Max Bochmann: 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: NapervilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Naperville Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 67Family: Widowed, one son, one grandchildOccupation: Retired from Naperville Public SchoolaEducation: BA, 1968, Westmar College, LeMars, IACivic involvement: Board of Directors, Naperville's Summer Place Theater, 1982-1992 Waukegan Yacht ClubElected offices held: Naperville Township 8th Precinct Committeeman - Current President, Naperville Transportation Association IEA-NEA 1995 - 2000, and 2006 - 2011 retirement Board of Trustees, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund - January 2000 to December 2010Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 CommunicationKey Issue 2 AccountabilityKey Issue 3 BalanceQuestions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.Communication. There is no justification for most township business remaining out of the sight of the voters. Other public boards publish their minutes as soon as they are approved, their budgets prior to adoption, and their bid awards and change orders as they occur. The technology is available. Were timely communication the will of the board, it would happen. I fully support all access not prohibited by law. Accountability During campaign seasons voters hear regularly from candidates, and a voter who sees their choice prevail, breathes a sign of relief and often ends their contact with said official. In reality, that's not the end of the relationship, but rather the beginning. Accountability to the electorate originates with the voter, rather than the official, and the closer to the voter the representative body is, the easier it is to accomplish. Officials provide access and timely information, and the voter demands accountability if they choose. I fully support informed voter scrutiny. Balance Public needs vs. public money - That's the tightrope. In the assessor's office, in the highway department, and in the General Assistance area. As maps and demographics change, the township focus needs to respond. The overlap with cities and a village suggest collaborative partners, as do service providers for seniors, youth, veterans, the disabled. Assessing need, recognizing risk, establishing goals, executing, and then evaluating that's my view of board work.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Property assessment for taxing purposes should remain at the township level. The shrinking number of township roads and bridges not maintained by cities or the county remain the responsibility of the township. Approximately 10,000 United States citizens are achieving age 65 each day, and that rate will continue for 17 more years. Social Security program parameters will continue to be a topic of debate, and Medicare and Medicaid will remain significant pressures on the Federal budget. The state of Illinois effectively ceased the Circuit Breaker and Illinois Cares Rx programs last year they?re currently not much more than a public transit discount card and a break on license plate fees. Unless the county and our cities take a more active role in assisting an ever expanding senior population, we should expect the township's General Assistance responsibilities to face increasing needs going forward.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?The township should meet its statutory obligations for property assessment, roads and bridges as identified, and actively assess the community's needs for General Assistance, working cooperatively with area providers who should be subject to board review.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?It is difficult for me to picture a governmental entity that could not be made more efficient, but seeking programs that could be 'trimmed or eliminated? in a political subdivision that operates on 1.4% of my real estate tax bill strikes me as an odd request. Trimming and eliminating are much more productive goals in operations consuming larger percentages of the 'tax burden.? Nonetheless, my goal for the board is to assess the needs, meet them, maintain reasonable reserves, and then, when possible, address abatement and perhaps the levy itself.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?I have been a Naperville homeowner since 1971. My 38 year career with the public school system, originally districts 78 and 107, and later unit district 203, spanned the growth surge that now has the student body nearly the size of the district population when I began. Both widowed (2009) and retired, (2011) I can now live anywhere I choose, but give no thought to relocating. This is my community and this is where I will remain. Effective membership on a public board demands participation in group discussions around policy level issues while adhering to the relevant statutes and holding the interest of the constituents paramount. During my eleven years as an elected Trustee with the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, we grew the assets under management from 15 billion to 25 billion, in a decade that endured the collapse of the tech bubble, the World Trade Center, Enron, and the housing market, as well as the Wall Street/bank/credit mess. IMRF is a collection ofbest practices? in the public pension arena, and service on that statewide board was a valuable learning experience. I am ready to participate in group decisions on behalf of the residents of Naperville Township.