Dick Sayad: 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: Des PlainesWebsite: dicksayad@aol.comOffice sought: Des Plaines City Council Ward 4 Age: 71Family: My wife Patty and I are married for 30 years, Scott our son is 26 and Peaches the dog arounds off our family.Occupation: Owner of a computer company, retiredEducation: Grammar and High School in Chicago, Illinois Graduated from International Data Processing Institute of Chicago, IllinoisCivic involvement: Served on Des Plaines Protection Committee Board Member of the Des Plaines Community Foundation Member of the Des Plaines Kiwanis Member of the Elks Club of Des PlainesElected offices held: 4th Ward Alderman approaching 12 years of service.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?With my twelve years of service I bring a deep wealth of knowledge and experience of the city government, how it works and how to get things done. I have served for four years as Finance Chairman. I have also been Chair of the Engineering and Community Service Committees. I have also served on Legal and Licensing,Community Development, Building Codes and Public works. In my twelve years as Alderman I have diligently attended council and committee meetings, missing only 4 during my tenure. I am available on a 24/7 basis to meet the needs of my residents even when I am out of town. My broad knowledge of Des Plaines City government and proven track record of accomplishments achieved by working with my fellow council members and city staff make me the best candidate for Alderman.Do you approve of the direction in which Mayor Bogusz is taking the city? Why or why not?I think that Mayor Bogusz is an enthusiastic young man with a lot of ideas. I look forward to the challenge of finding common ground, in conjunction with council and city staff, to move our great city forward to the benefit of the citizens of the Fourth Ward and the entire city.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?In my 12 years as alderman I have always worked hard to be a good financial steward of our tax dollars. One area I recently fought to economize on was the "off duty" use of city cars by employees. Working with my fellow council members, the city manager revised and amended this policy resulting in a significant savings. The city is on a sound financial footing. We currently have 19 million dollars in the reserve fund and we are four years ahead of funding our pension obligations. We have refinanced city loan obligations to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. We recently finalized a deal to change our water supplier which will realize significant savings in the future. With the savings we have realized, we have a Master Plan in place to repair and replace badly need city infrastructure. The Master Plan fairly distributes repair or replacement of city streets, sewers and sidewalks to all the citizens of Des Plaines. We are implementing programs to retain current businesses and attract new ones to our great city and help strengthen our tax base, helping relieve the burden on the home owner.What is the single biggest problem in your ward not getting enough attention right now and what do you propose to do about it?The biggest problem in my ward right now is backyard flooding. I would work hard to secure funding from program savings and possibly direct casino revenues to help homeowners correct this serious infrastructure problem in my ward.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?More community outreach and information. In my years as alderman I have personally passed out over 1400 welcome packets to new residents informing them of all the city programs and services that are available. Also every holiday I reach out to between 50-60 of my ward's residents with a personal phone call to make sure of their well being.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?To continue to work hard at reducing taxes for the residents and provide high quality city services, with improvements in areas that are needed. For the last 12 years as the 4th Ward Alderman, I have donated my entire salary to local Des Plaines charities for the betterment of my community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Donald TrumpWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Respecting my Mother and Father who were the BESTIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing, I've had a great life. Of course there where ups and downs, but overall I'll take my life as is.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Mathematics which helped me running my computer businesses and understanding city policy's and procedures.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Work very hard in any profession you chose and save regularly for your future.