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Don Potoczny (DuPage County Treasurer, Illinois, candidate 2022)
Don Potoczny (Democratic Party) ran for election to DuPage County Treasurer in Illinois.[1]
Elections
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Don Potoczny completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Potoczny's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I served a distinguished career in the US Army, retiring as a full colonel nearly three years ago. I have been teaching at a public high school since I left active duty. I currently serve on the boards of several nonprofits dedicated to the Arts and our Veterans.
- The county treasurer must be someone we can trust. Decades of service in uniform have forged my character. Our government and our allies have trusted me to make prudent recommendations and decisions. These responsibilities often involved enormous amounts of money, our nation’s reputation, and, most importantly – the lives of our young people serving overseas. Throughout my life, I have chosen the hard right over the easy wrong – sometimes at great personal risk or cost. I can be counted on to serve selflessly and consistently.
- My primary goal is to build trust in the office. This treasurer’s office has earned a reputation for favoritism that undermines the public’s faith in our local government. Repairing this begins with a fundamental commitment to following published policies and laws. When hiring for the treasurer staff, I would focus on hiring high-performing professionals with potential rather than my political allies. I would follow all county policies for hiring and encourage developing a staff that reflects the growing diversity of our community. In addition to building teams, I have had tremendous success in developing organizations through identifying vital weaknesses in senior-level staff and making dramatic improvements.
- Public officials must do everything they can to provide effective services while keeping costs low. The county government uses a computer system to manage our property taxes which is obsolete. Over the past couple of years, the county treasurer has been trying to replace that system. In her budget, she lists this as her only strategic initiative. The county signed a contract for a new system at a cost of over $7 million, including over $892,000 for project management. This expenditure was necessary since the treasurer has no experience leading big projects. A project sponsor is vital to the success of any project. I have the experience and the training to get this project on track and deliver it on time and on budget.
- Providing efficient local government by replacing the treasurer's outdated computer system. - Restoring trust by applying policies and laws fairly. - Informing the public of tax exemptions for disabled, elderly, and veterans. - Educating consumers in partnership with local schools
That I helped restore faith in our institutions.
My parents met young, quit school, and had ten children between them. I saw my father struggle to pay his mortgage. As the first in my family to attend college, I know the struggles and I also saw the transformative power of education. Now I wonder how we can better serve those in our community who are the first in their family to buy a home; save for retirement; pay for a child's education; or start a business.
Reach Out, I'll Be There by The Four Tops
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
External links
[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2022.
