There are four competitive races for the Stephenson County Board and among them is District D, which entails the southern portion of Freeport, IL.
Incumbent Democrat Jim Hart is running against Republican Dale again in a rematch after facing each other in 2022, in which then incumbent Diddens lost to Hart.
Dale Diddens (R)
“With my background and my conservative values, I'll be a good fit,” Diddens said. “I think I was a good fit before.”
Public Safety
He is a retired machinist and like other Republican candidates for the board say public safety is a key issue for the county.
“Supporting law enforcement is very important,” he said.
Diddens adds the SAFE-T Act, that ushered in no cash bail, has caused budgetary issues for the county.
“The SAFE-T Act, with the losing revenue through cash bail, was going to be a problem for our tax revenue,” he said. “So, we just need to make sure that our sheriff has what he needs.”
Taxes
He said another issue facing the county is taxes.
“We need to somehow try and bring them down,” he said.
Immigration
Diddens said illegal immigration is a problem in the county and he supports a so-called non-sanctuary resolution the county board passed in April.
“We want to send a message out to potential illegal immigrants that want to come with Stephenson County that they're we're not welcoming them,” he said. “We have no problem with legal immigration. I want to make sure that is, that is really projected.”
The non-sanctuary resolution came in reaction to headlines of asylum seekers bused to Chicago from Texas. It called for a repeal of the Trust Act, which has been in place since 2017. Also, it equated immigrants with crime, though studies find no correlation.
News media drew attention to asylum seekers from Latin America, who arrived in the state as directed by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, for what critics say was a political stunt. Many newcomers to Ilinois though also arrive from Ukraine as parolees.
Diddens said the school system has been harmed by the new influx.
“Between 200 and 300 school age children have been dumped into our school system,” he said.
The Freeport School district’s total student enrollment is up five percent, bucking several years of decline.
Education advocates called for additional funding to support new arrivals children in school, but legislators didn’t approve it, according to Chalkbeat.
When asked if immigration has affected the county, besides the enrollment in schools, he said, “Not that I'm aware of, not that I'm aware of.”
Jim Hart, Democrat (Incumbent)
Jim Hart said District D’s population is much older and it’s where many long-term care facilities are located, including the county’s publicly funded nursing home, Walnut Acres.
‘What really motivated me to run." he said, "was just seeing how things were not being properly managed here."
Stephenson County Nursing Center, Walnut Acres
Saving Walnut Acres is a key issue for him, as is for other Democrats running for the board. Hart said the home is an important resource for the community.
“It’s one of the few places locally that has that distinction of being able to accept veterans, and that's another segment of our population that needs it,” he said. Hart said the home serves seniors “that have fewer financial means that end up on Medicaid or start out on Medicaid.”
The home faced financial challenges due to COVID, and management issues. The county hired a consulting firm, which has helped run the nearly 200-year-old home.
And since then, he said, “The financial picture has improved significantly.”
Other publicly owned nursing homes in the area have found their footing. After a failed attempt to sell DeKalb County Nursing Center, it recently celebrated the opening of a new wing. Winnebago County’s River Bluff receives more funding, after a referendum for a tax increase to support the home passed.
Fiscal responsibility, good government
Hart’s background is in corporate risk management and commercial insurance. Thus, he said fiscal responsibility and management is important for him.
“We need to be properly managing our risks and our expenses,' he said, "and that has not been happening, and that goes back to the transparency, the accountability and the honesty and just good government.”
Hart said he’s voted against any tax increases, and he cares about economic development.
“We need middle class, decent jobs for our young people and for everybody here," Hart said, "and economic development ties in with crime reduction."
Early voting is underway. Election day is November 5th.
