Issues, Positions and Beliefs

• Downers Grove is a great Community
I often think we are so fortunate to live in a great community. When it came time for my wife Mickie and I to buy our first home, we found that Downers Grove provided us with all we were seeking in a community. With its good schools, great parks and library plus so many other amenities, no matter where we went, we came back here thinking “this is home.” We have a lot going for us still today. Our schools are among the best in the state. The downtown area is making a tremendous comeback. (I believe the downtown of any community represents the soul of a community. It tells a visitor what we’re all about.) I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

• Two Distinct Visions for the Future of Downers Grove and They Are Often Competing Interests
I believe a better balance must be created and we must protect the interests of today’s citizens along with our business neighbors.

There seems to be a pre-occupation with business development by the mayor and some council members at a cost to residential develpment. More and more we see new structures that do not reflect the character of the community.  It’s important that we understand that residential development must remain within the appeal of our neighborhoods.

A good example is the increasing concern of storm water problems in areas of redevelopment. I presently serve on the Village’s Storm-water and Flood Plain Oversight committee and have unique knowledge of this area. We need to streamline our decision-making process and make issues such as the Storm-water master plan quicker to be implemented.

I believe that sustaining a healthy business environment is a keystone to a growing community.  I plan to focus on developing a more balanced view of this issue and to find a consensus among my council colleagues.

• Commitment to the Community
My commitment to you is that I will serve with the highest degree of integrity. That my decisions will have the whole community in mind; not a special interest group, not a vendor and certainly not the worth of a campaign contribution.

The Village Manager and employees should have a clear understanding of citizens’ concerns. I will seek to help develop a vision that is easily understood yet specific to Downers Grove. All decisions which affect our community will be decided in an open process.

I plan to help the Council “listen” to the community as well as it “speaks” to it.

• Council Leadership
I believe the Council must demonstrate a high level of leadership to the community. We are better served by a council that leads by example and builds policy around a clear set of priorities firmly based on community interests. This is the kind of leadership that I helped develop at District 99. I will bring this skill with me to the Council, if elected.

• Consensus Building among Council Members
I will seek to build bridges within the Council membership; not destroy them. That I will seek to extend those bridges to the entire community and that I will serve as a reminder to the Council that they serve at the pleasure of the community. This can only be done if trust and integrity is developed by the Council with the Community.

My experience and knowledge in this area speaks for itself. The ethical principles by which I served on the Community High School District 99 Board of Education for 24 years will provide the community with someone who will help the Council to become more policy-focused and find ways to build consensus.

In those 24 years, I grew to understand that an elected body must work with integrity, openness and in a spirit of cooperation. I have long ago learned to respect and accept the wisdom of the collective community.

I will have the community concerns at the core of every decision I make.  You can bet on it. You can take it to the bank.