To the Editor:
This Tuesday, we have the chance to elect one of our own trusted leaders with a proven track record to represent us in the Illinois State Senate. I have had the pleasure of working with Erica on the Madison County Board for four years and have always been impressed by her dedication, pragmatism and commitment.
Even as a busy mother of three and small business owner, Erica has one of the highest attendance records on the Madison County Board. She immerses herself deep in the issues to ensure that she understands the problems so she can best work through the solutions. Her collaborative nature and willingness to work with anyone who can offer insight or assistance will allow her to bring bipartisan legislation forward in the General Assembly.
Illinois has the second-highest property taxes in the nation and the Illinois General Assembly continues to fail to bring any meaningful reform for relief. However, here in Madison County, Erica helped lead a successful citizens’ initiative to allow the county to reduce property taxes in 2016. She continued her efforts when elected to the Madison County Board and in her first year, we successfully reduced property taxes without making cuts to services or safety. She has proven that she can reduce taxes here at home and will use her experience to introduce legislation to cap, freeze and outright reduce property taxes on the state level.
Erica’s constant commitment to opposing tax increases on the Madison County Board proves she can be the strong voice we need to bring tax relief at the Statehouse. She will be a watchdog for us looking out for new taxes and fees that continue to pile up and hold us down. Importantly, she will fight against amending our constitution to allow for a progressive income tax that would allow politicians to move tax brackets up and down any time they need to fill their coffers.
A strong supporter of public safety, Erica is always looking for new ways to support our law enforcement. Since being on the county board she has increased the Sheriff's budget by $3.8 million in addition to more than $13 million invested in the renovations to the county jail to improve safety for law enforcement and inmates.
Erica is by far the hardest working representative for the people of Madison County. We know who Erica is and what she’s capable of achieving for the people of Illinois. This Tuesday, November 8, I urge you to cast your vote to elect her to represent our community in the Illinois State Senate.
Chrissy Wiley, Madison County Board member, Bethalto