D. Court Harris: 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: Arlington HtsWebsite: www.harris4ah.comOffice sought: Arlington Heights Village Board Age: 30Family: Colette - fianceeOccupation: Director of Client Services for a corporate travel firm, Gant TravelEducation: United States Military Academy at West Point, 2007 (Bachelor of Science in Management)Civic involvement: Arlington Heights Fire and Police Commission; Board of Directors - West Point Society of Chicago; Vice-President - St. Viator Alumni Association Member, Chicago Sister Cities Committee for Milan, Italy Member, The Bunker Military Incubator (at 1871) Council of 100; Member, Italian-American Chamber of Commerce and National Italian-American Foundation; Northwest Illinois Area Leader, Team RWB military veterans' foundation; Former Member, Arlington Heights Youth Commission; Parishioner, Our Lady of the Wayside; Bronze Star Medal recipientElected offices held: Appointed by Mayor Tom Hayes to the Arlington Heights Fire and Police Commission in June 2013Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My candidacy represents the new generation of Arlington Heights residents, and we need someone on the Village Board with that perspective for the future. I am a lifelong resident of Arlington Heights; I went to school here at Our Lady of the Wayside and St. Viator. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point and serving two deployments, one in Afghanistan, I returned to Arlington Heights and became a home owner and property taxpayer. My life has been and will continue to be in this community. As I look to the future, I believe it's important that there be a Trustee who embraces the challenge of creating an environment that will attract younger citizens to our Village -- whether it's a couple looking for a good place to raise a family or an entrepreneur looking for a hospitable location to start a business. I remember downtown Arlington Heights before it was "downtown" and the library before it was a multiple-award winning community resource. I know the way Arlington Heights was, the way it is now, and I'm looking to the future to make it even better. Previously, I served on the Youth Commission, and I currently serve on the Fire and Police Commission, helping review, hire, and promote the public safety officers that serve and protect our community. My hometown knowledge and perspective for the future, coupled with the experience of leading soldiers on foreign soil in a combat zone, gives me a skill set unique among candidates.Tell us your vision for Metropolis. Specifically, touch on your vision for programming, how it should be financed, and what role the village should play in supporting and/or running it. Or conversely, if your vision calls for it to be eliminated, explain why and what the village should do with the property.There needs to be an honest conversation about the future of Metropolis and how we judge its success. Metropolis has been in operation for 15 years, and I still don't see clear, quantifiable metrics in place to determine its viability. The taxpayers who have funded Metropolis to the tune of $5 million have the right to expect their village leaders to lay out very specific, tangible goals and to establish - in writing - funding and support relationships between Metropolis and the village. It's unrealistic to think that performing arts theaters can be self-sustaining, and Metropolis is no exception, so we have to determine the level of support the Village can responsibly provide. I've heard time and again the argument that Metropolis has great financial influence on the downtown business district, yet no one seems to be able to provide specific figures on what the impact really is. We need to determine what the real figures are related to the theater's economic impact on the central business district, and Village as a whole, in order to show residents the effect Metropolis has on the community. I support the Arts and want Metropolis to thrive, but like any resource, it must be managed efficiently and utilized correctly. To date, I don't believe that has happened. Let's develop a clear strategy that has measurable indicators and specifically lists the ways in which the Village will support it financially, so we don't continue down the path of carte-blanche support.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?There is one guiding principle when it comes to budgets - protect the taxpayers' dollars; spend them wisely and spend them with the objective of improving the quality of life in our Village. The largest part of the budget for Arlington Heights, as is the case in most governmental entities, is personnel costs. We need to hold the line on the budget and look for areas that can be trimmed. Are there areas of duplication? Is technology being leveraged effectively? Are there services which might be "nice to have," but not really necessary? Are there areas of scalability within the various Village departments in which manual processes could be automated? Are there systems or inventories that can be streamlined and shared across departments to reduce costs? I want to ensure that these types of tough questions are being asked and thoroughly answered before I would vote to approve any budget. For the coming fiscal year Arlington Heights will be operating on an 8 month budget because of the change being made to the Village's fiscal year. That change will result in $2,000,000 of available financial resources. Currently those resources