hand.  An improved local economy will reduce the property tax burden across all homeowners and businesses, and our local government can help lead toward solutions.  I will:

• Invest in roads and infrastructure that support business and improve transportation time and safety for residents
• Double down on economic development investment. Currently, Will County invests .00037% of its annual budget toward economic development/job growth initiatives.
• Use my experiences as a professional committed to growing business opportunities and apply that to establishing a list of prospective organizations who may invest in Will County and  pursue them with enthusiasm.

In what ways can the county operate more efficiently and improve technologically?

Several County departments are too large, still staffed at levels to serve an economy that was booming with land development and construction pressures.  While the world has changed, our local government has not changed with it.  Meanwhile, a few departments are underserved and genuinely need more resources to accomplish their mission.  I will realign our resources to improve efficiency, assign annual achievement goals to each department and hold our groups accountable to results. 

The County Executive has talked for several years about improving online services for residents, but few of those goals have been reached.  Too often, the County finds itself incapable of reaching those goals because our budget did not reflect our goals and resources were not set aside to reach them.  I will change that.

In what ways would you promote fiscal responsibility in your department?

I will manage the County as I have managed the Forest Preserve District of Will County (FPDWC).  As President of the FPDWC, I focused on the District’s financial health, and I am happy to report we are on solid ground.  Expenses have been cut by 6% and continue to fall, property taxes have not been increased, our budget is truly balanced and the District’s reserve/savings account is nearly ½ of our annual budget.

Do you believe Cook County is encroaching on Will, and how would you make sure there isn't a negative influence in the way the county operates?                  

Yes.  Chicago politicians have increased sales taxes on Will County residents, and ½ of those funds are specifically earmarked toward the Chicago Transportation Authority’s pension system.  Chicago politicians re-drew the congressional maps impacting Will County, and as a result, nearly ½ of all Will County residents will be represented by Chicago based members of Congress, such as Bobby Rush, Dan Lipinski and Jesse Jackson Jr.

Worse yet, too many of our local officials including state representatives, senators and County Executive Walsh did nothing to oppose these policies.  Their commitment to political relationships and partisan politics was higher than their commitment to good policies for Will County.  As the County Executive, I will be a strong advocate for Will County opposing Chicago politicians and any members of my own party should they promote a policy that harms our community.

What can the county do to promote job growth and draw new business to Will County?                  

First, the County has to make job growth a priority.  As mentioned earlier, Will County dedicates .00037% of its annual budget toward funding economic development and/or job growth initiatives.  I believe more is spent on paper products for our restrooms than job growth goals.  This has to change dramatically.

I will reduce spending in over staffed departments and redirect those funds toward a focused, goal oriented economic development program accountable to producing results.

Should it be Will County or a special commission in charge of a proposed airport? Why, and how would that work?      

A board comprised of Will County residents should govern the “Third Airport” if it is constructed.  Should the State of Illinois ultimately build an airport in Will County, it must be governed by Will County residents committed to protecting our community.  Large infrastructure projects such as this can be strong economic drivers, but if not managed carefully, local taxpayers can be saddled with extraordinary bills to supplement its operation.

What ideas do you have for improving the county's infrastructure and transportation?                 

As Chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, I wrote and passed Will County’s “BUILD WILL” road improvement program.  It is a $350M infrastructure program that will address approximately 1/3 of our road improvement needs by 2020.  While it is a good start, I will dedicate future capital funding toward additional road improvements first. 

Is there anything else you would like to add that you believe is important in this campaign?

There are great opportunities for us in Will County.  From our workforce to infrastructure, we have significant advantages to grow our economy.  The County’s best days can be ahead of us.  However, we will not get there with the politics and policies of yesterday.  Changes must be addressed through all levels of government, and our local government can be part of that solution.  I am working hard to earn the opportunity to be part of the solution.