Ricky Gleason, candidate for Kendall County Judge, has unveiled a practical planning framework designed to guide Kendall County's growth while emphasizing property rights and transparency. The approach focuses on structured, ongoing collaboration as an alternative to reactive or top-down mandates. Gleason stated that planning should guide how resources and taxpayer dollars are prioritized, aiming for clarity, coordination, and decisions that respect property rights while protecting quality of life.
The framework 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 where citizens engage in shaping long-range water sustainability and growth patterns through input-driven, flexible guidance.
Gleason emphasized that good planning is not about controlling land or restricting actions but about structuring a process that protects property rights while ensuring responsible handling of growth, infrastructure, and public safety. Central to this approach is using planning to guide rather than dictate outcomes. By engaging landowners early during subdivision or project proposals, the county can collaborate on solutions instead of resorting to reactive measures like eminent domain. Gleason stressed that the county should not be in the business of taking land or dictating outcomes, noting that the best planning opportunities occur early through cooperation with property owners to avoid heavy-handed solutions later.
Gleason also highlighted the importance of local leadership before regional partnership, asserting that Kendall County must lead its own planning efforts before engaging regional or state partners. He warned that without a local plan, external entities might impose their own vision, and residents desire leadership that does the work locally first before partnering regionally to support that vision. This framework addresses rapid growth straining roads, water resources, and emergency services by replacing short-term fixes with a coordinated, long-term strategy. It aims to protect property rights, reduce regulatory overreach, involve citizens and experts in decision-making, align infrastructure spending with realistic growth projections, and safeguard water sustainability and rural character. For more information, visit https://www.rickygleason.com/.
