By Eric Timmons, etimmons@qconline.com

Name: Chad Bohonek

Party: Republican

Address: 1611 21st St., Rock Island

Age: 39

Education: Bachelor's degree, Augustana College (South Dakota)

Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales representative, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Previous elected office: None

Which approach to modernizing county offices do you support: Consolidation at the Quad CitiesIndustrial Center, new construction or some other plan?

My vote would be to update the current county offices because of the current financial condition the countyis experiencing.

Should the county hire a professional administrator to oversee day-to-day operations?

An experienced administrator would serve the county well at this time. We have issues to deal with thatelected officials are not handling appropriately.

Do you support reducing the size of the county board? Explain your reasoning.

Yes. The current proposal of creating three districts with five representatives in each district would serve thecounty more effectively and would reduce costs and improve efficiency.

What are your goals generally for the county, if you're elected?

Transparency in decisions made by the board, accountability to the citizens we represent and financial responsibility.



Name:Kim Callaway-Thompson

Party: Democrat

Address: 1317 14 1/2 St., Rock Island

Age: 46

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, St. Ambrose University;Master of Public Administration, Drake University

Occupation: Program coordinator

Previous elected office: None

Which approach to modernizing county offices do you support: Consolidation at the Quad CitiesIndustrial Center, new construction or some other plan?

I support modernizing the existing county offices. However, I believe there should be broaderdiscussion and deliberation. The county offices are located in the county board district I hopeto represent. Without question, a consolidation at the QCIC would negatively and detrimentallyimpact the most prominent gateway to our county seat as well as the entire Rock Islanddowntown area, and I would not be in support of that.

Should the county hire a professional administrator to oversee day-to-day operations?

The chairmanship of the county board is a full-time position. From my researchin grad school and from what I have discovered by talking to county board members, elected officials and department heads, the role of the chairman is similar to that of anadministrator. Therefore, hiring a professional administrator would be a duplication ofresponsibilities and wasteful. One of the things I'm passionate about is serving on the board to promote a more active role in community and economic development.

Do you support reducing the size of the county board?

No, I do not support reducing the size of the county board for two important reasons: 1) Areduced number of board members likely would mean disfranchisement of voters in certaincommunities resulting in unbalanced representation. 2) In comparing operating costs withneighboring and/or similar-size counties, Rock Island County taxpayers are, by far, receiving thebetter option per tax dollar.

What are your goals generally for the county, if you're elected?

Maximize resources (effective stewardship; transparency).Generate opportunities (support job training networks and union partnerships).Collaborate and communicate across all levels of the government (community and economicdevelopment).Develop youth and offer them greater opportunities to succeed (our future leaders andtaxpayers).