Bill Pohlman: 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: PalatineWebsite: http://www.betterforpalatinetownship.comOffice sought: Palatine Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 58Family: I am a divorced father of a 21 year old girl.Occupation: Partner at AP ltd. an advertising agency and Internet development companyEducation: Bachelor of Science in Public Relations, Northern Illinois University 1976Civic involvement: Member of the Palatine Jaycees (Awarded honor - Lifetime Member) Member of the Sons of the American Legion Post 690 in Palatine Past President of the Palatine/Inverness Arts Council Communications Director for the Palatine Township Republican Organization Precinct Captain and Area Chairman for a number of precincts in Palatine Past President of the Chicago Chapter of the Business Marketing Association Volunteer blogger for Palatine Patch on community events Worked at Palatine's Fourth of July Festival for nearly 30 years Co-Chair of the American Legion's Memorial Day program and parade Co-Chair of the wine booth at StreetFest Worked at the Rotary's Oktoberfest for the last four years Helped run the Palatine/Inverness Arts Council's Art Affair Around the Square art fair in Palatine for 4 years Worked at a variety of fundraisers over the years to raise money for the food pantry, Journeys the Road Home, Little City, PHD among othersElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Our goal is to spend your money efficiently and responsibly. We need to look at our expenses and cut the budget without diminishing services. We plan to make a 5% cut by looking at salaries and bringing them in par with other municipalities, avoiding overtime where possible and making sure that expenditures are only made for worthwhile projects.Key Issue 2 We need to develop a strategic plan and involve public input. I feel as does the rest of our team that there is no communication within Township offices and from the Township with the community. We need to create a strategic plan with the input of the community and establish a budget to meet that plan.Key Issue 3 We will ensure that all taxpayers are benefiting from Township services. One of the main problems is that many township residents are paying for township services and receiving very little for their tax dollars. We must do a better job with the services that we offer. We need to broaden our services to include more people rather than narrowing the services and providing higher expense benefits to only a few. We must do a better job at screening to ensure benefits are going only to truly needy citizens and work more closely with other organizations within the township to maximize our services without duplicating efforts.Questions 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.1)Spend taxpayers money efficiently and responsibly. 2)Develop a strategic plan and involve public input. 3)Ensure all taxpayers are benefiting from Township services. Our goal is to create a plan with community input that makes sure that all taxpayers are benefitting from Township services and that tight cost controls are kept on that plan. In order to achieve this goal, we need to abandon the current Township mantra ofwe?ve always done it this way? and allow our Doing Things Better for Palatine Township team to create a plan, implement that plan and monitor the plan from a strategic and financial standpoint.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?At this point, Townships are still a necessary level of government. There are still areas of land that the towns have not gobbled up and there are services that the towns do not provide. Until the time comes when Township services are all provided by the towns and villages within the township, it is the duty of township officials to create and implement a plan that provides Township services without duplicating those services provided by towns and to do this within a tightly controlled budget.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?The primary purpose of township government is to support citizens within the township by maximizing the influence of taxpayer dollars and private contributions. This support includes providing assistance to those in need as well as seniors, maintaining roadways in unincorporated areas and ensuring residents receive accurate property assessments. The Doing Things Better for Palatine Township slate believes that we can provide these services more efficiently and effectively as well as control the budget.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?We need to create a strategic plan with the input of the community and establish a budget to meet that plan. At the same time we need to look at our expenses and cut the budget without diminishing services. We plan to make a 5% cut by looking at salaries and bringing them in par with other municipalities, avoiding overtime where possible and making sure that expenditures are only made for worthwhile projects. Our goal is to create a plan that makes sure that all taxpayers are benefitting from Township services and that tight cost controls are kept on that plan.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 always been involved in giving back to the community through all the organizations I have volunteered for or been a member. As a business owner and a fiscal conservative I am also concerned over government spending. As a Trustee for Palatine Township, I would use what I have learned in the community and through managing my own business to be able to give back to the community in an efficient and effective manner and help control spending.