Candidates Describe Visions for Park District

Park district ripe with potential

Last spring, while I was out walking with my son, he noticed some litter on the ground. He looked at me unhappily and said, “Dad, this is terrible. Someone should do something about this.” Sensing that this was a “parenting moment,” I responded, “Evan, when you see a problem that you can solve, don’t wait for someone else to do it. Take the initiative and do it yourself.” The next thing I knew, I was following my son with a wagon through our neighborhood collecting and sorting refuse. Later that summer, the pension scandal broke, and my family was sitting around the kitchen table when I said, “This is terrible. Someone should do something about this.” Evan looked at me, and with a wry smile, repeated back to me the same advice I had given him a few months earlier. Shortly thereafter, I submitted an application for one of the recently vacated seats on the park board. After an extensive review process, my application and I was sworn in as a Park Commissioner in November 2010. I am now running for election on April 5.

Having helped numerous companies and organizations investigate and recover from similar crises, I had a pre-existing expectation when I arrived at the park board that things would be in complete disarray. It is frequently the case in these situations that senior management is gone, support staff is dysfunctional, and the treasury is bare. To my surprise and delight, that was not the case. To the contrary, I found extraordinary senior managers (including Executive Director Liza McElroy and her team), a dedicated staff that remained committed to the park district and full coffers. Although it was unquestionably the case that some very bad decisions had previously been made, those problems resulted largely from the conduct of a few individuals who have already been held accountable in the court of public opinion, and may soon be held accountable in a court of law. 

But even with these issues, the park district as a whole remains robust, vibrant, and ripe with potential. There is still much to be accomplished, and we should undertake these endeavors with enthusiasm, optimism and pride in what we can achieve as a community. What we do now will shape the park district and all of Highland Park for generations to come. This is an extraordinary opportunity that we should eagerly embrace. Working together, we can ensure that Highland Park remains the crown jewel of the North Shore.

To accomplish this, it is imperative that we continue to share our collective thoughts and ideas on how we should move forward. Some of the best suggestions I have heard since joining the park board have come from the residents who serve on our various community advisory committees. Based on this ongoing dialogue, the park district is developing a long-range plan and capital budget that will meaningfully reflect and address the community’s needs and concerns and will also reasonably allocate the park district’s reserves and stabilize its infrastructure. As part of this process, I am advocating that the park district pay for these future projects without raising taxes by drawing on its excess reserves. 

As we proceed, we must keep in mind that the resources of our park district belong to you, the residents, not to the park board commissioners. We are your stewards, not your masters. It is our role to serve the will of the people, not to impose our will on the people.

Since joining the board in November, I have listened to you and I have heard you. I heard you demand accountability for the pension scandal, and I am working to get our money back and make sure this never happens again. I heard you ask for tax relief in this difficult economy, and I voted to reduce taxes by $1.3 million. I heard your concerns about the Rosewood Beach project, and I persuaded the board to revisit their plan and go back to the community for more input and guidance. I will continue to listen to you. And I will continue to serve as your advocate on the park board.

We have accomplished much in a short period of time. And I am eager to keep working on your behalf to make this a park district of which we can all be proud. Thank you fsor your consideration on April 5.

Six-year term candidate

Park district plan should include reduced reserves

Our park district is a valued part of our community, serving all segments of our robust population. While we all are aware of the issues of pension spiking, we have several challenges and opportunities facing us in the future.

I bring a skill set that will help provide leadership, decisiveness, focus and the ability to develop a plan to the future, adding value to our community for years to come. My financial and business background is extensive. I have founded and run public and private companies from several million to over a billion dollars. In additionm, I have served on many board of directors, tackling complicated issues within the United States and global market with decisiveness and success.  This skill set differs from other candidates and will add value to the board and community.

