Rockford area coroner candidates want to bring trust, accountability back to office

Chris Green, Rockford Register Star
·5 min read

ROCKFORD — Jennifer Muraski and challenger Tony Gasparini say they will bring trust and transparency to the Winnebago County Coroner's Office.

Both said the public's faith in the office was rocked when previous coroner Bill Hintz pleaded guilty in July to felony charges of theft of government funds and misconduct.

More:Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz pleads guilty to theft, misconduct charges

Muraski, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, has 27 years of experience in the mortuary business. She was hired in March by Republican Sheriff Gary Caruana to head the coroner's office while Hintz's case played out in the court system. With the advice and consent of the Winnebago County Board, Muraski was appointed coroner in August by Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli.

Gasparini, a Democrat and former Rockford alderman, comes from a line of Rockford funeral directors that included his great-grandfather, grandfather and father. He joined the family business of Gasparini and Oliveri in 1992, left to work for Fitzgerald Funeral Home in 2009 and went to work for the Cremation Society of Illinois while also starting his own business, Tony Gasparini Funerals, in 2017.

In advance of the Nov. 8 election, both candidates were asked to respond to a questionnaire to help the public learn more about them. Here are their responses.

Name: Tony Gasparini

Age: 54

Family: Wife, Nicole; three adult children, Christian, Dominic and Michael

Residence: Rockford

Education: Boylan High School, Worsham College of Mortuary Science

Profession: Funeral director, business owner

Memberships and associations: My volunteer career began in high school, where I volunteered at Janet Wattles. I then went on to be an advocate for the Red Cross Homeless Shelter where I volunteered for over eight years and served on their board for three years. More recently, I served on the Shelter Care Ministries Board, Veterans Drop in Center Board, Wesley Willows Fund Development Board, Verdi Club, Venetian Club, and now serve as president of the Rockford Public Library Foundation Board, where we are raising funds for the new library.

Political experience: Former Rockford 2nd Ward alderman

Endorsements: All (local) democrats, building trades, union supported

What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?

  1. Public trust: My main goal as coroner is to reestablish trust in the office. I will accomplish this by leaning on my strong morals, my civic efficacy and being transparent with the public.

  2. Educating the public: Not only do I want there to be trust in this office, but I want people to understand what it is I do, and what we accomplish at the county coroner’s office.

  3. New faces in office: My unique experiences in politics, volunteering, and work have given me a distinctive skill set that will bring new perspectives and ideas to the office. I have had a generally successful career as a funeral director. My success in this career has come from my empathy and sympathy as I have had to help families traverse through their darkest moments. I will bring that same care, compassion and honesty to the county coroner position. On top of this, I have a strong business sense that lends me efficiency, hard work, and persistence. These traits will directly translate to this position. And finally, my political and volunteer experience has given me first-hand knowledge of what this community needs and deserves.

Name: Jennifer P. Muraski

Age: 47

Family: Husband, Bryon Muraski; daughters, Amber (Mike) Tomasino and Darby (Cole) Stradtmann; son, Isaac Muraski; grandchildren, Addison and Anthony Tomasino

Residence: Rockford

Education: 1993 Guilford High graduate, Rockford College, Rock Valley College, Worsham College of Mortuary Science

Profession: Winnebago County Coroner

Memberships and Associations: Winnebago County Casa Board of Directors, Winnebago County Health Department Board of Directors, Rockford Network of Professional Women, Former Business Networking International president and ambassador

Political experience: I have very little political experience other than attending events on occasion. This is my first run for office.

Endorsements: Winnebago County Board Chairman Joseph Chiarelli, Sheriff Gary Caruana, State’s Attorney J. Hanley, Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury, Cherry Valley Village President David Schroeder, Rockton Village President John Peterson, Durand Mayor Sheila Hoffman, State Sen. Dave Syverson, State Rep. Andrew Chesney, Boone County Board Chairman Karl Johnson, Boone County State’s Attorney Tricia Smith, Boone County Coroner Rebecca Wigget, DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller, Ogle County Coroner Lou Finch and Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood.

What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?

  1. Public trust: First and foremost, the Winnebago County Coroner’s office needs to regain the public’s trust after the resignation and prosecution of the previous coroner. The theft not only involved public funds, but those of victims and their families who were preyed upon in their weakest moment. In the months that I have been running the office and appointed coroner, my staff and I have endeavored to address this issue and I believe we have demonstrated that a new environment exists within the office.

  2. Transparency: Being transparent today is more important than ever for any government office, including the coroner's office. We are providing the people of Winnebago County and the media more information on cases that should be of concern to the public, such as the growing opioid crisis.

  3. Accountability: Two things missing from this office when I got here: accountability and oversight. I have already implemented procedures to ensure checks and balances on all spending and policies to streamline our services and put cost savings policies in place. The main issues have been addressed quickly and I am proud of my staff and their efforts at creating efficiencies and respecting the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstrar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago County Coroner Tony Gasparini Jennifer Muraski Bill Hintz