Name: Franklin F. Ramirez
Position for which you are a candidate: Elgin Township Supervisor
Why are you seeking this position?
I am seeking re-election as Elgin Township Supervisor because the good that we have started within the past four years needs to be continued. We created the Committee on Seniors in response to the senior referendum that was on the ballot in 2017 and we created the Committee on Youth to engage the youth of our township so that they will understand and appreciate that civic duty and leadership are cornerstones to being apart of a community. The Mental Health Board was created this past spring in response to the referendum which passed overwhelmingly this past spring.
Township government has been here since 1850 and few people really understand what its role is within our day-to-day lives. I wanted to change that and I continue to do so; I send out “new resident letters” twice a month welcoming people to the township and giving them an overview of what township does and how they can be apart of it – if they choose. I sit on the Boards of the Elgin Boys & Girls Club and the Kiwanis Club of Elgin in addition to being the 2nd Vice President of the League of Women Voters of the Elgin Area. I want to make sure that I am at the table representing our community and making sure that the decisions that are being made benefit all of us. I live stream township board meetings every month so you can stay involved fro the comfort of your own home – even though we do love seeing you come to the meetings.
What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?
I was elected in 2017 to my first term as Elgin Township Supervisor and in the past four years have gained so much knowledge of the position but of what we can do to improve township government for the residents. I currently sit on the board of the Township Supervisors of Illnois and travel the state to help improve township government and act as a mentor to other township officials.
Personally, I have been involved with local government for 25 years. Local government matters to us all. Township government is the closest thing to a real democracy because registered voters within the township are township electors and have a real say in what happens to township government. I am happy to talk about what I have learned over the past four years with anyone. Education is key to understanding the how’s and why’s. Because I believe education is important to local government, I co-host a podcast called: Frankly Speaking: Rich Conversations Around Politics; we do not talk about issues but how residents can become moved involved in their governments.
Lastly, I received my Masters from Judson University in Organizational Leadership and my undergrad degree is from Loyola University (Human Resource Management) – you can say I am a “people person.” I love what I do and love even more in sharing it with others.
What will be your highest priorities if elected?
Continue to reach out to residents and encourage them to get involved to the degree they want to be involved. I would also like to see township government as a partner in the community. We brought passport services the the township soon after I was elected because I want to serve the residents in ways that make their lives easier.
Building a strong mental health board that partners with our social service agencies to really tackle mental health struggles in our community.
Continue the work of our Committee on Seniors to make sure that they age in place gracefully. In my experience, the youth and elderly are always neglected when it comes to looking at the whole picture. Not with me. I want to make sure that their voices are heard loud and clear.
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