MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

To the Editor:

As the Republican challenger running for Madison County treasurer, people often tell me how they are struggling to pay high and ever-increasing property taxes. People are cutting out the extras and learning to live with less. They are also questioning how the government is spending its money.

It is my belief that a treasurer, as tax collector of property taxes, should be a good steward of taxpayers' money, and should be an example of efficiency and ethics.

As a CPA, I have reviewed the budgets of many county treasurers, and have determined that, by a large margin, the Madison County treasurer's office is the most expensive in Illinois, on a per capita basis. Madison County is two and a half times more expensive than McLean County and over three times more expensive than Winnebago and Champaign counties.

It's not that these counties have performed some magic trick. It's simply that the treasurers of these counties are running their departments better and much more efficiently than Madison County.

My pledge to the taxpayers is to cut the size and budget of the treasurer's office by 30 percent within 30 days of taking office.

These cuts could easily be made by asking a few political appointees and pals to find jobs in the private sector.

Other counties have proven this can be done. Conservative Mike Babcock, Wood River Township supervisor, has shown that significant cuts can be made to a bloated budget.

As a CPA, I pledge to bring ethical and cost-effective management to the Madison County treasurer's office, together with a respectful attitude toward employees and taxpayers.

Kurt Prenzler
Candidate for Madison County Treasurer