Incumbent candidate for DeKalb County Board Tim Bagby is offering voters experience and an independent voting record as a representative for NIU students.

“It is very rare that students get the opportunity to re-elect another student,” said the Republican candidate.

Many a candidate has claimed that they will look out for student interests, Bagby said. But, he said, looking out for students interests means staying informed, staying on top of the issues, and not only understanding the issues but speaking up on them.

“It takes a while to learn the ins and outs,” he said. Traditionally, student seats on the county board have been revolving door positions with members barely having time to gain the respect of senior board members in a two-year period, he said.

Bagby said looking out for student interests means being able to see the full picture. “I don’t think there is necessarily a division between permanent residents and students,” he said. “Students are affected by fiscal spending in DeKalb County too, whether they are aware of it or not.”

Bagby demonstrated both an independent voting stance and awareness of fiscal spending last year when he voted against a contract bid proposal to build a shopping mall by selling DeKalb farmland for $17,000 an acre.

In response to criticisms from opponents and other on that issue Bagby said, “I am not opposed to selling the county farm property, but I am opposed to selling the property at a dirt cheap price.”

Bagby said he thinks the county does need to sell the property, but needs to be careful how they do it. “The county should retain as much of the county farm as possible so that if the property does go up in value the county will reap the profit and not the developers,” he said

If re-elected, he plans to address safety concerns over the speed limit on Annie Glidden Road. Radar speed studies conducted two years ago after an NIU student was killed while crossing the road indicate that speed limits on Annie Glidden should be lowered to 35 mph.

Bagby, 26, is a graduate student and political science major. He currently is a residence hall adviser for Neptune Hall and has served on the DeKalb County Board for two years.