Politics & Government
Silosky Eying State Rep Run in New 98th
Redistricting lands Tom Cross in the new 97th district and creates an "open district" in northeast Plainfield Township.
Janet C. Silosky, committeeman in Plainfield Township's 28th precinct, is mulling a run for state representative in the newly redistricted 98th legislative district.
Silosky is a special education worker with Plainfield and Valley View school districts who lives in Lakewood Falls subdivision in northeastern Plainfield Township. Her "first step" has been to form an exploratory committee.
Redistrictng plans adopted by the General Assembly last month mean Silosky no longer lives in Rep. Tom Cross’ district, which is now the 97th, but in the new 98th. The new boundaries will take effect for the 2012 election.
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“It’s an open district,” she said. "It’s basically up for grabs.”
Silosky is an active member of the Plainfield Township Republican Organization and is the "poster woman" for www.conservativecommitteeman.com. Henry County Board member John Zahm, a political consultant who is a member of the Illinois and Henry County Tea Party, is spearheading her exploratory committee, Silosky said.
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But Silosky stops short of calling herself a Tea Partier.
"The concerns of many in the Tea Party are concerns I can share, but I am first and foremost a Republican," she said.
Creating a climate that will attract business and cutting red ink from the state budget will be two of her priorities if she runs, she said. She supports lowering the corporate tax rate, but is luke warm on expanding gambling.
“I’m concerned about what can happen. I'm concerned about what it will really do,” she said of the gambling expansion bill, now awaiting Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature.
"There is work to be done there,” when it come to cutting the state’s record number of nearly 7,000 taxing bodies, Silosky said. But she opposes slashing local school districts and townships.
“Control has to stay in the community, where officials have to stay in touch with
electors,” she said. “When they’re local, they’re accountable.”
Silosky, her husband Steve, and their four children have lived in Plainfield for 20 years and operate a small family business, Mesco Inc.
ARGOUDELIS WATCH: 216 days since Election Day 2010 and still no statement from Plainfield Township Supervisor John Argoudelis on whether he intends to be both township supervisor and a Will County Board member.
