Gary Mayo: 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: Glen EllynWebsite: www.cornellmayowilson.comOffice sought: Glen Ellyn Park Board Age: 66Family: Wife - Becky Sons - Ben JoelOccupation: Retired business ownerEducation: Univ. of Michigan - BBACivic involvement: Glen Ellyn Park District Glen Ellyn Economic Development Corp. Youth hockey coachElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?When elected to the Park District Board, my fellow commissioners and I brought to it a more "business-like" approach, and our staff has worked hard to ensure that most programs are self-supporting. Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center now turns a profit of over $200K per year, contributing to maintenance, improvements and programs throughout the district, helping to keep taxes low. When the Ackerman bonds are retired in 2017, we will have nearly the lowest tax levy of any park district in Dupage County. That said, there are programs and facilities that do not pay for themselves, and we are continually evaluating these to determine if it makes sense to subsidize them. Many of our senior programs, for example, are not self-supporting, but I believe that these programs are important and should even be expanded to benefit our senior citizens who pay taxes to support the Park District. We also provide many events that our community enjoys, such as outdoor ice skating, Movies in the Park, Poochapalooza, Family Fun Night, Jazz in the Park, and 4th of July festivities. We should not expect every program to be profitable. The mission of the Park District is to provide recreation and leisure opportunities for our residents, and I believe we do an outstanding job fulfilling that mission. In so doing, there will always be some programs that do not "pay for themselves". If those programs are providing benefits that are valued by the community, we should keep them.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.During my first term on the Park District Board, I attended regular meetings of the Dupage County Open Space Steering Committee, a group organized by The Conservation Foundation that worked to identify opportunities for preserving open space in Dupage County. Several parcels with the Glen Ellyn Park District boundaries were identified as potential for acquisition, however given the high cost of land in Glen Ellyn, we have prioritized other projects that we believe offer more "bang for the buck." We continue to watch for additional opportunities to preserve open space based on availability and funding. In particular, we would like to provide more open space and recreational opportunities on the southern end of our district, as well as the far northern end, and are looking for ways to do so.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 recreational needs of the community are constantly evolving, and the Park District works hard to identify new opportunities as they arise. I believe that our staff has done a great job staying "ahead of the curve" with the programs and facilities we offer. When I came on the Board, there was a serious shortage of playing fields in Glen Ellyn, and a growing need. When my son started the lacrosse team at Glenbard West in 2003, we had to rent fields from the Butterfield Park District. This issue was one of the reasons I ran for the Park District Board, and I believe we have addressed that problem very effectively. The Park District's youth lacrosse program (the Bulldogs) is now thriving in part because we were able to create more fields for youth sports. In 2015, through a cooperative agreement with Glenbard District 87, we will be installing an artificial turf field at Newton Park, which will further expand our recreational opportunities. The Park District has also been at the forefront of offering new programs (like lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, pickleball, archery, junior paleontology, bricks for kids, to name a few). Virtually all of our recreational programs are self-supporting, because it is our policy that their costs be covered by user fees, so that our taxpayers are not burdened by the addition of new programs.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?We are always looking for ways to share/pool resources with other government bodies. Taxpayers don't care which government entity provides their services; they simply want their government to be efficient and provide quality services. Thanks to our Executive Director, Dave Harris, who was hired shortly after I came on the Board, the Park District has excellent relations with the Village, our school districts, and other government agencies. We have numerous intergovernmental agreements in place, and continually review those agreements to be sure they make sense for the taxpayers. Recently, with the help of the Village of Glen Ellyn, we began participating in a cooperative that purchased trees at a very favorable price, so that we could replace diseased and dying trees as well as add to our existing tree inventory (nearly 300 trees and saplings were planted in 2014). We cooperate with the Village in buying fuel and road salt, to leverage our combined purchasing power. We share many facilities with the school districts to maximize our youth and adult sports opportunities as efficiently as possible. Recently we have had conversations with C.O.D. and the County on mutually beneficial opportunities. We will continue to seek out more ways of combining or merging with other government entities for the benefit of our taxpayers.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.I believe my most significant accomplishment since joining the Board has been the formation of our Citizen's Finance Committee (CFC). The Village had done something similar a few years earlier, and as I followed their work, it appeared that they added real value for the taxpayers of our community. The Park District had been reluctant to utilize these types of advisory committees in the past, and that seemed like a missed opportunity. Shortly after my election to the Board, I reached out to the Village and met with the head of their finance committee, as well as with Village officials. It was apparent that the Park District could benefit from a similar committee, so with the approval of my fellow Board members, I began the process of recruiting volunteers and forming our CFC. That group has proven to be an invaluable resource as they have reviewed, evaluated, and improved many potential Park District projects. Most importantly, they have provided a long-range financial forecast that has become the context within which all major financial decisions are made. I have served as Board liaison to the CFC since it's creation, and would like to continue in that capacity. I have also served as Board president since May 2014.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The Park District has accomplished much since the leadership change in 2011. We have increased revenues, cut expenses, and put the Park District on a very solid financial footing. Our bond rating was recently raised to AA+, among the highest of any park district in Illinois, which will save the taxpayers over $180,000 as a result of refinancing some bonds this past December. I want to see that we continue to operate in a fiscally responsible way. We have one of the lowest tax levies of any park district in Dupage County, and are still able to offer facilities and programs that are the envy of many neighboring communities. Operationally, our top priority is to maintain our existing parks and, where needed, improve upon what we have. Lake Ellyn Park, while well maintained, is in need of improvement. In 2015-16, with the help of a $400,000 grant, we will be making those much needed improvements to the park and its playground, and will be restoring the Boathouse to its historic beauty. I would very much like to see these projects through to completion. The current Board has demonstrated a commitment to "doing things right". Projects are approached in a professional and systematic way that insures the best, most cost-efficient outcome. Perhaps most importantly, we will continue to listen to the community and make decisions that reflect the wishes of the majority. This is YOUR Park District, and I am honored to have this opportunity to represent you.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I have long admired Herb Kelleher, co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, and have tried to emulate his innovative leadership style.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My Dad was a member of the "greatest generation", and what I learned from him is that hard work and perseverance always pays off.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wish I could re-do my college years at University of Michigan - I could have been more focused and gained more from that opportunity.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I enjoyed math and science classes, but it was my accounting classes that led to becoming a CPA and having a long career in business.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be yourself, believe in yourself, and make your life what you want it to be!