Meet the District 3 candidates: Jay Durstock

Roscoe Zoning Board chairman Jay Durstock is running against former Winnebago County trustee John M. Guevara in the June 28 Republican primary election for Winnebago County Board of Trustees District 3.

Durstock is holding a fundraising event on May 19, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Firehouse Pub, 16070 Main Street, Roscoe, IL 61073. $40 per person. Sponsorships available: $250, $500, $1000, and $2,500. Special guest: Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana. For more information, call 815-262-9135.

District 3 includes much of Roscoe. Instead of running for re-election to that seat, incumbent Steve Schultz decided to run for Winnebago County Treasurer against Sue Goral and Randy Johnson.

On the County map, District 3 is colored "thistle green" and includes the Rock River, Riverside Park, Hononegah Forest Preserve, and many Roscoe restaurants.

Durstock is a retired sales representative for Rockford Autoglass. He studied at Rock Valley College.

We asked each candidate to tell us why they should be elected as District 3 Trustee.

Jay Durstock

What are your qualifications for the Winnebago County Board of Trustees?

I’ve worked for over 20 years as the Village of Roscoe Zoning Board of Appeals chairman. Prior to this, I was appointed to the Rockford Zoning Board of Appeals, while living in Rockford. Through these experiences, I have been exposed to all branches of zoning issues for a midsized community. The Board has resolved, in a majority of the time, issues to the satisfaction of zoning applicants and has kept the integrity of the Roscoe community. The knowledge of local issues is paramount to representing District 3 in the best possible way.

Why are you running?

After working over 40 years in the glass industry, I have retired and feel I have more time to devote to the community. My Roscoe zoning position has heightened my interest in community involvement.

What do you hope to accomplish if elected?

I feel there are so many things that are great in our area, and I hope to keep moving  forward with the gains we have made. Crime is becoming more of a concern and I will make sure our first responders are not defunded and instead supported.

What are the reasons that people should vote for you?

My family has lived in Roscoe for over 20 years. We moved here because of the wonderful school district and the education our children would receive. That decision has proven to be an excellent one for us. Living in the area, for so many years, has given me the knowledge of what our community wants and expects.