John Prendiville: 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: WheatonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wheaton City Council Age: 52Family: Georgia - spouse Katherine --22 Elaine -- 18 Jack -- 16 Zoe -- 14Occupation: Managing Director and Senior Managing Counsel, The Bank of New York MellonEducation: B.A. English (University of Notre Dame/Eastern Illinois University) J.D. DePaul University; Law ReviewCivic involvement: Wheaton City Councilman At-Large 2007-2011 2013- present Board Member - Downtown Wheaton Association Member - Hubble School Task Force Member - Wheaton Grand Theater Committee Coach -- Wheaton Park DistrictElected offices held: See aboveQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I want to be involved, welcome responsibility, enjoy discussing City issues, and get tremendous satisfaction working with a team - and we have a very good team here in Wheaton. In addition, I have 26 years' experience as an attorney working in public finance, and am a Managing Director and Senior Managing Counsel for The Bank of New York Mellon, one of the country's largest financial institutions. My primary reason for running for re-election is a desire to continue to work to make Wheaton an even better place to live. As with every other municipality, particularly in a State with so many financial problems, we must make certain to maintain the City's current financial strength. Without that strong foundation, our hands would be tied. The City has done an excellent job managing its finances, particularly during the past seven years. We responded to the Great Recession immediately with difficult, but necessary, budget cuts which reduced the City's workforce by approximately 10%. My foremost goal, if re-elected, will be to preserve that foundation, and to work further to improve upon our high standards. During my two terms on the City Council, I have worked hard to be as well prepared as possible because I want to make a positive difference. If re-elected, I will continue to put in the time and effort necessary to put forth the best possible effort on behalf of the City.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.The current level of Wheaton sales tax and property taxes is appropriate. The City Council recently voted to lower the City's property tax levy by 2.1%, continuing a run of five consecutive years of level or lowered property tax levies. We have been able to do this because of the fine work by our City Manager and Assistant City Manager, and our Department Heads. They have worked to make the City more efficient, and have provided excellent service to City residents, as evidenced by the very positive results of the resident survey performed last year. We have been helped by an upturn in sales tax revenue as the economy has slowly improved. I believe that our sales tax rate is appropriate. The revenue it generates enables the City Council to refrain from raising property taxes while funding the expenditures necessary to maintain, and improve, our infrastructure and services. We have also been able to bring our fund balances to a level which permits the City to address unforeseen needs, such as ash tree removal and reforestation. Furthermore, the City has maintained its AAA bod rating notwithstanding the state of the general economy the past few years.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?Police and fire coverage are not issues in Wheaton. We have excellent fire and police departments; our resident survey results demonstrate that residents feel safe in Wheaton. Our departments are well-positioned for the challenges ahead. During our budget process, we make certain that both the police and fire departments are provided with the resources necessary to continue their excellent standard of service to the community.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I am not aware of any areas of the budget which present opportunities for significant cuts. As noted above, during the past seven years the City has focused intensely on greater efficiency, while not sacrificing service levels. This focus continues, and will again be demonstrated during our upcoming budget meetings. While our resident survey was very positive, residents did express a desire to see more resources directed to our streets and sidewalks, as well as to flooding issues. Street reconstruction and resurfacing have historically been funded primarily with Motor Fuel Tax revenues; however, these revenues have not kept pace in recent years with rising costs of the City's annual road program. In order to maintain the scope of the program, the City Council has voted in recent years to use the General Fund to augment Motor Fuel Tax revenues and improve a greater amount of mileage. I will vote to continue this funds transfer when it comes up for a vote in the coming months. I also support, and have voted for, increased funding for the replacement of sidewalks throughout the City. Sidewalks are an integral part of many City neighborhoods. Since resident participation in our former sidewalk replacement program was not sufficient to keep up with sidewalk deterioration, I believe it is appropriate for the City to continue to fund replacement. Finally, I continue to advocate funding of environmentally-friendly practices. While upfront costs are sometimes higher, the long-term benefits are worth the cost.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Candidate did not respond.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The City must be prepared for further negative impact on revenues which pass through the State, such as income tax revenue, which is one of our top funding sources. Given the State's poor financial condition, it is very possible that the State could reduce Wheaton's share of income tax revenues (and perhaps other revenues) in order to bolster its own finances. While this would, of course, be merely a shifting a portion of the burden resulting from past poor financial management from the State to local government, the effect on Wheaton could be profound. The City has prepared for such an eventuality through careful financial management, including maintenance of reserves, but would nevertheless be faced with very difficult decisions if any cuts were material. Based on our success working through prior economic issues, I believe that the City would remain strong financially .Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.