Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser, Republican, announced his campaign for re-election, saying he has plans to build on his track record of success.
“In the last five years, I led reform efforts that paid off in record gains for taxpayers,” Slusser stated. “We prioritize customer service and transparency while never compromising the integrity of the office with political gamesmanship. Each year, our office has come in under budget and returned money to the general fund.”
Slusser said his adjustments to the county’s investment portfolio resulted in Madison County being the top performer in the state, generating more than $10 million in additional interest than his predecessor (Kurt Prenzler), which in turn has helped the county government lower its property tax burden.
In his press announcement, Slusser said that when the Governor’s Covid-19 mitigations shut down businesses, he offered a property tax grace period, "giving struggling families and businesses extra time to make ends meet, helping families stay in their homes and businesses to stay afloat."
Slusser serves as an advisory board member for Riverbend Family Ministries, as a trustee on the Baptist Children’s Home & Family Services board, and as a volunteer at First Baptist Church in Bethalto, where he has been a member for the past 20 years.
Last year, Slusser was selected to serve as a trustee on the Illinois Metropolitan Investment Board, a local government investment pool that manages over $900 million in assets for local governments throughout the state.
Slusser says he has a long track record of conservative credentials, dating back to his election to the County Board in 2008. He states that during his four year term on the board, he voted against every tax increase and pay raise for elected officials.
In 2014, he states that he served as board president of the former Wood River Township Hospital, where he led efforts and assisted in writing legislation to return more than $8.5 million in refunds in the form of checks to the taxpayers of Wood River Township and dissolve the former taxing district.
Slusser has also served in various roles within the Madison County Republican Party.
He served as party treasurer from 2008-2012. In 2014, he was elected chairman of the county GOP, and oversaw recruitment, fundraising and strategy efforts that saw the Republicans go from super-minority to majority status on the County Board in 2016 for the first time in more than 80 years.
Slusser also states that he has been involved in efforts to protect Second Amendment rights and pro-life causes.
He is a member of the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Slusser and his family are supporters of Thrive MetroEast in Godfrey, The Restore Network, which provides support for foster care families, and Refuge, which provides trauma therapy or counseling for children ages 0-11 in Madison County.
“I don’t like to just talk about issues like fiscal responsibility in government, being pro-life and supporting our Second Amendment rights," he stated. "I’ve put my time, money and talents where my mouth is, and I’ve been an outspoken advocate on these issues.”
No Democrats have filed to run in the primary election set for June 28.
But Slusser will face challenger Doug Hulme, former Madison County Administrator, who says he is qualified to serve as Treasurer since he spent more than six years working as chief deputy Treasurer for former Treasurer and current Board Chairman Prenzler.
“I am a qualified, experienced, conservative Republican running for Madison County Treasurer,” Hulme stated in his release. “I worked side by side with Chairman Kurt Prenzler as County Administrator and his Chief Deputy Treasurer. I share in his conservative values of smaller government, better ethics and lower taxes.
"As the former Chief Deputy Treasurer under Kurt Prenzler I have the education and experience of operating the Madison County Treasurer’s Office for Prenzler and his resume includes a Master's in Business Administration and all Illinois CPA education requirements."
He claims that incumbent Slusser "has no financial, business, or accounting education at the college undergraduate or graduate level."
"His education is in law enforcement, where he was a SIUE campus cop for only two years and he has raised the county treasurer’s budget 22% in just over a year, from $714,000 to $873,000, to levels not seen since Fred Bathon was in office," Hulme stated.
“My record of running Madison County government and the Madison County Treasurer’s office is with a flat budget, making up for rising payroll costs by lowering other administrative expenses,” Hulme stated. “And unlike the current treasurer, I will not hire unqualified employees or relatives of Madison County public officials. When you are collecting and investing over $500 million a year, a management team of high school graduates isn’t going to cut it for me. We deserve better.”