Terry Gavin: 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: ElginWebsite: http://www.citizensforgavin.comOffice sought: Elgin City Council (4-year Terms)Age: 58Family: Married for 24 years to Rose. No children.Occupation: Self-employed insurance broker licensed for Life Health.Education: High School graduate, Honor Roll, Grant Community High School, Fox Lake, IL. 1972. Fellow of the Life Underwriters Training Council, professional designation of LUTCF.Civic involvement: Elgin Masonic Lodge #117, National Association of Investment Financial Advisers or NAIFA Elgin Area, appointed member of the Hanover Township Mental Health Board,volunteer Medicare counselor at Hanover Township Senior Center.Elected offices held: Elgin City Council, 1995-1999.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My top priority on the council will be to fight excessive taxation in Elgin. I will honor my title of "The taxpayer's watch dog" which was given to me by the Daily Herald in 1999, by making the defeat of the pending "Rain Tax" as my top priority. My experience has shown that the best way to deal with a tax, is to defeat it before it is enacted. I will do all within my power to fight this unprecedented grab for the taxpayer's hard earned money.Key Issue 2 My second issue is Elgin's spending priorities. The city has increased it's spending by 36.7% in the last 2 years. We don't have a revenue problem we've got a spending problem, according to the city's own numbers. All of this during a down economy.Key Issue 3 My third issue is to make the City of Elgin a MORE business friendly community. This can be accomplished by reducing taxes fees along with a reduction in regulations/paperwork on both large as well as small businesses.I would repeal the Elgin Business License. I would fight to lower the excessive inspection fees that the City charges. This will make Elgin a regional magnet for more new businesses and help retain those businesses already here.Questions Answers Should the city continue its opposition to allowing video gambling outside the grand Victoria?NO, and the revenues should be used to ease the burden of all of the new taxes passed in the last 2 years on Elgin citizens businesses.What is your position on the city's plans to to implement a stormwater utility fee in 2014?Totally opposed! No stormwater utility fee/rainwater tax on top of the largest tax increases passed in the city's history over the last 2 years.Do you support the city funding the $900,000 overhaul of the Eastside Recreation Center? What do you think of closing Eastside and consolidating operations with The Centre of Elgin?I do not support keeping the Eastside Rec. Center open. With the local economy as it is, it would be far better to consolidate it's operations with The Centre.What is your view on the city's recent property tax levying history and imposition of other charges, such as the refuse fee?"I have been dumbfounded by the repeated claims that the the tax changes made in December 2011 to create the new natural gas tax, electrical utility tax, garbage tax, leaf rake out fees, etc. would be "balanced" off by the decrease in the property tax. That has simply proven to be UNTRUE! The City's own budget for 2012 showed that property tax revenues were only dropped by $1million, but all the other new taxes and fees added up to about $10million. This is NOT balanced, and is a huge part of why the City was able to create a $7-$9million surplus in the 2012 budget. And in the 2013 budget, that surplus is expected to go up an additional $10+million! This is a completely unfair tax increase, because it was created to solve a budget crisis, that the figures show simply did not exist.The Elgin Symphony Orchestra wants the city to resume its yearly disbursement of Riverboat funds to the ESO. Do you support this? Why or why not?At this time I cannot support any further taxpayer support to the ESO unless they can prove that they can straighten out the financial mess they have put themselves in.