Matt Hiser, a lifelong Champaign resident, is announcing today that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the County Board District 8 seat.
Incumbent Sam Shore is not seeking another term. Hiser is a third grade teacher at Yankee Ridge Elementary in Urbana and a labor representative for the Illinois Education Association. He has deep connections to Champaign County as he is among the fourth generation of his family to graduate from Central High School. To date, Hiser has been endorsed by Sam Shore, Josh Hartke, and Mike Frerichs.
I spoke with him recently about his political views and aspirations for a term on the County Board.
Smile Politely: How would you describe your political philosophy?
Matt Hiser: I’m a Democrat with a lot of progressive views. I believe that the government, and really any public entity, is here to serve the common good for everyone, including children, people who need extra assistance, and the elderly.
SP: What is your professional and political background?
Hiser: I’m a teacher. I taught in Danville for two years and was very excited to get a job in Urbana this year. I taught first grade in Danville and teach third grade in Urbana. There are lots of things about teaching that are similar to politics. As a teacher, I have to be able to get along with everything, including students, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. It’s very similar in politics. For the good of the county and the people who live here, some things have to be pushed aside.
I’ve also been a very active union member. I was involved with the Illinois Education Association Student Program. As a college student, I founded the local IEA chapter at Parkland and went on to become the first community outreach coordinator at the state level. Later, I served as the vice chairperson at the state level. Both of those roles involved a lot of work with the community. For instance, we helped put together a statewide school beautification project and helped locals organize their own. And as vice chairperson, I was the liaison for retired mentors program and future teachers. The goal was to give future teachers a qualified and experienced resource.
SP: What, in your view, are the big issues facing the County Board, and how would you approach them?
Hiser: The two big ones that everyone is talking about are the county nursing home and the county jail. Some people want to sell the county nursing home to a private entity. I’m very opposed to that. My great-grandfather was a resident of the county nursing home in the early 1990s. I have two elderly grandparents now, and they might need that resource someday. I have a vested stake in making sure that remains a quality, public institution.
In terms of the jail, there are a lot of people who want to build a new jail with higher capacity. I don’t think that’s out of the question, but there are other things we need to look at first. I think our criminal justice system is creating a higher burden on itself than it needs to: for instance, by jailing people for nonviolent crimes or because they can’t post bail. I want to make sure the drug court is used effectively and look at the possibility of a mental health court.
On top of that, I’m a huge advocate for developing a community resource center in town. If someone needs assistance, one of the only places for them now is the county jail. I’m an advocate for having a place for someone who needs medication, for example; that person should have somewhere to go in the community besides the jail. I care about this issue a lot because there are some stories of drug abuse in my family. My dad was an alcoholic. My sister has had issues with drugs and told me I could share her story. I have a personal interest in making sure we have something like that in our community.
SP: How do you see the role of the County Board in the community?
Hiser: First, the county board oversees a lot of county institutions. We need to make sure the roads are being taken care of, facilities are in order, and proper programs are in place. The County Board also has the role of being an advocate for people living in this community. All people in this community need to receive services and materials to live a happy and successful life. I, as well as the Board as a whole, should advocate for that.
SP: What is your favorite thing about Champaign County?
Hiser: It’s very hard for me to pick just one thing. But I’m going to use the word “family.” My family has been here for a long time, and I’ve been able to get to know a lot of people here as well. This isn’t a small town, but it’s not a huge town. So you can get to know a lot of people here. I’m interested in continuing to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the community.