Terry Mee: Candidate Profile

Back to Wheaton Park Board

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 Park Board Age: 64Family: Wife, four children, two grandchildren, four siblingsOccupation: Police Officer - Chief of PoliceEducation: B.S., Law Enforcement Administration, Western Illinois University M.S., Human Resource Management Development, National Louis UniversityCivic involvement: Wheaton Park District Board Commissioner, eight years. Dundee Township Boys Girls Club Board of Directors, five years Volunteer, Park District Special EventsElected offices held: Park Board Commissioner Board of Directors, Dundee Township Boys Girls Club Executive Committee, QuadCom PSAPQuestions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?While most of our Park District programs, activities, and services are sustainable, there are no fees for the maintenance and upkeep of our parks, facilities, and athletic fields; and more monies are spent on our Senior Services and the Lincoln Marsh than are made in revenue return. Maintenance and upkeep of park properties are obviously necessary and desirable. Our Senior Services are diverse and much desired by the community, and are, therefore, supported beyond their sustainability. The Lincoln Marsh is an outdoor nature conservation area offering related educational programs and activities and is also a much desired community offering that is also supported beyond its sustainability. The return on the investment in the community through the aforementioned solidify their need and continuation as Wheaton Park District services.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.One of the core missions of the Wheaton Park District is to preserve open space; and we continue to maintain an openness to consider acquisition of additional open space properties for the purpose of supporting current program and activity needs, expand existing recreational activities, and offer new ones. The costs of such acquisitions, however, require the Park District to consider lease as well as purchase agreements and to seek partnerships with other government entities and not-for-profit groups for funding and cost-sharing. As the community demands for recreational opportunities increase, so does the consideration of open lands for that expansion.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?The Park District receives periodic comments from the community, regarding a desire for an indoor pool, which would normally be housed in a fieldhouse facility. The cost of a pool and such a facility is significant, and its sustainability is questionable. While a cost-benefit study has not been conducted, it is likely to be necessary in the future. Like other possible expansions, however, it will become a matter of prioritizing available operating capital dollars and spending on need over desire.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?The Wheaton Park District has engaged and will continue to engage in facility and recreational land sharing with such government entities as School District 200, DuPage County and its Forest Preserve District, and the Winfield Park District; in addition to collaborating with not-for-profit groups for funding of recreational play areas (e.g. the Sensory Garden Playground for special needs children. That collaboration and sharing has also extended to numerous special community events that involve the partnership with the City of Wheaton, the Downtown Wheaton Association, The Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Lions Club, CASA of DuPage and other not-for profit groups. The Park District is interested in saving money and improving the efficiency of services through any sharing and/or pooling of any governmental resources that are analyzed and confirm a positive return on the investment. Essentially, the Park District continues to remain open to considering any partnership that maximizes resources and the value of tax dollars and fees collected.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.During my two terms as a Wheaton Park District Commissioner, the Park District has realized some significant successes that have been facilitated through the support of the community. Among those are the renovation of Northside Park; a partnership with a developer that resulted in the acquisition of the Old Hubble School (now, the Central Athletic Center that is soon to be renamed) and the building of the Mariano's grocery store on a part of the old Hubble School site; the saving of the open space that was the athletic field area of the old Hubble site and which will soon be rebuilt athletic fields and a park that will be the gateway to the City at Main St. Roosevelt Rd.; self-sustaining Park District-managed special events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks event and display and the Fourth of July Parade; synthetic turf fields at Graf Park; the new Sensory Garden Playground with a focus on children with autism; partnerships with DuPage County for saving of open space now used for athletic activities; renovation of the Arrowhead Golf Course; recent awards for "Best Large Business of the Year", awarded separately by the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Wheaton; the partnership with DuPage County to preserve and manage the DuPage Historical Museum and house the Park District's main administrative offices; the sustainability of the Cosley Zoo and its expansion to include new animal exhibits, such as the Bobcat exhibit, among others.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?It is important to note that, while Northside Park Pool was recently renovated, Rice Pool is aging and will likely require infrastructure work (i.e pool relining, etc.). Rice Pool is approximately 25 years old and will need a 'facelift'. Regarding the funding support for the Park District operation, it is also important to note that approximately 9% of a Wheaton resident's tax bill goes to the Park District; and just over a third of the operations budget of the Park District is supported by Property tax dollars, while the remainder is supported by Park District fees.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Anyone who patterns himself and his leadership after Abraham Lincoln.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Politeness, respect for yourself and others and treat people as you would like to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?More time with my children, who are now adults.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Zoology. Appreciation for Mother Nature and wildlife.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be positive and enjoy and respect life and what it has to offer.