Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
With this unstable time in our Nation’s history, we need someone with experience in the position of Comptroller. I have been working alongside our current comptroller since she was elected to pull Illinois out of the $17B bill backlog that resulted in where we are today. I will use the Comptroller’s power to protect families and working men and women.
Create a dedicated Labor Division. Stemming from Kifowit’s unwavering support of Labor and recognizing the National anti-labor movement, she is proposing expanding the current Prevailing Wage Division into The Labor Division. This dedicated team will move beyond just checking a certified payroll for prevailing wage enforcement. They will conduct proactive, pre-payment audits of all Illinois labor laws, including state OSHA standards in a time of weakening National OSHA standards, to catch violations before taxpayer dollars go out the door. In addition, Kifowit will work with the General Assembly to codify the Comptroller’s Executive Order 19-01 into Illinois State Law. The Division will modernize the existing prevailing wage online database to make it more accountable and transparent, in addition to being more user friendly.
Create a Nonprofit & Community-Based Division. Throughout her years in the General Assembly, Representative Kifowit has worked with many non-profits who have struggled to receive the needed state funding they were allocated. The Nonprofit Community-Based Division will address the bureaucratic delays that threaten the stability of social services across Illinois. Dedicated staff will serve as a direct point of contact for nonprofits, helping them navigate payment issues, troubleshoot delays with state agencies, and ensure their funding moves through the system efficiently. The Division will also create and maintain a public-facing, user friendly online dashboard showing the status of grant payments owed to nonprofit organizations.
Modernization and Technological Upgrades: Upgrading to Smarter Systems for Accuracy and Accountability. Kifowit will continue the strategic modernization of the Comptroller’s office to increase efficiency, eliminate costly payroll errors, and ensure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for. This means investing in modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to streamline operations, implementing advanced data analytics to proactively detect anomalies and fraud, and creating user-friendly digital portals for vendors and local governments. However, technology should empower people, not replace them. Her approach is to be mindful that technological advancement does not come at the cost of jobs. She will sign an Executive Order that prohibits any initiative that uses AI or automation to eliminate positions. The goal is a more effective, error-free office that protects both public funds and public employees.
In addition, modernization will enable the Comptroller’s office to review fund balances, the effects of fund sweeps, and report out low balance funds that have payment delays associated with them, such as the CIP program, which has a bill backlog of over one year for retiree health insurance payments.
What skills or experience do you have that make you particularly suited to this position?
My unique experience is tailor made for the position of Comptroller. Paired with my military experience in the US Marine Corps and Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Government Finance minor, I have over 20 years of government financial experience, in addition to being a former registered financial advisor. I brought my almost decade of experience as an Alderman in the City of Aurora to my current position of State Representative to be one of the most effective lawmakers for my over 12 years of service. My extensive knowledge of the state budget as a ranking member of various budget committees, including the budget working group during the 2 ½ year Rauner budget impasse, continues today. I am the only candidate with experience leading Illinois out of the Rauner administration’s weaponization of the state budget against unions and vital nonprofit organizations who help our most vulnerable, which is so vital in today’s toxic, National agenda.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
I believe that our current comptroller has done an amazing job over the 10 years she has been in office to bring Illinois from a $17B bill backlog to paying bills on time and 10 credit upgrades. However, there is more that needs to be done. Currently the office is in phase 2 of the State Legacy Modernization Plan, which is a $53 Million dollar computer upgrade. I believe that the office is going in the right direction but more needs to be done. I have proposed my People First Initiative - which will expand the mission of the Comptroller to help working families and organizations that help our community. I credit the current Comptroller with expanding outreach and awareness of the office to all parts of the state and I will continue to do that and continue to be the watchdog for the taxpayers of Illinois.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
I believe the most pressing issue is the instability of the federal government. When SNAP benefits were withheld, Illinois was not at the ready. When the federal judge withdrew the freeze, six states were able to capture 100% of the SNAP benefits for their states, Illinois was not one of them and I intend to create a rapid response team within the office of the Comptroller to be able to be at the ready when federal funds become available.
Is there a major policy initiative or financial issue you will look to tackle in the next year?
Since I have been serving for over 12 years, I have worked side-by-side with our current Comptroller to pass legislation such as the Budget Stabilization Act. My legislative agenda includes codifying into law Executive Order 19-01 and working on legislation that would reimburse community organizations who have to go into debt waiting for state funding to be paid.
If you are elected, what would the end of a successful four-year term look like for you?
As I have worked side-by-side with the Current comptroller and seen the strides she has made with the office, I would continue that work. At the end of my first terms, we will have completed the multi-year State Legacy Systems Modernization program with new technology infrastructure and a user-friendly website and database search. In addition to the Labor division and Non-Profit & Community Division handling payment management systems will reduce the time between appropriation to organization. Currently, I have a youth advisory council as a State Representative that I will continue as Comptroller.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive?
As a current state representative, my office is always accessible and responsive to residents. In working closely with the Comptroller’s leadership staff for the past 10 years, I will continue to be as accessible and responsive as she is, and I plan to coordinate pop-up Comptroller Community outreach programs throughout the state of Illinois.