Jay Olson: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: WinfieldWebsite: www.morebusinesslesstax.comOffice sought: Winfield Village Board Age: 57Family: Wife: Camille Olson Daughters: Alanna, Brooke Son: ConnorOccupation: Civil EngineerEducation: B.S. Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University - Attended college on tennis athletic scholarship Graduate Studies, Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico Illinois Professional EngineerCivic involvement: Winfield In Action Wheaton Park District - Volunteer Youth Coach Village of Winfield: Zoning Board of Appeals, Vice Chairman - Plan Commission, and Chairman - Economic Development Task ForceElected offices held: Village of Winfield Trustee, 2009-2013Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?During my previous term Trustee, I demonstrated that I can work with everybody on the Village Board. I have collaborated and proposed compromise solutions on many issues, working to build consensus, for the overall benefit of all Village residents. Professionally, I have represented developers in pursuing entitlements, zoning approvals, and permits, and provided engineering services to municipal clients throughout NE Illinois. I was instrumental in obtaining the development approvals for the Wheaton Christian Grammar School, and played a significant role in negotiating the development deal and saving the Village $200k on Silverwood Glen, a residential development on the Matson Farm property. I recognized that the Village revenues need to be increased in order to continue to deliver essential services to residents, and that this can be achieved by bringing business to Winfield and commercializing Roosevelt Road. The Village will benefit from my professional experience and development network on potential developments throughout the Village.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Winfield property taxes are too high. Winfield has the opportunity to mitigate any future increase in prpoperty tax by bringing business to the Village and commercializing Roosevelt Road. The analysis in the Comprehensive Plan indicates that development along Roosevelt Road has the potential to contribute over $1.7 Million annually to the Village budget. This additional revenue funds the annual street maintenance, and the police department. In addition, development along Roosevelt Road will provide property tax revenue to other taxing bodies including School Districts 33, 34, and 94, the Winfield Library District and the Winfield Fire Protection District, further reducing the tax burden on residents of Winfield. Our current level of sales tax is just right. Through referendum, the Village supported increasing the sales tax 0.50%, which is now collected from current businesses in Winfield. The impact on potential development is immense based on commercializing Roosevelt Road, and could approach and additional $500k annually to the Village budget.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?The Village of Winfield Police Department is marginally-prepared for the next decade. Funding shortfalls in the Village budget will continue to impact the number of officers on the force, vehicles, training, and most importantly the adverse effect on all Village services due to the ever-increasing police pension cost. The police pension fund is not keeping track with the funding levels mandated by State Law. Clearly, additional revenues are needed in Winfield to continue to fund the police department. The Winfield Fire Protection District provides a vital service to the residents of the Village. I collaborated with the Fire Board President and Trustees to secure the property on County Farm Road for a future fire station. I also recognize that the Village of Winfield has an obligation to our residents to provide revenue growth through development that provides property tax revenue to the Fire District as well.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Water sewer rates are extremely high in Winfield. It is one of my goals to stop the next planned rate increase in May of this year, re-examine, and prioritize future expenditures, without jeopardizing the necessary maintenance and rehabilitation to keep the infrastructure in good condition. As a Professional Civil Engineer, practicing and providing communities in Illinois with municipal engineering services, I'm uniquely-qualified to understand the water sewer infrastructure needs, and trim expenditures. Annual road maintenance and economic development are two major areas that are severely under-funded. It has been determined that approximately $700k is necessary to fund annual road maintenance. Economic development is totally neglected. The Village needs to hire an Economic Development Director to promote the Village to attract more business to Winfield, and retain existing businesses. More Business Less Tax is our campaign's theme, and needs to be implemented to grow revenue in Winfield to address the budget deficiencies. A Director will focus businesses on the attributes of Winfield, provide the necessary information to evaluate the opportunity to locate in Winfield, and compete more effectively against neighboring communities with business incentives in place and greater resources.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I suggest a Village-wide resident and business survey. This concept was very successful when introduced in Woodridge many years ago when facing several tough issues. It is done annually, and the Village continues to consider the follow-up to be the most important aspect of the survey program. In the local area, Engage 200 has been very successful in capturing residents input for CUSD 200. I believe that the information provided by the residents will help understand the real issues residents face, re-build our community, and allow the Village Board to govern more effectively.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The Comprehensive Plan is taking too long to implement, and the most relevant, key steps to attracting development interest have not even started at this point in time. Many steps in the process are creating limitations and restrictions on potential development proposals, and may actually discourage developers for investing in our community. Village leadership needs to understand the key role they play in attracting developers to Winfield. Development is like a dance, and the Village is not even on the dance card yet. Carol Stream, West Chicago, and Wheaton have had significant development and revenue growth recently in spite of the rough economic times. Commercial development on Roosevelt is key to solving the Village's revenue position. Enhanced commercial property values along Roosevelt will benefit all taxing bodies in Winfield, and mitigate the tax burden on residents within these taxing bodies. It's a win-win-win for the Village/schools/fire library districts, and residents. Winfield does not have the revenue to support the vital Village services it owes its residents: annual road maintenance, reasonable water sewer rates, website/communications, adequate staffing for administration, code enforcement, economic development, public works, and policing. In fact, the current Village Board raised taxes on residents, without referendum approval, and then borrowed the funds to pay for road repairs to about a third of the roads in Winfield. What happens to the other two-thirds of the Village's residents when they don't get their roads repaired?Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Two local leaders: George Pradel, Naperville, and Roger Claar, Bolingbrook: vision, leadership, political fortitude, team-building, connection with residents, and commitment to making their communities better.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents, the first in their families to attend college, stressed education particularly a college education as the means to a long, successful career.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spend more quality time with my family. Like Tim McGraw's song, "My Next 30 Years," make up for lost time, and get a "do-over."What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math, being good with numbers, and possessing an analytical approach to problem solving has benefitted my professional career as an engineer.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be comfortable with who you are. What you do, how you do it, and why you do it, will be who you are.