Gary Mayo: 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: Glen EllynWebsite: http://www.cornellmayodunn.comOffice sought: Glen Ellyn parksAge: 62Family: Married, four children, four grandchildrenOccupation: Business Owner #8211; Dairy Queen of Glen EllynEducation: Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Michigan (1972) - Major in Accounting FinanceCivic involvement: Glen Ellyn Economic Development Corporation Board: 2008-present (Vice-President - 2010)Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce: Member 2002-presentGlen Ellyn United Way Board: 1996-1998Coach and parent volunteer for youth hockey and lacrosse teamsGlenbard West Lacrosse Club Parent Board: 2002-2007Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Responsiveness to the Community #8211; The Park District Board should do a much better job of listening to its constituents, assessing the needs of the community, and responding to those needs. There is a great deal of frustration with the Park District because it seems to set priorities based upon its own wishes, not those of the residents. As just one example, a community survey in 2005 revealed that a majority of respondents felt that the two highest priorities for our Park District should be acquisition of additional land and renovation of the Lake Ellyn Boat House. In the 5 years since the survey, some land adjacent to Ackerman Park has been purchased, but is yet to be utilized. In a 2009 survey, residents again placed a high priority on renovating the Boat House, and still nothing has been done.Key Issue 2 Fiscal Responsibility and Accountability #8211; Preliminary results for 2010 show that the Park District spent $1.6 million more than it took in. The budget for 2011, approved on a split vote, shows an additional $360,000 shortfall. Meanwhile, debt has tripled since 2001. This is not responsible governance. The current majority on the Board has stymied attempts by some newer Board members to improve reporting and accountability. Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center (ASFC) is a wonderful addition to the community, but the planning was poor and the execution was worse. It ended up costing over 50% more than originally projected, and I believe the Board failed in its fiduciary obligation to monitor the project as it progressed. They were simply asleep at the switch. As of the January 16, 2011 Board meeting the total actual cost of ASFC still had not been ascertained.Key Issue 3 Stewardship of Parks and Facilities #8211; The Park District runs many fine programs. However, we have a serious shortage of field space in Glen Ellyn, and drainage issues often plague the fields we do have. These are fixable problems, and more effort needs to be directed at finding and implementing solutions. Improvements at Village Green and the construction of ASFC reduced the number of fields available for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and rugby. While the Park District concentrated on these high-profile projects, it lost focus on maintaining the resources we have. More needs to be done to better measure utilization of existing fields and facilities so that the children in our community will have access to the fields and programs they need.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?This is an issue that needs careful study. It is clear that some programs, and some facilities, are not cost-justified. Some may need to be eliminated, but only after an appropriate level of input from the community. I do not believe that every Park District program needs to pay for itself. Sometimes the value to the community is such that it makes sense to subsidize certain programs as long as the decision to do so is, again, based on community input. Unfortunately, the lack of valid facilities usage data makes it difficult to make objective decisions on these matters. I would prefer to add programs where we can do so in a fiscally responsible way.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.The community has consistently listed this as a high priority, and it is disappointing that the Park District has done so little in this area since Maryknoll was acquired many years ago. We need more open space, and this is a great time to buy. Unfortunately, when the previous Board voted in May 2009 to issue $4 million in non-referendum bonds, they essentially #147;maxed out the credit card.#148; Most of that money went to cover cost overruns at Ackerman so limited funds are currently available to purchase additional property. We can, however, look for creative ways to partner with other entities to increase and better utilize open space in Glen Ellyn.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?The Lake Ellyn Boat House is a centerpiece of our Village, and with modest improvements could be far better utilized. As mentioned above, the shortage of field space could be alleviated with relatively minor modifications to existing fields. There are numerous neighborhood parks and other areas where small projects could provide enhanced recreational opportunities for residents of the Park District. While we need to be especially frugal in the current economic climate, I believe that much of this could be accomplished in a fiscally responsible way.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?Absolutely, whenever win-win opportunities arise, we should be partnering with other local governments and other government units within Glen Ellyn (School Districts 87, 89, and 41, as well as the Village). A much stronger effort needs to be made to work in partnership with these other entities to determine where a sharing of resources could benefit Glen Ellyn residentsIf you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.Glen Ellyn is a wonderful community, largely because its citizens are involved and resourceful. The Park District Board needs to do a much better job of listening to the community and working to improve the quality of life for our residents, while being better stewards of our tax dollars and the resources we now have. As a businessman with a background in finance, I am appalled by the cavalier attitude that the leadership on the Board has displayed with respect to budget deficits, excessive debt, and project cost overruns. They have ignored problems and operated with a #147;we know what#146;s best#148; attitude. When my son and I were starting the boys lacrosse program at Glenbard West, the Park District was completely unwilling to assist our efforts. We had to resort to using fields in the Butterfield Park District. Eight years later, we still have a shortage of adequate field space in Glen Ellyn. As a community, we can do better. If elected, I believe that my experience will enable the Board to better serve the residents of Glen Ellyn.