Just because government collects your hard-earned money doesn’t make it the government’s money. It’s still your money and it must be protected.

 

As a CPA, I was trained to protect finances and have spent my career safeguarding finances. I will bring that same professional expertise into the Treasurer’s Office to ensure taxpayer dollars are protected, invested wisely, and never wasted.

 

I saw firsthand what happens without proper oversight when the Will County Veterans’ Assistance Commission (VAC) was failing the very heroes it was supposed to serve. Spending was out of control, there was no accountability on where tax dollars were going, and the veterans were being left behind. 

 

So I stepped up to fix a broken system. I went on a crusade to clean up the VAC and demonstrate to the public the fiscal abuse happening within our county government and show that we can right the ship without sacrificing the quality of service the county provides.

 

We went from being one of the worst-rated VACs in the state to one of the best-performing. We expanded services to veterans without increasing the budget by a single penny. And we even opened a new veterans building without adding any new costs for taxpayers, in fact, we saved the county millions of dollars.

 

This experience wasn’t just about fixing a broken agency, it was about proving what’s possible with the right leadership.

 

As Treasurer, I will ensure safeguards are in place to prevent fraud and mismanagement of funds. And I will ensure the county is making investments with our money instead of it just sitting idle in a bank account. For example, DuPage County made over $6 million by investing money they received from the CARES Act, but here in Will County, we made $0 and spent what came in.

 

We need multiple people reviewing budgets and signing off on spending so there are checks and balances when it comes to spending taxpayer money. And we need leadership setting the tone at the top holding everyone to a high standard.

 

To be entrusted with the taxpayers’ money is a massive responsibility. As your Will County Treasurer, I will ensure the county takes that responsibility as seriously as they should.