Jim Steigert: 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: AlgonqjuinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Algonquin Village Board Age: 69Family: Daughters: Ange, Carolyn, Carrie, and Judy.Occupation: RetiredEducation: Space Planning and Interior DesignCivic involvement: Developed design construction plans oversaw construction of the Algonuin/Lake in the Hills Food Pantry. Served on the Algonquin EDC, the Board of Directors for the McHenry County EDC, Past president of the Algonquin/LITH Rotary club, Past president of Communities against Gangs, Past president of the Algonquin/LITH Coalition of Community Organizations, served on the design team for Jacobs High School and Eastview Elementary, served on the panel for the downtown Algonquin revitalization in 1996, served on the McHenry County Transportation Committee, served on the McHenry County Business Retention and Expansion Committee, etc.Elected offices held: Algonquin Village Trustee for 16 years.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Over the years I've contributed to and continue to support the philosophical foundation that has distinguished Algonquin has a highly respective and distinctive community in the Chicago Metropolitan region. I have a fairly extensive understanding of every department and work function, and the attendant needs and challenges of that position, within the Village based upon my annual meetings with each and every employee. I share a common conviction among my fellow Village Board members to continue to develop Algonquin as the ideal place to live, work, and play. I recognize that the single largest investment of our residents are their homes and I recognize that one of my responsibilities is to protect and insure that their investment appreciates in value through the 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.Algonquin has one of the lowest tax rates throughout the Fox Valley region. Algonquin has been particularly sensitive to the financial difficulties facing many of our residents, especially since 2008, that taxes have not only remained static for several years but were even lowered in two very recent years. All this has been accomplished while garnering a triple A bond rating placing Algonquin among a relatively few municipalities in the entire state to achieve this distinction. Additionally, Algonquin has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association for a 10th consecutive year.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?In a recent Community survey 85.2% of respondents rated overall police services as either Excellent or good and 98% of residents responded indicating that they felt either very safe or somewhat safe in their neighborhoods during the day. A testament to the quality of our police officers. Our Police Department is exceptionally well prepared to meet the needs and challenges of the next decade as recently evidenced not only by the retirement of our two Deputy Police Chiefs but also that of our Police Chief of many years, Russ Laine. As a result of continued training, education, attendance at the FBI Academy, succession planning, and a pervasive culture of excellence that has been in place for many years, those key positions were quickly filled internally. Whereas many Police Departments would have chosen an outsider, potentially adversely affecting morale, the Algonquin Police Department had a deep well of well tenured, experienced, and knowledgeable officers from which to draw upon. Last year the Algonquin Police department met and was awarded the accreditation standard of the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program which is a highly documented procedural guide to insure consistency. This is a process that took two years to compile and places the Algonquin Police Department in a very elite category.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Our budgets are typically very lean and even more so since 2008. The Village of Algonquin operates under a system of constraint budgeting. Revenue for the coming year is projected and each department is allocated just so many dollars in which to operate. Essentially, if the money is not there, then it's not spent. Just like any homeowner, the Village has to live within a budget. There are certainly areas of the budget where we'd wish we had more monies to allocate to certain projects such as streets or providing more recreational opportunities or any number of wish list items but our first priority is to get the maximum value of every dollar we spend on the taxpayer's behalfWhat's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?As a Village Board that's been together for a number of years there's very little in the way of wants or wishes that hasn't been raised formally or informally at some point during our tenures but - I would one day love to see the development of a Community/Performing Arts CenterWhat other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?First and foremost is the development of a vibrant and dynamic downtown and following closely behind would be providing well paying employment opportunities to our residents. Continuing to attract more retail development to augment our sales tax revenue so that one day we can full fill our wish list.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Alan MulallyWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Wear heavily padded trousersIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?EducationWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Reading. It's taken me to places that I might never have gone and provided me with countless hours of entertainment.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Patience and perseverance make the difference between acceptable or exceptional.