Name: Thomas Price

Position for which you are a candidate: Village of West Dundee Trustee

 

Why are you seeking this position?

I have called West Dundee home since 1987 and have a strong commitment to public service. I believe that good government is still possible at the local level and that local government is where I can make the most difference. I have no aspirations for higher office and don’t believe in back-room deal-making. Instead I believe in a transparent, collaborative, and deliberative process so that all sides can be considered and interested residents can observe the reasoning behind Board decisions. I also believe in listening to all sides of an issue and argument and doing research to fully understand the issues. Precedent and consistency are very important to me – I believe that we need to consider past decisions and the implications of new or changed policy.

What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?

I have been a Village Trustee since 2007 and believe I bring a unique set of skills to the Board. As a civil engineer, I have a strong understanding of what is necessary to maintain our public infrastructure as well as the development process. As a former small business owner, I understand the impact of local rules, regulations, and support systems on attracting business to the community. I also understand that it is essential we maintain our infrastructure and continue to invest in our downtown to attract and retain residents and businesses to our wonderful community. I have focused my professional career on environmental protection and sustainable design and will continue to interject that perspective into Village decisions.

Prior to being on the Village Board, I was on our Planning and Zoning Commission for approximately 15 years and I continue to serve as the Board’s liaison to P&Z. In an earlier part of my professional career, I worked for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP, formerly Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission) where I worked with local governments to provide technical assistance as well as to provide support as they developed standards and policies. I initiated recent meetings with the Village of Carpentersville to collaborate on areas of common interest, including Spring Hill Mall.  I believe that my fellow Board members as well as others view me as being level-headed, knowledgeable, and fair in my ideas for policies and problem solving.

What will be your highest priorities if elected?

Economic development, maintenance of public infrastructure, and maintenance & replacement of aging assets have been and will continue to be some of my highest priorities.

While maintenance of our historic downtown and its small businesses is essential, one of the more pressing issues for our community is the future of Spring Hill Mall. The mall continues to decline in sales and occupancy and we as a board recognize that we need to be proactive. We have developed a vision plan that included mixed uses and we are in the process of analyzing financials surrounding the mall including costs to update infrastructure, market conditions, and potential impacts to Village budgets. We are working together with the Village of Carpentersville.

It is essential that we continuously maintain street and utility infrastructure to preserve level of service and control long term costs. It is always more cost effective to provide ongoing maintenance than to let infrastructure decline and have to replace it pre-maturely.

A number of our police and fire apparatus are approaching more than 20 years old and are in need of replacement. Our police and fire personnel do a great job of maintaining these assets. However, at some point the cost of maintenance exceeds the value of the vehicles. To help control costs, we always look for opportunities to replace with previously-owned but good condition equipment.

 

Will you be attending the Candidate Night?  Yes

 

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