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THE BUGLE MARCH 27, 2013
MAYORAL RACE Continued from page 1 [Editor’s note: Only select questions from Wednesday’s forum have been included, as well as edited down for space .The entire forum will be broadcast on Woodridge Community Television Channel 6.The ordering of the candidates is presented in the order they answered the questions during forum.]
The Candidates Cunningham-Picek (Independent) is a 45-year resident of Woodridge, a business development and community banker with 25 years of experience, and a current Village Board trustee with nine years on the job. She was a past president of and board member in the Woodridge Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Cunningham-Picek is president of the Woodridge Rotary and market president at the Bridgeview Bank Group DuPage. Vandor (Independent) moved to Woodridge in 1983. He began his career as an attorney in 1978. He worked with the U.S. Department of Justice in Chicago for six years before going into
private practice. He has had his private practice in immigration law for 27 years. In 1989, he ran for Village Board trustee and in 1997 he ran for mayor. Both attempts were unsuccessful. Keucek (Independent) has been a resident of Woodridge since 2002 and has worked as a financial adviser since 1991. In 2009, he was named the Woodridge Outstanding Citizen of the Year. He has served as a board member on the Woodridge Chamber of Commerce and was the chairman of the board from 2006 to 2008. Currently, he is a trustee on the Woodridge Police Pension Board. Abbot (Independent) has also lived in Woodridge for 10 years and is currently serving in his second year as a Village Board Trustee. He worked for five years as an Illinois assistant attorney general before going into private practice. Abbot is a member on the Our Lady of Peace School Board, volunteer baseball and soccer coach for the Woodridge Park District, and a treasurer for Cub Scout Pack 101.
What are the biggest problems facing Woodridge today? Abbot: The biggest problem that we have is property taxes. Right now, we are in one of the toughest economic times I can remember, and I think government needs to do more
with less. Businesses are doing more with less, individuals and families are doing more with less; they’re all finding ways to tighten their belts. We need to make sure that we’re being smart with people’s money, and we need to lower property taxes. Cunningham-Picek: I think we need to continue the village’s strategic management process, as well as overall prudent fiscal management, in order to address infrastructure, pension reform, and establish other revenue sources to avoid cuts in services that are directly related to quality of life. I’m all for engaging our community, having discussions on what is most important to our community and making the best decisions possible. Vandor: These are tough times, and we need to do everything to reduce our expenses using sensible governance. We need to make sure that any expensive plans and any additional obligations that the village will incur are seriously considered. I agree with everybody else that our top priority is keeping the taxes from escalating. Krucek: One of the biggest issues is the continuing shrinkage of money we’re going to be receiving from the state of Illinois. Motor fuel tax revenue s down; the state just doesn’t have the money to be able to continue to give it back to the village. We’re going to have to figure out ways to replace that revenue or to spend less. We’re going to
have to use technology, be more efficient, and do everything in our power to make sure that we can overcome revenue short falls.
When is it appropriate and to use eminent? The question was in regard to the Village Board’s recent decision to use its eminent domain powers to acquire the Janes Plaza Shopping Center on 83rd Street and Janes Avenue. The Woodridge Park District is looking to develop an Athletic Recreation Center on the site. Krucek: I think that it is an appropriate use if we have not been able to come to terms with the owner of the property, which we have not, and we have a project ready to go, which I fully support in the Athletic Recreation Center. So, in that case, I think it is appropriate. But, it is still something that I would use as a last resort. Negotiations have not gone anywhere, and that corner needs to be developed. Abbot: Historically, eminent domain was meant so that if the state had a highway it wanted to build and there was a farmer that didn’t want to sell, the state could take it for a governmental purpose. I personally have a real problem with the government going to someone and saying, ‘I’m going to take [the property] because I believe I have a better use for it than you.’ The government shouldn’t be in the business of taking personal property from people who don’t want to sell. Cunningham-Picek: I agree that in this circumstance it is appropriate. I spent possibly four years volunteering with our Park District and listening to our resident s, who are asking for this service in our community. And, as it was said earlier, this area needs redevelopment. The neighbors in that area deserve redevelopment, and our community does as well. Vandor: I would question the need for this facility. I would also agree with mister Abbot that the task to authorize and to justify taking somebody else’s property, the state must have a compelling interest. I don’t believe that that exists in this case. I believe that if the owner takes this to court,
it could take years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, which of course would be covered by the residents of Woodridge. For more information on the forum, visit www.dgwl.il.lwvnet. org.
Under what circumstances do you see property taxes increasing, decreasing? Vandor: Unfortunately, it would appear to me that the property taxes are increasing. I realize that there is less money that is going around. Also, the amount of the village tax that comes from our property taxes is really not as high as some other communities. As far as decreasing, unfortunately, I don’t see that is coming in the near future. Krucek: If I’m the mayor, I’d like to see them decrease. We aren’t going to start by looking to save a million dollars; start with just a dollar, and then go from there. There’s always going to be areas that you look at to save money. If you start there and you move forward from that point, I believe that we can have property taxes decreasing rather than increasing. Abbot: Property taxes can be decreased, and that’s what my goal is. For the last two years, on the Village Board, property taxes have gone up and for two years I’ve voted against that. The only way you keep them from going up, the only way you lower them, is to have that be your goal and you work towards it and you accomplish it.You keep spending flat, sales tax revenue is going up, and you can decrease property taxes. Cunningham-Picek: I concur with what’s been said here already. However, good stewards ensure good governments. What I mean by that is it is a very difficult time that we are going through. In terms of sales tax increasing, the impact looking down the road is something that we are going to have to plan for. But, we have always been doing that. We are prudent as a village on our looking at our budget and reviewing that constantly. Hopefully, eventually we can