John J. Kadala: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Wood DaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wood Dale Alderman, Ward 2Age: 40Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Wood Dale Zoning Board of Appeals (2003-2007)Elected offices held: Wood Dale Aldeman Ward 2 (2007 - current)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My primary goal as Alderman has been and will continue to be making the best decisions possible based on all information available to ensure Wood Dale remains now, and is positioned in the future, for financial stability.Key Issue 2 My second goal as Alderman is finding a comprehensive and appropriate resolution for Wood Dale's serious poblem of private property flooding through continued efforts and dialogue with both State and County elected officials as well as with some of the most knowledgeable civil engineers in Illinois.Key Issue 3 Next on my list of goals is an initiative I have been working on for over two years: Appropriate civil improvements specifically tailored to each of our unique neighborhoods in Wood Dale. In the past Wood Dale rubber stamped a generic civil engineering approach for every part of town, meaning that no concern for individual area characteristics or challenges were considered when it was time to replace roads, add sidewalks, convert open swales to underground storm water conveyence systems. I have lobbied for site specific engineering solutions which has been in large part accepted by the City Council. Further efforts are necessary however to fix ongoing problems such as private property storm water drainage, proper tree preservation and replacement and traffic calming road design, which I intend to spearhead over the next four years as your Ward 2 Alderman.Questions Answers After an elected official borrowed city money to pay for health insurance, explain why you believe the measures put in place to prevent this in the future are either sufficient or insufficient?First I must admit that I believe it is unfortunate a written policy must exist to police an individual's ethical behavior. With that I will say that any policy's level of effectiveness is only as good as the elected officials' desire to do what is right. Am I the only one who finds it odd that the same City Council that voted to enact a policy regarding elected official bill payment did not also find it appropriate to vote for mayoral censure? I was only one of three Alderman to vote for censure, while the vote to approve the policy in question was passed unanimously. When re-elected I will continue to help hold your elected officials accountable for our own actions.Last year, Wood Dale was one of the few municipalities in DuPage County that did not suffer layoffs or cutbacks as a result of the recession. How do you think Wood Dale can sustain this balance during continued economic struggles?While it is true that last year Wood Dale did not suffer layoffs as a result of the recession, the Wood Dale City Council did force cutbacks in many areas to ensure a balanced budget, fortunately for the citizens none of those cutbacks were basic public health and safety services. In short Wood Dale cannot sustain this balance indefinitely. As the City's revenue stream continues to reamain flat or even dip we will be forced to make more and more difficult decisions on how to remain solvent over the long run. It is worth noting that Wood Dale's general fund reserve is due in large part to the 1% sales tax referendum that the residents voted for in the past. Unless we look to the future and make appropriate plans and take appropriate actions to capitalize on our assets as realized through our geographic position within this greater Chicago region, it won't be long before Wood Dale has to consider cutting back basic services or look for more tax money. When re-elected I will continue to work towards long term planning and increasing revenue stream through private development and industry.When the new $1.27 Metra station came to Wood Dale last year, the hope was that it would spark residential and commercial growth in downtown. Is that happening? If not, what will it take to make that happen?Actually, it was this elected official's hope that the new Metra station would show future developers that Wood Dale is invested in its own community and aesthetics thereby lending Wood Dale to a higher class of development in the future, not necessarilly that it would spark that development in and of itself. For too many years Wood Dale residents have had to sit by and watch improper and unattractive developments and structures be shoe-horned into town. Until the economy turns around and the regional housing and commercial markets begin to rebound it is unlikely that any community will see much in the way of downtown growth. When re-elected I will continue to keep a watchful eye over proper development, not just in the downtown area but throughout the City.Do you think plans for a ""corporate Main Street"" in the Thorndale Corridor are the best way to capitalize on the Elgin-O'Hare Expansion? Why?I do believe that Wood Dale's efforts and vision for a Corporate Main Street are in fact the best way to capitalize on the highway and western O'Hare access that Illinois has approved. First, if it weren't for Wood Dale's proactive involvement in this matter, we would not have gotten access to the future highway at Wood Dale Road. Second it is important to realize that the plans for a corporate main street may not be realized for 5, 10 or even 20 or more years, but any study of urban growth and planning shows that change, particularly in a major metropolitan area, is a guarantee. It has always been my firm stand that Wood Dale needs to manage and direct that change rather than simply take what comes our way as has been previous policy. And the best way to achieve this ""managed growth"" and the fiscal benefits that come with it, is to create the best plan possible, both in terms of land usage, financial feasibility and aesthetics. When re-elected I will continue to find the positive scenarios available to us and will look toward long-term planning and adaptation to changes beyond our control such as the O'Hare expansion and the Elgin/O'Hare expressway as means of future revenue streams to Wood Dale.What do you think is the best way to deal with existing businesses and homes who are in the Thorndale Corridor but don't fit into the Corporate Main Street plan?The Corporate Main Street plan will be both long term and adaptable to a number of different land availability scenarios. By now, anyone who is left with the impression that the drawings on paper are exactly representative of the actual built environment of the future, has not only missed the point of the City's efforts but the point of urban planning in general. I fully expect changes to be made to the plan as we move forward. The documents created to date are simply guidelines to be followed as redevelopment naturally occurs in that area as a result of future increased land values due to a new proximity and accessibility to one of the busiest airports in the world. When re-elected I will maintain my position that no home or business will be forcibly removed to make way for new development.