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Name:  Tao “Tom” Martinez

Position for which you are a candidate:

Candidate for Kane County Coroner

  1. Why are you seeking this position?

I firmly believe I’m the best man for the Kane County Coroner position. I am the most well-rounded candidate and self achieving. I ran for Kane County Coroner in 2012 on a platform of ‘Integrity, Dignity, and Respect.’ Considering the current Coroner’s performance, this election will be no different. A Coroner must be truly committed to the belief that no parents should ever have to bury their children, I will implement multiple programs with the sole purpose of saving lives as oppose to embracing death. I take a lot of pride in the way I take care of grieving families. It takes a special kind of person to be the shoulder to lean on. I want to be that person for the families of Kane county.

  1. What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?

My vast business administrative experience separates me from any other candidate in the race. I’ve started businesses from zero and presided over budgets five times that of the current Coroner’s office. My entire career has been based on dealing with families who have lost loved ones. I bring the soft and compassionate heart that every person dealing with the Coroner’s office should always expect to be treated with, which is an essential skill for any Coroner’s office. As a Deputy Coroner, I have honed my investigative skills and developed a broader sense of law enforcement protocols (medicolegal death investigation and lead homicide training). All of these experiences have molded me into the best Kane County Coroner candidate. My skills have been tailored to serve this office and the citizens of Kane County deserve nothing less from their Coroner. I promise I will serve my constituents with integrity, dignity and respect.

I am educated and trained in the following areas:  International Business & Management, Lead Homicide Investigator, Medicolegal Death Investigation, Highway-Rail Grade Crossing

Investigation, Aquatic Deaths & Homicidal Drowning, Property & Evidence Management, Patterns of Injury & Evidence, Drug Overdose Deaths, Postmortem Toxicology, Mass Fatalities Incident Response & Management, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Child Fatalities, Asphyxia & Sex Crimes, Sudden Natural Deaths, Crime Scene Investigation, Blood Stain & Spatter Analysis, Infectious diseases

3:  What will your greatest challenge if elected?

1 ) As a business owner, I understand that we can’t spend more money than we take Businesses have to live within their means and so does the Coroner’s office. There is no excuse for the current Coroner’s office being over budget for three straight years. My administration will find the appropriate balance between mandated expenses and the taxpayer’s best interest.

2 ) I will streamline the standard operating procedures for autopsies, relying on Illinois Coroners’ State Statutes and investigative skills to determine, on a case by case basis, when it is appropriate to perform an autopsy. There is nothing worse than forcing a family to go through an unnecessary autopsy.

3 ) Since I am an advocate for saving lives rather than embracing death, my Coroner’s office will implement a ‘prevention over intervention’ motto. This initiative will be spearheaded through the work of volunteers who are experts in the fields of substance abuse, gang violence, and suicide prevention. These volunteers will reach out to the entire community and use their own experiences to save

Release for publication:      X    yes

I will attend the forum:    X    yes

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