When Public Money Is on the Table, Whose Side Are We On?

Recently, I completed a questionnaire from unions representing workers in our area, as part of their endorsement process for County Board candidates in District 9. One of the questions asked whether I would support requiring prevailing wage on all projects that receive public support, such as sales tax rebates. My answer was simple: yes. I want to explain why that question matters to people in McHenry County and across District 9—as taxpayers, as workers, and as residents who care about how we grow our local economy.

What Are We Paying For?

Local governments at every level—villages, cities, and the county—use tools like sales tax rebates and other incentives to encourage redevelopment and business investment. In plain terms, that means public bodies sometimes agree to give up a portion of future tax revenue to help make a project happen.

Prevailing wage is the idea that when public money helps pay for construction or major renovation, the workers doing that job should be paid a locally standard, fair wage with appropriate benefits. If we are going to put public dollars on the table, I believe we should insist those dollars support:

• Fair, family‑sustaining wages

• Safe job sites

• Responsible contractors

That’s how “economic development” becomes more than a slogan. It becomes a way to strengthen our local middle class instead of just subsidizing private profit.

Why This Is Coming Up Now

Across McHenry County—including in the City of McHenry—we’ve seen how sales tax rebates and other incentives can be used to support private projects, like restaurant and redevelopment deals. When people hear about a substantial incentive going to a well‑known business, they naturally have questions:

• Are we getting good jobs in return?

• Are the terms of the deal fair and transparent?

• Are the rules the same for everyone?

I’m not interested in attacking any individual business owner. I respect anyone who takes the risk of starting and growing a business. My concern is not personalities; it’s rules and trust. Residents in Huntley, Marengo, Lake in the Hills, and Union, and every part of District 9 should feel confident that when public money is used, the community is getting a fair deal and decisions are being made with the broader public in mind.

Public Money, Public Good

Here’s the standard I support:

If a project receives public support—whether that’s a sales tax rebate, tax abatement, or other incentive from a city, village, or the county—it should:

• Pay prevailing wage to its laborers, workers, and mechanics.

• Meet strong safety standards on job sites.

• Use responsible contractors with a track record of following the law.

• Clearly explain the public benefit: jobs, revitalization, or other measurable gains.

Economic development should not be about who has the best connections. It should be about which projects deliver the most value to our communities and to working families.

Keeping County Decisions Focused on the Public

Because my opponent owns multiple restaurants in different parts of McHenry County, including one that recently received a city sales‑tax rebate, many residents are understandably paying closer attention to how public incentives are used and who benefits from them. For me, this is not about questioning anyone’s character. It’s about making sure County Board decisions are easy for people to trust.

I’m self‑employed, but I am not seeking special tax‑rebate deals or incentives from McHenry County. That makes my role, and your judgment, much simpler. When I’m at the table on the County Board, my only “client” is the public.

If a matter ever came before the Board that directly affected me personally, my standard is clear: I would be upfront about it and step back from the decision. And I support clear, common‑sense expectations that all officials be transparent when their personal business interests intersect with government actions, whether those actions happen at the city, village, or county level.

What I’ll Do on the County Board

If you elect me to represent District 9, here’s what you can expect on these issues:

• I will support prevailing‑wage expectations on projects that receive public support.

• I will push for transparent, consistent rules around county incentives, so residents can see what we’re giving and what we’re getting.

• I will support clear guidelines to keep county decisions focused on the public interest, not shaped by private deals.

• On every incentive proposal that comes before the County Board, I will ask a simple question: Does this truly serve working families, taxpayers, and our communities in District 9 and across McHenry County?

Why I’m the Right Candidate for This Moment

You shouldn’t have to track every incentive deal in every municipality to know whether your County Board member is on your side. You should be able to look at who is sitting at that table and know they are there to serve you—not special deals, not the best‑connected insider, and not whoever can secure the biggest rebate.

When public money is on the table, I will stand on three principles:

• Good jobs

• Clean, transparent government

• A fair shake for working families

That is the perspective I will bring to decisions about tax rebates, incentives, and economic development at the county level. If that’s the kind of leadership you want representing District 9 on the McHenry County Board, I’d be honored to earn your vote.