Incumbent Winnebago County Treasurer in battle with county board member to retain seat
Sue Goral has headed the Winnebago County Treasurer's Office for 22 years. She would like to continue to do so for four more years.
But first, she'll have to defeat Republican challenger Steve Schultz in the Nov. 8 election.
Goral, a Democrat, defeated Alan Palmer in 2000 to fill the unexpired term of Doug Aurand. She ran unopposed in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Her office came under scrutiny this year when it was learned that she was a victim of an email scam that cost the county more than $70,000.
Schultz, a Republican member of the county board, is a certified public accountant recently retired from a 32-year career managing the finances of Converge Cornerstone Fund, a national organization that represents 1,500 churches across the country.
As treasurer, Schultz said he will modernize the treasurer’s office, improve fiscal responsibility and increase returns on county funds.
Questionnaires were sent to both candidates to learn more about them and what issues they see in the Treasurer's Office and how they would address them. Here are their responses:
Name: Susan J. Goral
Age: 76
Family: Married, two adult children, three grandchildren
Residence: Rockford
Education: Graduate of Muldoon High School
Profession: Winnebago County Treasurer
Memberships and associations: Illinois County Treasurers Association, Government Financial Officers Association
Political experience: I have worked in the treasurer's office for 45 years, 22 years as treasurer
Endorsements: No response.
What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?
One of the duties of treasurer is investing county funds. In previous years, the county did not have funds to invest long term and interest rates were very low. The county is now receiving more funds and as interest rates are going up, we are able to ladder out their investments and earn more money for the county.
Taxes are high in Winnebago County, but the county treasurer does not have the authority to raise or lower taxes. That is the responsibility of the taxing districts. What the county treasurer's office can provide is the best customer service to all citizens of Winnebago County. My priority is being available to taxpayers who walk into the office directly, by phone and email. We explain and educate the taxpayer in understanding their tax bill. I am always searching for better ways to serve the taxpayers while still maintaining the highest integrity of the office.
The treasurer's office was deceived in an email scam one year ago, which was reported then turned over to the FBI. Because of this, we are constantly vigilant of all emails received to prevent this from happening again.
Name: Steve Schultz
Age: 56
Family: eight children, seven grandchildren
Residence: Roscoe
Education: bachelor's degree in business (accounting/finance), Bethel University, passed CPA exam November, 1988, MBA, Northern Illinois University
Profession: Retired after 32 years as CEO of a $300 million church loan fund and $240 million church retirement plan.
Memberships and associations: Church Alliance Steering Committee (2019-21); Denomination Loan Fund Administrators (DILA) (1990-2021), Planning Committee Chairman; Church Benefits Association (1990-2021); Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) charter member contact
Political experience: 2008-present, Winnebago County Board member (finance committee vice chairman, zoning committee member).
Endorsements: Congressman Darin LaHood; State Reps. Joe Sosnowski and Andrew Chesney; Sen. Dave Syverson; former Congressman Don Manzullo; Bryan Davis, Manzullo's former deputy chief of staff; Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli; Republican Board Caucus Leader Paul Arena; Board members Jean Crosby, Burt Gerl, David Kelley, Brad Lindmark, Fred Wescott, Keith McDonald, Aaron Booker, John Butitta, Kevin McCarthy, John F Sweeney and former board members Jas Bilich, Faye Lyon, Ted Biondo, and David Boomer; Sheriff Gary Caruana, former State Rep. Tim Simms, Winnebago County Republican Central Committee Chairman Paul Hofmann, former Winnebago County GOP chairman Jan Klaas, Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury, Machesney Park Village President Steve Johnson, South Beloit Mayor Ted Rehl, Rockford Aldermen Kevin Frost, Chad Tuneberg, Tim Durkee, and Frank Beach, and Harlem Township Supervisor Gary Jury.
What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?
The treasurer’s office is earning very poor investment returns on county funds. Current investment income of $75,000/year should be at least $4,000,000/year on the $100 million of investable county funds. I’ll invest in a variety of treasury bills (a 1-year treasury bill is yielding 4.24% today). This additional income will allow for lower taxes, providing an alternative source to cover county expenses.
Restore confidence in the treasurer’s office. The successful email phishing scheme that caused the loss of $76,000 of county funds undermined taxpayer confidence in the office. If elected, I will ensure that we will set up and implement steps to safeguard county funds against fraudulent activities.
Bring best practices from other counties to improve taxpayer experiences with the Treasurer’s office. Examples include improving the ease of use of the website for real estate tax payments and improving relationships with other county departments and leaders to build collaborative partnerships improving operations of the whole county.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: 22-year incumbent faces challenge in Winnebago County Treasurer race