Issues

• Tax relief:  The token reduction enacted as political cover in Dec 2010 rather than taking an informed action, resulted in a reserve of $20 million before enacting and a projected $26 million reserve next year with the "reduction." That is simply not a responsible reduction, but political show.
• Rosewood Beach:  We  are no further today then when we wasted $50,000 on a plan on a 3,000 square foot, $3 million structure the public  does not want. However, we need restrooms and a place to change. How difficult is it to get community input and make that happen now? 
• Terms: I am the only  candidate to favor four-year terms, including mine, and a maximum three-term limit to allow fresh ideas and passion in.
• Reform: I want reform that does not allow a board to give out $340,000 of public monies to an employee for 8 months work and then sign a non-disclosure so they cannot discuss with the public. Are you kidding me? I will never sign such an agreement. Why has the board taken no action on this? Where are the other candidates on this important issue? This is outside and prior to the pension spiking being made public.
• PLAN: we need a go forward plan with reduced reserves and focus to the future.  We need to focus on our people, programs, and capital needs.  Add to that, our beaches, open lands, maintaining and ensuring both engaging and safe parks as well as fixing our money losing golf course.  We need to prepare for the transition of the country club in 2014 all of which will require leadership, fresh vision and the ability to set and achieve goals.

I am passionately committed to the future and seek your vote on April 5.

Six-year term candidate

Master plan will help restore trust

 My decision to run for the Park District of Highland Park (PDHP) Board was made well before the pension scandal.  I have been involved with the park district my whole life -- as a camper, counselor, mom with children in the programs and as a volunteer.  

I believe in our park district. It adds value to the lives of our families, our neighborhoods, and our community.  We have a strong foundation – excellent facilities, quality staff and innovative programs.  

If elected by my fellow citizens to the Park District’s Board, my goals are to:

• Be responsible with our funds at all times
• Be well-informed and act with integrity
• Be a passionate advocate for the whole community
• Support our exceptional staff and programs
• Restore trust between PDHP and the community
• Develop a comprehensive “master plan”

I believe developing a master plan is key to restoring trust between the board and the community that supports it. Our plan should include a complete analysis of the current condition of facilities, expert opinion as to future trends in recreation, staff input, demographic research and community input. By examining this information, the board can better frame priorities, future needs and determine objectives. Once these objectives are identified, we can then project future expenditures, staffing levels, programs, reserve allocations, accurate tax levy needs, etc.

It is incumbent upon the board to act with integrity and ensure the public is well-informed – always.  

With your vote for me on April 5, I look forward to helping shape the future of the District.

Four-year term candidate 

Park district should lower taxes

I'll start with just one bit of news from the Park District.

The District released a draft of the 2011-2012 Budget, which includes almost $2 million in profit. This proposal presumably came from the District's Executive Director herself. The copies were distributed at the last board meeting. The budget will be discussed at the April meeting and perhaps at board finance committee meetings and voted on in May.

The proposal demonstrates disregard for the community's wish to use reserves for operating purposes and to significantly reduce the level of reserves.This wish was stated and re-stated at numerous board meetings and in the press. If there ever was a desire from Highland Park residents to increase the reserves, it has not been voiced at the meetings.

The only two answers I have heard after asking about the purpose of such high level of reserves and of their continuous multi-year accumulation were:

1. "So we don't have to go to a referendum". 

2. "To keep the Park district strong".

My take on option one is that the park district wants to take your money and spend it with the least public input possible, which is wrong.

As for option two, I wholeheartedly agree with keeping the park district strong. However, individual taxpayer's strength should supersede that of the park district. By continuously raising taxes, even though it's not needed, we're not making the taxpayer stronger. 

The Park District has $24 million in reserves and a $20 million to 21 million budget.Many CPA's, MBA's, business owners, attorneys, etc. that I talked to agreed that 20 percent and 30 percent reserves-to-revenues ratio is sufficient. Most of the successful American businesses reserves are well below their revenues. Yet  the park district's reserves are at a whopping 120 percent of the annual budget! 

The park district should do what the city of Highland Park has done: use the reserves for operations.

Another concern from the proposed budget is no money is going to pay down the debt or fund pension. Last year's unfunded pension liability was at $6 million and Park District's debt was $11 million. These numbers cannot be ignored. The pension number is harder to pin down because it depends on the stock market and the liability may have decreased as the stocks went on a tear lately. I doubt it's at  zero dollars though. The debt is still there and the district should continue to pay it off. 

I 'd like to use this opportunity to thank the outgoing interim Commissioner David Fairman for his insight into the labyrinthine municipal finance. Also, kudos to the entire board for lowering the park district share of the tax bill for this year. While no lifestyle will be altered significantly as a result, this action proves that the impossible is possible. Taxes can be lowered.

In the case of Highland Park, they should be. See you at the polls!

Four-year term candidate