are allocated to the parking garages, but is that the best expenditure? Perhaps using those funds to decrease the village's unfunded pension liabilities would be more prudent.Is the village's present level of local sales tax just right, too low or too high? Are there untapped sources of more municipal revenue?Currently, Arlington Heights levies a 1% sales tax, and I believe that is adequate to generate the revenue that is needed for our Village. Additionally, we levy a 1.25% Food and Beverage Tax. Since Arlington Heights is a home rule community, the Village Board could change the local sales tax levies on its own; however, I would not support that at this time. Our local sales tax is comparable to what other municipalities in the area levy, and thus our sales tax allows us to be competitive with other municipalities. The sales tax is a significant portion of our Village's total annual revenue, and the current balance of the sales tax with the other tax sources is reasonable. Raising our sales tax could place our business owners at a competitive disadvantage while lowering it could put more burden on the property tax. One of my primary goals is to protect taxpayers' dollars, and raising the sales tax simply to get more revenue is not in the taxpayers' best interests. To ensure that the sales tax rate stays at its present value, we need to ensure a coordinated effort among all the many stakeholders, such as the Village Board, Village staff, and Chamber of Commerce, to bring more businesses into Arlington Heights. More business would increase the amount of revenue generated from the sales tax. It is not a fixed pie --- grow the size of the pie and the amount of sales tax grows, too.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I believe residents want their elected officials to be accessible and approachable, and I think holding meetings in a less formal setting would help accomplish that. Currently, the Village Board meets Mondays for either Board or Committee-of-the-Whole meetings. At those meetings, residents are primarily spectators and often uninvolved. I suggest that there be a "Coffee with Council" or "Tea with Trustees" meeting in a more relaxed setting than the Monday meetings. The location can vary to give residents greater access. This would give residents the opportunity to discuss issues and ideas with their elected officials without having to go to an official meeting and stand at a podium while being videotaped. I know many people who are uncomfortable or feel intimidated by that format. I am not suggesting replacing formal meetings; rather, give residents an opportunity to discuss issues in a more comfortable venue. Other municipalities have such meetings, and there is no good reason why Arlington Heights could not as well. Village leaders need to be accessible and transparent as they handle village issues. More informal gatherings would accomplish that and would demonstrate to residents that Arlington Heights has a "best-in-class" government-citizen interaction.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Government's most important function is to serve and protect its citizens. As a member of the Fire and Police Commission, I know how seriously our public safety officers take this responsibility. As a Commission member, it's become clear to me that the AHPD has outgrown its current space in order to keep up with demands of modern policing. It's time to build a facility that will allow the police to provide the high level of service and protection that residents expect. However, the new facility must be designed and built in a manner that efficiently utilizes taxpayers' dollars. The building needs to be functional for current requirements, but not elaborate. The end result should be a building that meets the needs of the Department, but doesn't constrain the Village moving forward because of exorbitant cost or a desire to have the fanciest police station around. Residents expect village leaders to be prudent when spending taxpayer dollars and to focus on the most pressing needs. The Village's shift to a calendar-based fiscal year starting in 2016 will result in operational savings. Using this savings, the Village Board authorized spending $2,000,000 to repair the Villages' parking garages. Certainly, these are important, but are they distressed or unusable in their current state? Was this really the highest priority? Were there areas where a $2 million investment could have had more impact? For instance, those funds could be used to decrease the Village's unfunded pension liability, as pension costs continue to increase every year.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K): inspirational leader who places the team above individuals and provides purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish shared goals.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Voluntary citizen service is the foundation of our country. We must all contribute in unique ways to ensure future generations have the freedoms we enjoy.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?When I was younger, I would have taken time to learn a musical instrument.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. Those who fail to understand the past are doomed to repeat it; this was crucial as an Army officer in a time of war.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be thankful for American citizenship-this is the greatest country in the history of the world; you must do your part to keep it that way.