Ricky Gleason, candidate for Kendall County Judge, has unveiled a practical planning framework organized into three time horizons aimed at guiding the county's growth while respecting property rights and ensuring transparency. The approach emphasizes structured, ongoing collaboration over reactive or top-down mandates, with Gleason stating that planning should guide how resources and taxpayer dollars are prioritized to achieve clarity, coordination, and decisions that protect quality of life.
Gleason's model organizes planning into three actionable phases. The first phase, covering zero to three years, focuses on operational fixes addressing immediate safety, mobility, and emergency response needs based on verified conditions while avoiding unnecessary regulation. The second phase, spanning three to ten years, involves capital alignment to sequence infrastructure investments, particularly where mobility and water intersect, to prevent costly taxpayer mistakes. The third phase, extending ten to twenty-five years, centers on scenario planning that engages citizens in shaping long-range water sustainability and growth patterns through input-driven, flexible guidance.
Central to Gleason's approach is using planning as a tool rather than a control mechanism. He emphasized that the county should not be in the business of taking land or dictating outcomes, advocating instead for early engagement with landowners during subdivision or project proposals to collaborate on solutions and avoid reactive measures like eminent domain. Gleason stressed that Kendall County must lead its own planning efforts before engaging regional or state partners, warning that if the county does not come to the table with its own plan, someone else will plan for it.
With rapid growth straining roads, water resources, and emergency services, Gleason's framework aims to replace short-term fixes with a coordinated, long-term strategy that protects property rights, reduces regulatory overreach, involves citizens and experts in decision-making, aligns infrastructure spending with realistic growth projections, and safeguards water sustainability and rural character. More information about Gleason's campaign and platform can be found at https://www.rickygleason.com/.
