Timothy Doherty: 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: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mount Prospect Park Board Age: 35Family: Married to my amazing wife Alison who is a teacher in School District 63, and I have 2 children Charlie (3) and Nora (1). I was born and raised as a resident of the Mt. Prospect Park District, and I have chose this same community to raise my family.Occupation: City of Des Plaines Police DepartmentEducation: Bachelors degree in Management from Benedictine University.Civic involvement: I am a very active member of St. Zachary Parish in Des Plaines sitting on the Parish Administrative Council, Co-Chairman of St. Zachary Augustfest, and member of the Fundraising Committee. I am also very active in fundraising for Special Olympics Illinois.Elected offices held: Mt. Prospect Park District Secretary Mt. Prospect Park District Vice President Mt. Prospect Park District PresidentQuestions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?The mission of the park district is to provide quality recreation and programs to the community. When you provide those services there will always be some programs that do better than others. While it's important to review all programs annually to see if they should continue, it's also important to not only look at the revenue those programs create but also take into account the community needs those programs fill. While on the board we have had successful programs with increases in program revenue almost every year. The board and staff continually look at programs to add and remove based on revenue, user attendance, and many other factors.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.The Mt. Prospect Park District is in a land-locked area with not much open space that isn't developed. While it's important to always look and review any opportunities to purchase open space, I think the focus over the next 4 years needs to be on updating and taking care of the property we already have. This year we have taken some large steps with the update of the Golf Course, the replacement of Leahy Circle Park with a new park on Dara James, the OSLAD grant awarded to the park district to replace and update Einstein Park, and discussions about some renovation at Big Surf Pool but there is much more that can be done and will need to be done in the future. More open space would be great, but not at a cost of not being able to update and keep up the property that we already own.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?I'm not sure it's possible to meet every recreation need a community has, but if you look at our brochure it's obvious we try our best to do just that. I have always been a strong supporter of more programs for junior high and high school age students. In the past 14 years our district has tried a few different ways to reach this group but not with a large success rate. I think this is one group we need to keep working on and try to come up with more ways to get them involved in programs in the district. I would also like to see more classes and programs geared toward health and nutrition. I believe this could be done in age appropriate groups, for example a class for seniors, a class for middle age adults, and a class for adolescents. I think many of the programs that I have listed above would have the potential to cover their costs with user fees without having to wait until the economy improves. A program that would be low in cost but offer a new free area of recreation would be Frisbee golf. I think that could be implemented in a park for very low cost and low maintenance while offering another area of recreation for the community.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?I do support sharing/pooling resources when possible with other local governments. While on the board I voted to create an agreement with the River Trails and Prospect Heights Park Districts to become partner districts. This groundbreaking program allowed residents of all 3 park districts to receive resident rates at the other districts. This agreement allowed our residents to have access to more park district programs at a reduced cost. This also allowed our park district the ability to expand our offerings without having to take on the burden alone. Some of the other areas that I would look into for combining or merging resources would be on ordering of supplies and office equipment. Many times you get a cost break with the larger amounts of items ordered. If a few units of government could place one order it could help save all of them some money.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 have been a member of the Mt. Prospect Park District Board for 14 years. There have been many things that I am proud to have played a part in during my time on the board. Some of those accomplishments are building the Veteran's Memorial Fountain at Lions Park, the building of Meadows Pool, the Renovation of Lions Recreation Center, the renovation of the golf course, the relocation of the maintenance garage, and the updating of many local parks in the community. When longtime Executive Director Walt Cook announced his retirement, I was selected to be the Chairman of the executive search committee. While it was a hard process to find someone to fill the large shoes Walt left behind, I'm proud of the selection of Greg Kuhs who has continued to move this park district forward. After 14 years on the park district board and over 20 years being involved in the district my reason for running for the district today is the same as it was 14 years ago, to help make this amazing district the best district in the State of Illinois.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?An important issue to me is continuing to provide the programs and services that the residents are use to receiving and expect without raising taxes. The Mt. Prospect Park District is a tax caped unit of government that cannot raise taxes without going to the residents in the form of a referendum. I believe that we cannot put anymore burden on the residents and need to continue to operate with the funds we have available. In the 2015 budget over 30% of the budget is revenue from user fees, this includes rentals, programs, and other user fees. I believe this is one area we need to focus on to create additional revenue that can help fund future programs, special events, and projects. Continuing to think outside the box and finding new sources of revenue without putting it on the residents of the district is a must over the next 4 years.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Jesse White- He gives all he can to the community and isn't looking at his position as a stepping stone for higher office.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Growing up in a family with 8 siblings I was taught if you want something in life you have to work for it.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I was always close to my Dad, but my do-over would be to tell him I loved him one last time before he passed away.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?In college I took an american politics class that really peaked my interest in local government. It was a main reason for my first election.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Follow your dreams and always make sure your family and faith comes first in your life.