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Harold Lonks: Candidate Profile

Winfield Village Board

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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.buildingwinfieldsfuture.comOffice sought: Winfield Village Board Age: 55Family: Wife Maria 2 DaughtersOccupation: Accountant and ConsultantEducation: University of Dayton, BS in Accounting and FinanceCivic involvement: Klein Creek Homeowner Association Treasurer CUSD200 Community Engagement Member Monroe PTA Pleasant Hill PTA TreasurerElected offices held: noneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am running independently of the two political groups that have divided our village for so many years. Haven't we all had enough? My cooperative nature and professional background will serve our village board well as we continue to make important progress and address Winfield's fiscal realities. Civility is an important component of any elected official's behavior, but we must also be open to debate and encourage independent thinking on our board. Now it is time to build Winfield's future and I am ready to take on these challenges with your support. My accounting and finance background will provide fiscal responsibility in helping the village to control costs and seek new sources of revenue through "smart" commercial development. The Village of Winfield and Northwestern Medicine (CDH) need to have a stronger partnership in order to aid development in the Town Center area. Northwestern Medicine is a premiere healthcare facility in the Chicagoland region, especially with the recent addition of the Ronald McDonald house. I will work hard and do what is best for the Village of Winfield and its residents. I am a proud Winfield resident and my wife, our two kids, and I have been very happy living in Winfield for more than five years.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 has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the surrounding area. Over the past few election cycles, the voters of Winfield approved increasing the sales tax rates in circ;frac14; percentage increments. This higher sales tax rate will allow the Village of Winfield to benefit from retail sales once "smart" commercial development starts moving forward, by providing additional revenue to support the services required by the residents of Winfield. Winfield homeowners - especially our seniors - should not be burdened with higher property taxes in lieu of sales tax revenue. The current village property tax is acceptable. The village's portion of a homeowner's tax bill is about 5%. Raising property taxes should be done as a last resort for the village to raise revenue and maintain basic services.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 2012 REM study of the Winfield Police force stated that the department ran efficiently, without waste or much "fat" to trim, and provided excellent services. Based on industry standards, our police department is short the number of recommended officers needed to provide optimal coverage. Unlike the misguided efforts of some elected officials, I promise to keep our Winfield Police Department and provide them with the resources they need to keep our community safe. Winfield's fire protection is under the jurisdiction of another elected board of trustees. In order to prepare for the next decade, our fire protection district is strategically planning to move the firehouse to provide a better level of protection to all the residents. I support this plan to relocate the firehouse. I have concerns about the safety of our youth, particularly with regard to the problems associated with heroin and synthetic marijuana in the western suburbs.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Winfield's budget adequately funds the essential services for the village to function and run efficiently. The number of village employees in Winfield is shockingly low when compared to similar municipalities, yet the village provides high levels of essential services to the village's residents, and they should be commended for their efforts. Our village does not suffer from a spending problem but from a lack of revenue. Winfield needs to look for "smart," neighborhood friendly commercial development that will provide sales tax revenue to make up for our obvious revenue shortage. The one area of the general budget lacking funds is the public works department. This department is tasked with taking care of the village's roads and infrastructure, while tending to maintenance issues related to our water and sewer systems. Due to the lack of adequate funding, a significant portion of the public works costs are transferred and paid through the water/sewer enterprise fund, which contributes to higher water and sewer rates for our residents.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Our community should explore sharing public works services with surrounding villages and cities to reduce costs and capital outlays. Road costs are continuing to grow while the village lacks revenue necessary to remediate the problem. If two or three communities combine their road paving projects, for example, the costs should be lower to the economy of scale allowing additional streets be paved. Large and expensive specialized equipment that is not used daily could be purchased and shared by surrounding communities, resulting in lower costs to the residents. And this type of specialized equipment can easily be shared based on needs or schedule. Many of the nearby fire districts are sharing specialized equipment to cut down on costs and holding down property taxes.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Other important issues for me and the community: Going door-to-door, I've met so many residents who are worried about skyrocketing water and sewer bills. We owe it to them to fix our revenue problem and find sustainable revenue solutions for Winfield. Starting in 2015, the combined minimum rate is $51.46 per month. The high minimum rate especially impacts our senior residents, many of whom are on fixed incomes and have very low water usage. The rates impact many young families with children, as well. Many of the residents of Winfield are suffering financially and concerned about their economic security. Grants and bonds help, but they can also serve to mask our structural deficit. We owe it to our terrific residents to responsibly seek out new sources of sustainable revenues by following the 2014 Comprehensive Plan. Roosevelt Road and Town Center are critical components of this strategy, and should not be dismissed because of the interests of just a few residents. A majority of residents want a united and not a divided Winfield. We need to be proud of our village and it starts with the civility of the elected trustees.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Governor Bruce Rauner worked hard to become governor and I hope he brings solutions and an optimistic vision to Illinois.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned the importance of hard work hard and to appreciate what life offers you.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spend more time with parents before passing away. My father passed when I was in college and my mother when my daughters were just infants.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I always like numbers in school and started taking accounting classes in high school. I still enjoy accounting and finance along with helping others.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Life is not about a plan but is about the unexpected. One must be willing to accept it in order to succeed in life.