Jim with Sheriff John Zaruba, and States Attorney Joe Birkett

I am honored to have the support of many of our State, County and Local leaders who I have worked with while serving on the DuPage County Board. There support is important for our area and communities, together we all work as a team to make sure our interests are met.

“Jim is a tireless advocate for all the residents of the Sixth District. His attention and sensitivity to the concerns of the residents is an invaluable asset on the County Board and we are fortunate to have him as our representative.”
- Mike Kwasman, Mayor City of West Chicago

State:

• John Millner, State Senator

• Randy Hultgren, State Senator

• Randy Ramey, State Representative

• Mike Fortner, State Representative

DuPage County:

• Joe Birkett, States Attorney

• John Zaruba, Sheriff

• Robert Schillerstrom, County Board Chairman

• Peter Siekmann, Coroner

• Fred Bucholz, Recorder of Deeds

• Gwen Henry, Treasurer

• Gary King, County Clerk

• Jim Rasins, Auditer

• Dewey Pierotti, President, Forest Preserve

• Chris Kachiroubas, Circuit Court Clerk

• Darlene Ruscitti, Regional Superintendent of Schools

Municipal:

• Mike Kwasman, Mayor, West Chicago

• Frank Saverino, Mayor, Carol Stream

• Dave Brummel, Mayor, Warrenville

• Rudy Czech, Mayor, Winfield

• Bob Iden, President, Bloomingdale

• Gayle Smolinski, Mayor, Roselle

I am also honored to havet the support of many more local and township officials, which we have not listed.

Home Rule, County Budget Big Issues for Zay
By Jeff Borgardt, Correspondent
Carol Stream Press | Wed Aug 29, 2007, 09:39 AM CDT
Story taken from [ this ] article on [ chicagosuburbannews.com ]

Photo by Steve Bittinger

Carol Stream, IL- DuPage County Board member Jim Zay of Carol Stream made his intentions to seek a third term on the board official last week. He will be the only incumbent member of the board from his district running in next year’s election, as Pamela Rion of Bloomingdale is not seeking another term. Zay recently discussed his reasons for running again, as well as his thoughts on the county budget, the possibility of home rule for DuPage County, and other issues:

Q: Why are you running for re-election?
A: I've served for eight years. I enjoy the unique challenges we have and I've been dedicated to it. I still have that dedication toward serving the people. I've always stood up for our district and we need good representation.

Q: What do you think about the county budget?
A: Since (Sept. 11, 2001) we've seen a considerable reduction in our revenue, particularly the sales tax. In the past, before that, we were increasing anywhere from 7 to 10 percent. Now, the sales tax has basically flattened out to 2 percent per year. So we're having problems there. The county has done a lot of things in the past and we always need to look at funding for law enforcement and the courts. We need to make sure they are getting all the money they need. The other programs we've instituted over the years we may need to cut back or eliminate.

Q: What are your thoughts on home rule for DuPage County?
A: I was against it at first, but now I'm more in favor of it. It's an issue of local determination. We have legislators from Southern Illinois and the city of Chicago determining what is best for DuPage County. Even if the local people in DuPage County support something, we still lose out because the legislators from Chicago are determining what is best for our population. I don't think that's right.

Q: As the chairman of the stormwater committee, what was your reaction to the recent storms?
A: Obviously with all the rain, it was a concern of ours. When you look around us, a lot of these places got hit worse than us. I've been working to make stormwater a priority here. Back in 1987 there was a huge flood and we have always been focused on flooding. With this storm, the reservoirs did their job and we didn't have any major problems. I think that's a testament to the work we've done with all the municipalities. We only had minor flooding in some areas. Nothing like you see in the city or elsewhere.

Q: What do you think about the District 6 race?
A: Obviously with Pam (Rion) retiring we knew people would be running for that spot. I've been there eight years and I think I've worked hard for the district. We're going to run a full campaign. Hopefully, we'll come out on top.

Q: What do you think about the competition so far?
A: I've know (Carol Stream Trustee) Pam (Fenner) for years. I'm a Carol Stream resident. I worked for her when she was running for state representative (last year in the 55th District). I really don't know (Milton Township Trustee) Bob (Larson of Wheaton) that well. Anyone is entitled to run for office. You put your name on the ballot and work hard so people know what you've done and what you stand for.

Q: Can you elaborate on what you do for a living and how those skills help you on the County Board?
A: I work for a family company as purchasing manager; it's a manufacturing company. We've got 30 employees. I do accounting, payroll, accounts receivable and pay all the bills so I know what is happening. Gas bills, electric bills — they are all going up . Plus there is ComEd, Nicor, gasoline and health care. It all adds up fast. When you're in business, you know how to cut costs and mange money. A couple of years ago, I realized the county wasn't bidding out for insurance. I suggested we do and we saved a lot of money. There are a lot of lawyers on the board but I think it helps to have business people too.