Will County Gazette

Friends of McPhillips Campaign Treasurer Steve Weber says he's hopeful Laurie McPhillips will bring much-needed political balance to Will County as the next elected clerk.

“Only two county-wide spots are held by conservative Republicans,” he told the Will County Gazette. “I work very well with Laurie and value her integrity and hard work ethic. Any lady that carries power tools in her rig and can use them is great in my book. She is hands on and dedicated. Sign me up.”

McPhillips is running to replace Will County Clerk Nancy Voots who is not seeking re-election. Voots was also at the kick-off fundraiser supporting McPhillips along with former Will County Clerk Jan Gould in October.

Laurie McPhillips

Weber says McPhillips proved how effective she can be in office when she was Will County’s Recorder of Deeds from 2004 to 2008.

“I followed through on all campaign promises and then some,” McPhillips said in a Facebook post. “[I] initiated the first web-search for public documents – allowing downloads so customers can access and save copies of documents from their homes or offices and not have to drive to downtown Joliet.”

She also converted 24 years of paper documents to electronic images tracing back to 1989, according to the post.

As Will County ROD, McPhillips also offered online access to records to other governmental agencies, and she opened a northern satellite office using available rent-free office space in the DuPage Township Supervisor Bill Mayer building, among other things, the post noted.

Weber said McPhillips did a great job as former Will County ROD and as a board member.

“She implemented a very successful Land Records Management system that worked great in my office, the current recorders system is horrible and our IT department has spent a ton of time fixing that overpriced mess,” Weber said. “Laurie’s ROD office ran very well and her time with the Executive office was filled with efficiencies and accomplishments as they outsourced lots of work and made things happen.”

McPhillips has over 20 years of experience as a small business owner in Real Estate – experience that can be used in a Will County Clerk position.  

“On the County Board her business experience helped her ask the right questions and her 12 years on the budget all played into great results,” Weber said. “I have seen a lot of board members contribute very little.”

McPhillips’ experience as a small business owner also allows her to better understand constituents and their frustrations on high property taxes in Illinois.

“I look for business owners like myself in leadership roles, the last thing we need is another politician,” Weber said. “Business owners know all about customer service and respecting folks. I like to reduce fees not raise them. She will make sound decisions that are in the best interest to taxpayers.”

Lockport Township Clerk Denise Mushro-Rumchak also is running for Will County Clerk as a Democrat and Weber says she is not much of a competition for McPhillips.

“Township experience does not translate to county,” Weber said. “Most times small county treasurer positions do nothing similar to my office.”

McPhillips ran for Will County Executive in the past, according to the Chicago Tribune, but this time around, she might have a much better chance at winning the County Clerk seat.

“Presidential cycle is crazy, you can have a great candidate lose due to the trickle down and all the college kids voting,” Weber said. “I am proof of that as Auditor.”

McPhillips hopes to maintain the same kind of fairness and integrity that Voots has should she become the next Will County Clerk. She also wants a transparent government that voters can trust with hopes of not raising any more taxes.