The following summary comments detail what I have supported and led as well as what I will support and lead into the future to keep the Village of Mount Prospect an viable and contemporary community for our current and future residents and businesses.  These policies keep our community desirable and our residential property values strong.

Budgets, Taxes, Spending

Budgets: Supported 34 fiscally conservative, balanced, and responsible budgets which have provided for the basic services needed and wanted by the citizens of Mount Prospect.

Tax Base: Supported the creation of a “Diversified Tax Base” over time which has protected revenue flows during times of economic downturn and reduced reliance on property taxes as a source of revenue with which to run our Village.

Direct Fees: Supported a “Diversified Fee Based” structure for some Village costs which directly relates to and pays for the service or product being provided and in many cases helps reduce one citizen from subsidizing the activities and related costs of another citizen.

Property Tax Levy: Fought to keep property taxes low.  During the past 2 years the Village’s property tax levy is down 11%.

Vehicle Stickers Eliminated: During my time as Mayor, Vehicle Stickers have been permanently eliminated.

Annual Spending: Have always reserved and exercised the right to vote against or for spending during the year regardless of the fact that funds have been budgeted and reserved.

Local Government Services

Basic Municipal Services: Support high quality and strong basic services for our citizens such as Police, Fire, Public Works, and Human Services which is the most primary purpose of local government.

Life Safety Services: Citizen Safety is Priority #1. I have supported strong “life safety” services as this is the most important service our Village government can provide to citizens.  During my time as Mayor, we have hired 8 new sworn police officers and 8 new firefighter / paramedics.

The Economic Downturns: During my time as your Mayor, an “Emergency Economic” Fund was created to protect the Village during future difficult economic times.  This fund is currently funded in excess $13 million.  During past economic recessions, I have supported swift and necessary moves to reduce costs which protected the basic operation of the Village, the General Fund reserve (Village’s Savings Account), and protected the Villages bond rating (and corresponding borrowing rate).

 Our Residential Neighborhoods

Protection of our Residential Neighborhoods: As your Mayor, I have continued my focus on protecting our Residential Neighborhoods.  In the past, I helped author and support local ordinances such as the “Home Occupation” and “Commercial Vehicle” ordinances to preserve the delicate nature and fabric of our many residential neighborhoods throughout the Village.

Diversity

Diversity: Mount Prospect is a multi-cultural Village with representation from many cultures, races, and ethnic backgrounds.  As I have in the past, I will continue to embrace and celebrate diversity in our Village.  The fact is that a diverse Community results in a richer and fuller community because of diversity of thought, knowledge, opinion, and points of view that it brings.

Road Improvements

Road Improvement: Supported the Accelerated Road Improvement Program which will help prevent much costlier repairs and reconstruction of our local roads in the future.

Flood Control

Flood Control: Supported the Flood Control Program which has helped to protect our citizen’s homes throughout the Village.  We recently completed two major projects in the northeast section of town which took many homes out of the designated flood plain.

Randhurst Village

Randhurst village Renaissance: A number of new restaurants, entertainment opportunites, and retail establishments such as Macy’s have opened at Randhurst.  A number of years ago, I supported the rebirth of Randhurst as a contemporary “lifestyle” shopping opportunity with no “direct” tax giveaways by Mount Prospect.

Annexations

Annexations:  During my time as Mayor, we have annexed over 300 acres in South Mount Prospect which has brought new tax revenue to the Village benefiting all taxpayers and has created redevelopment opportunities in our Village.  I will continue to support selective annexations when those annexations are financially beneficial to our taxpayers.

Our Downtown

Downtown Development has been Incredible: During my time as Mayor, downtown redevelopment and economic vitality has been off the charts. 6 new residential buildings have been built or renovated and 7 new restaurants have opened with more on the way..

Future Downtown Development: During my time as Mayor, I have supported more private developer, market driven “government encouraged” developments for our downtown and less direct government driven and tax funded large scale planned unit developments.  However, when the former Chase Bank building on Block 56 becomes available, I support purchasing that property with TIF funds and tightly controlling the redevelopment of this pivotal site..

  Kensington Business Center

Kensington Business Center: I have supported the expansion of potential uses of the KBC buildings beyond light industrial and office uses through changes to zoning within the development.  This approach has been highly successful producing a current 3% vacancy rate.

Traffic Flows and Safety

Major Intersection Improvements:  One major intersection at Rand, Central, and Mount Prospect Road has been completed which has improved traffic flow immensely and another at Rand, 83, and Kensington is on the engineering drawing board.

Stop Sign Program: Many years ago, I supported the Village-wide “Stop Sign” Program which totally reconfigured traffic control signage and the way we deploy stops signs throughout our Village with the outstanding result of decreasing traffic accidents by over 49%.

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Concluding Comment

As your Mayor, I have worked to be consistent in my decision making and ultimately my voting related to policy setting, ordinances creation, and zoning cases.  I have supported an open, honest, and transparent government process where decisions are made “in front of the cameras” for all Mount Prospect citizens to witness and comment to if they so desire.

No Village Board decisions are “predetermined” ahead of our Village Board meetings and no “vote trading” has ever occurred during my time on the Board.  “Citizen input” on issues facing the Village Board is encouraged and is highly valued, considered, and factored into each and every decision made by the Village Board.