McHenry Times

Algonquin Township Clerk Chuck Lutzow touts cutting expenditures and taxes as priorities in his run for township supervisor during the February Republican Primary.

"To make sure that we cut the (tax) levy,” Lutzow told the McHenry Times. “Cut expenditures and cut the levy is the number-one priority of the race."

Lutzow campaign ad | Contributed photo

According to his election material, he supports eliminating government waste and refusing pension benefits. But Lutzow said common sense tax reform, for most, "is all the concern that there is."

"We don't want to take away some needed services," he said. "We do general assistance, we have a senior bus, we're not going to take that away. We do a nice recycling program."

Lutzow said there are places to cut.

"There are going to be ways to cut expenditures," he said. "During my first three years as township clerk, I only spent 16 percent of my budget. That's pretty unheard of."

That's experience he can take into the supervisor's job, though he admits it won't be exactly the same.

"There's no way you can do 16 percent as supervisor, that's not fair," Lutzow said. "As township clerk, I'm the only employee."

However, he said that with his experience in reducing expenditures, he does see ways to cut expenditures as supervisor.

"We would definitely like to cut the levy by 10 percent," Lutzow said. "We also have a very large surplus that I would like to return to the taxpayers."

The 54-year-old Crystal Lake resident is president and CEO at CAL Financial Group Inc. and CAL Financial Inc. Lutzow earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University in Chicago, is chartered as a financial consultant from the American College and is a certified funds specialist from the Institute of Business & Finance.

He is Algonquin Township Precinct 5's Republican committeeman, a member of the Midwest Business Brokers Association, has volunteered and coached for Crystal Lake Wizards Wrestling and the Cary Defenders Soccer Club.

Lutzow is also a former alderman for Prospect Heights and a former Algonquin Township trustee.

In his successful bid for his current position as Algonquin Township clerk four years ago, he ran on a platform that included a three-point objective.

"One: Using taxpayer funds prudently and judiciously," Lutzow said in a Daily Herald candidate profile. "This is critical to lower the tax burden of township government, and the board plays a critical role in setting the annual budget. Two: Provide employment assistance to the over 7,500 unemployed in the township. This is essential for the overall economic health of those individual families and the Township as a whole. Three: Enhance intergovernmental cooperation. This is essential because if the township and municipalities provide redundant services, that is a waste of taxpayer money as well as other valuable resources."

Lutzow is running against 18-year Crystal Lake City Council Member Ellen Brady, a lifelong Algonquin resident and legal assistant and office manager at a Palatine family law firm, in the Republican Primary Election Feb. 28.

During his McHenry Times interview, Lutzow was very critical of Brady's past willingness to vote for tax increases, including her support of a large sales tax increase in 2008.

"She voted for that sales tax increase," Lutzow said. "Up 75 percent."

Lutzow said he advocated more creative ways to improve the economic outlook for the county and its residents.

"I would like to set up the township as a job incubator, which would cost the taxpayers zero dollars, where we would have classes on how to set up businesses and create jobs," he said.

Guest speakers could be brought in to teach those classes and township residents could learn how to set up businesses. That, in turn, would help the employment situation in the township and allow people to work where they live, Lutzow said.

"So that people don't have to drive to Schaumburg or downtown Chicago to make a living," he said.

Lutzow concluded by admitting folks don't generally find him a politics-as-usual type.

"I'm not a career politician," he said, saying that he's more of a "citizen executive" politician.