Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring, and why would those contributions be valuable in the office you are seeking?

I have a genuine passion for my community. Being a citizen for over 55 years provides me with a historical perspective which inspires my vision of the community. Serving in the position of Mayor for 8 years, I demonstrated the abilities necessary to lead the Village. I eliminated an inherited financial deficit, restored and added to Village public safety and brought in or created programs and services for our residents. I also brought in nearly 100 new businesses or enhanced current businesses. 

2. When in the past have you had to balance competing interests? What process did you use? What did you learn?  

I have not run into any conflicts such as this. I do not own or have any interests in any business or organization. However, as an elected official I must identify instances where conflict of interest may exist. If there is a conflict, I will remove myself from the process. The Board of Trustees must make the decision absent my input. 

3. What does transparency in government mean to you? How would you put it into practice? Do you believe the Village of Broadview operates in a transparent manner?

Currently the Village is not transparent. Transparency means honesty and openness, full disclosure of information, dissemination of "all" facts including related factors. I plan to televise in real time Board and Committee meetings. Have minutes independently transcribed and available for public consumption. I plan to host a monthly meeting for the public to interact with the administration. 

4. As more of our local discourse happens in social media, what is your view on how local elected officials should communicate with and respond to constituents? How will you engage with the breadth of the community, and not only those on social media?

 Continued use of social media and enhancing The quarterly Village Bulletin by including information from other taxing districts. I plan to conduct monthly meetings where the constituents can freely participate, ask questions, get answers and provide the leadership with their ideas and jointly, possibly come up with solutions. 

5. What barriers do you see for community members who wish to engage with Broadview’s village government? How would you work to reduce or eliminate those barriers?  

There is a lack of a type of regular public meeting like a Townhall meeting. I plan to have regular scheduled public meeting dates specifically designed to address this issue. 

6. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing Broadview, and how do you intend to address them? 

Fiduciary accountability and transparency, Public Safety and Economic Development. For finance: Put a moratorium on non-essential spending, consolidate credit cards, refinance loans, maximize alternative revenues. Public Safety: Restructure police department, increase patrols, have a regular presence in local schools, require officers to engage with public, continue to maximize mutual aid. Economic Development: create a new marketing plan and creative funding for vacant commercial lots. 

7. How do you define equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking? 

What is left after subtracting all expenses incurred, debt and liabilities. My thinking remains the same. 

8. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing this community in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

See answers to questions 4 & 5 

9. Name an influential Broadview community member. How did this person’s influence change Broadview? As an elected official, what do you imagine your influence will be on the community?

I prefer to not name names publicly. Hopefully my influence will be positive and extend for an extended time period. 

10. What is your broad vision for the future of Broadview? How will you promote substantive discussion, build consensus among trustees, and rally public support for your vision?

A diverse thriving community full of life and amenities. Make Broadview a destination; for homeownership, families, business owners and travelers and merchants. All new ideas and feedback will be on the table for open public discussion. 

11. How would you describe your management style? What processes and protections do you believe should be afforded employees who have voiced grievances?

Directive, participative coaching style. I believe that any aggrieved employee should have the opportunity to have his side of the story heard by an independent agency. I believe that all applicable contracts and manuals and handbooks should be adhered to. Remedies for violations or noncompliance should be uniform and applied equally. 

12. What impact can a municipality such as Broadview have on climate change, and how will you prioritize that work among other issues?

Being only 2 square miles in size our impact is minuscule. However ensuring compliance with all Federal and State governing bodies regarding emissions and pollutants will be the start. 

13. What do you see as the most pressing issue relating to housing in Broadview? What policies would you advocate to address this issue? Do you consider support for affordable housing to be a core function of our village government? Why or why not?

Employment, education and ownership. I plan to create a partnership with local banks to provide and promote funding for potential buyers of homes. Affordable housing may be a component but should not be considered a core function of government. The goal is to encourage advancement and raise the socioeconomic level. 

14. In recent months there have been calls in many communities to defund the police or reimagine public safety. How do you define public safety? Do you begin from the premise that increased policing is the most effective response to increased crime, or would you propose other solutions?  

The protection of everything every person within our borders from threats of any kind and rapid response in cases of emergency. There are multiple ways to effectively combat crime and all start with education or intelligence gathering. I can provide Additional details of my thoughts. 

15. What do you believe has caused the recent swell in carjackings in the surrounding area? Do you see an appropriate law enforcement response to this situation?

I believe the uptick in carjacking is partially due to restrictions related to COVID and lack of adequate Police patrols. I see some opportunities for law enforcement response. 

16. What is your development vision for Roosevelt Road? What form do you feel development should take there? How would you confront the parking situation?  

Commercial or mixed use should be the only options. I have specific businesses interested in the parcels. Parking can be incorporated into the development. 

17. Do you believe there is room for a human-scale development approach in Broadview? Why or why not? 

Yes and no. Broadview's footprint is too small and land locked. I believe this should be a region or township wide approach. 

18. How would you evaluate the success of Broadview’s plans for Covid-19 mitigation at the Village? Do you feel the Village has adequately protected its employees, and that there has been adequate transparency with respect to case tracking?  

We did a decent job. The Village has been compliant throughout the process. 

19. How do you believe the Covid-19 pandemic has affected Broadview’s Village finances, and what policies do you favor going forward as part of the recovery? 

Broadview is no different from any other community with respect to COVID-19. Financial policies should begin with controlled spending. Including a reassessment of staffing needs. Finally pursue alternative revenue streams. 

20. Do you believe the Village of Broadview is financially healthy? Do you feel the current Village budget is balanced? What is your approach to fiscal transparency? 

Financial health in today's world is a relative term. If the question is: Does the Village have $ or is it broke? We are not broke. The budget was not balanced and after 8 months, amendments to the budget still leave it unbalanced. My approach is simple. Eliminate wasteful unnecessary spending, streamline jobs, restructure contracts or get new vendors. Post publicly all expenses and revenues for all funds. 

21. As an elected official, do you believe you have a responsibility to speak out about private labor practices? If so, how do you balance that responsibility with the tax benefits larger corporate operations may bring to the Broadview community? 

If you mean union or non union workers. I lean towards the side of unions because employees rights are usually protected better in a union environment. My responsibility as I see it is to promote fair treatment of all employees in the areas of wages benefits and working conditions. 

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/24/21.]