Vaseem Iftekhar: 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: Hawthorn WoodsWebsite: http://ILAREFORM.ORGOffice sought: Ela Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 65Family: Married,3 children. One grand child.Occupation: Retired Pharmaceutical executive. Owner of small business.Education: MBA in management,University OF Baltimore MD.Civic involvement: Advisory Board member of Compassionate Care Network which is a non profit organization which helps the uninsured to obtain proper medical care for prevention and treatment of disease.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NOCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To improve communication in order to get the residents of the township more involved in the affairs and decision making at the Township level and to bring transparency and accountability to the township governance.Key Issue 2 To ensure that assessments are fair and transparent, surplus money collected in the form of taxes are distributed back to the constituents or used for programs to serve the needs of Ela Township residents.Key Issue 3 increase efficiency by focusing on proper fiscal management, developing synergies in services provided to the villages.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.The biggest issue in my mind is lack of transparency and poor communication with residents of the township.I intend to have more contacts with the residents including town hall meetings,mailings and one on one meetings etc to improve two way communication. Community involvement will improve the working of the Board and will also help address the issues effecting the township.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?we should have a fair review of this question as to whether township is needed in the first place. After my election,I will ensure that decision regarding the township is made in the best interest of the constituents and not self interest of the elected individuals.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?The main responsibility is property assessments which should be fair and transparent,road maintenance and essential social services. i believe that we should further establish synergies in order to have maximum return on Taxpayer's dollars.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?An overall review of the salary structure needs to be made and salaries should be commensurate with an accounting of the amount of work hours involved. All major bids should be on competitive basis. Capital expenditure should be carefully studied to make sure that these expenditures are necessary and affordable.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 over three decades of experience in Project management and my education and training has been focused on increasing efficiency,meeting time frames and achieving goals in the most efficient manner and within a budget.I hope to bring these experiences to the running of the township. I am relatively new to political offices but have many years of practical management experience that can be utilized in the trustee position.I will bring a fresh outlook to the township government. I will take the oath of office to ensure that the township is run in a manner that will avoid waste and therefore the tax money collected is are utilized for improving services, supporting the needy including Seniors and Youth and to build a climate where township residents are more involved in the affairs of the township. I will also bring diversity to the local township so people from all ethnic backgrounds living in the township have representation in the township affairs.