|
|
Stacey Hawkins
Stacey Hawkins is running for a second term as the District 2, Cook County Commissioner. Her opponent in the race, David Berglund, announced last week that he is withdrawing from the race and supporting Hawkins. The News-Herald reached out to Stacey to ask a few questions. Below are her answers.
Q-Why are you interested in serving as a Cook County Commissioner?
A-I would like to continue to serve as Cook County Commissioner to fulfill my original commitment to a 4-year term on the board. I believe I bring another perspective when evaluating proposals that come before the board. I like to research issues and talk to people that I may not always agree with, so that I can be sure that I am considering multiple viewpoints when casting my votes.
Q-The county is currently conducting a comparable wage study with other counties. Presumably wages will go up for county workers. Many of the same jobs or similar jobs are done by private firms who pay less and have less benefits. How does the private sector compete with the county for workers?
A-We must pay employees fairly. Every enterprise with employees needs to periodically look at their wage scales and be sure that the wage packages are competitive and fair. The housing crisis in Cook County has added to the difficulties of filling and retaining people in needed positions in our schools, hospital, county, and private business. The wage study is one part of the puzzle in determining equitable wages for county employees. Benefit packages are also a labor cost that need to be factored in when evaluating if we are paying fairly. When I was hired for a position in the Auditor’s office, my hourly wage was the same as where I was previously working in the private industry, but the benefits of health insurance and paid time off were factors that played a factor in my decision to leave employment in the private sector.
Q- Cook County Public Health and Human Services needs more space for its staff. Would you vote to build the PHHS a new building, add onto the current courthouse, or seek to have some employees work from home as they have done during the COVID-19 pandemic? The county owns quite a few properties and buildings it can’t properly maintain due to lack of staff and finances. Would you be in favor of selling or donating some of these to townships or individuals?
A-The county has begun the work of updating our capital improvement plan. Deferred maintenance and value engineering on some projects have added to future expenses that will be required to adequately maintain our buildings in the future. The CIP will help us place priority on our needs and help us determine where our dollars should be focused first.
We know we have buildings that are not being used in the most efficient way. Besides maintenance needs, the plan will also help us determine our space needs and help us evaluate the effectiveness of our current configuration.
We don’t know yet what the recommendations will be. Perhaps reconfiguration of existing space will help. Maybe we will need to move some offices to other buildings. Perhaps we will need to sell some properties. We do not know yet what the best solution will be and I will not speculate on how to best address the issue until we have more information and provide an opportunity for the public to review the proposal.
Q- Should Cook County place a limit on Airbnb’s? A lack of affordable housing is a big issue for the county. What can the county do to help solve that? Or should this be left up to the private sector?
A-Our newly formed HRA is working to address the diverse housing needs that are also contributing to the difficulties many are facing in recruiting candidates for open positions. There are many challenges in creating new housing, but the HRA board is committed to being creative and working to tackle this issue from many angles.
The limitation of available contractors, limited available land, costs of construction, building requirements, are just some of the factors that have had an impact on what the private sector alone can do to provide for attainable housing in our community. That is why the county and the state are looking at ways to help address the issue. We will need to consider and evaluate various ways to support year-round housing development in ways that make sense for each project. It may be through zoning changes, tax abatements, short-term rental caps, financing help, or perhaps grants for water and sewer infrastructure. This is a state-wide issue and we should expect to be receiving support at the state level also.
Q-Given the time commitment and responsibility of the job, should county commissioners be paid more?
A-We hope that people run for office primarily because of their desire to serve their community. But if we desire a more diverse board that includes more people who are not retired, we will need to look at the pay structure to see how we are competing with the private sector. I also think all elected officials of the county should be treated the same. The other elected positions of Sheriff, Recorder, Auditor, and Attorney all receive cost of living increases at the same rate as negotiated by our unions. The job of a commissioner is considered part-time, but if we want to have a more diverse county board, it is not fair to only provide cost of living increases every 20 years.
Q-Why should someone vote for you?
A-I have been honored to serve the last two years as a Cook County Commissioner. I strive to ensure that I make decisions that are in the best interest of not just my district, but the entire county now and for future generations. I respectfully ask for your support.
Leave a Reply