David Andrejek: 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: Rolling MeadowsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Rolling Meadows Park Board Age: 43Family: I have been happily married to a wonderful woman, Dina, since 2002. I also have two beautiful children. My son, Dominic, is 11 years old and in 5th grade at Kimball Hill School. My daughter, Danielle, is in 1st grade, and will be turning 7 this February.Occupation: I am an electrical engineer that specializes in the design of wireless communication equipment.Education: Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 2007 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, 1995Civic involvement: Cubmaster of Rolling Meadows Cub Scout Pack 96, 2011-Present Volunteer youth sports coach; 2009, 2010, 2014-present Kimball Hill in-school assistant for 1st grade, 2014-present.Elected offices held: Commissioner of the Rolling Meadows Park Board, 2011-present. Vice President of the Park Board, 2014 - Present. Treasurer of the Park District, 2013-2014.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?The immediate item that comes to mind when considering what doesn't pay for itself is the park pool. This is a common theme among most public pools around the country and it is something communities deal with because a pool is highly desirable in the summer heat. Despite the loss associated with the pool, I am not in favor of eliminating the pool, as I believe this is something the community enjoys and wishes to maintain. Additionally, the pool at the sports complex was recently enhanced with a splash pad in the hopes of attracting more business. The splash pad has the benefit of providing a higher value experience without the extra carrying costs of a larger pool (such as labor costs for more lifeguards, etc) Regarding other programs, most that don't pay for themselves are programs with low attendance that are naturally cancelled or discontinued due to lack of interest.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Rolling Meadows is a mature community with little to no new residential development occurring. As such, the opportunity to acquire new open space is limited. If opportunities for more land present themselves, they should be evaluated on a case by case basis to see if it the acquisition makes sense.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'd like to see more emphasis on beginning music programs since the schools don't generally make this available to students until late elementary school. I believe the costs could be contained by using student instructors (from high school or local college) who would have a lower pay expectation than professional musicians, and this would allow the program to be covered by the participation fees. The end result would be a beginner's music program with a lower fee than private instruction that had little or no cost to the taxpayers.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?Resource sharing is already something our park district engages in. We have cooperative agreements with neighboring park districts for programs that don't have enough interest to be sourced by a single district. Additionally, we have reciprocal agreements with area schools for gym and field space, and share a maintenance facility with the city. These types of arrangements are a great way to save tax dollars.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 served as a Park Commissioner for one four-year term. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience interacting with the board, the park employees, and the community. In the few years I've been on the board, our district, parks, and facilities have seen enormous improvement. First and foremost is the elimination of the deficit that occurred from decisions made many years ago. We are now on firm financial footing that all taxing bodies should strive for. In addition to this, there has been a major focus on renovations and improvements to the park facilities including the addition of the splash pad and Frisbee golf; complete redo of several parks; renovation of the senior center, rental spaces, kitchen areas, and ADA bathrooms within the community center; and the repaving of several parking lots.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?My primary concern as a commissioner is to exercise fiscal responsibility and encourage fellow board members to do the same. I'm amazed that many public officials tout fiscal responsibility as a priority and then proceed to over-spend and over-tax forgetting the words they previously uttered. Spending wisely is not something that just happens, but it requires discipline, sacrifice and constant dedication. I am proud that our park district is now in good financial standing, but it is not the time to get complacent. I believe local taxing bodies are likely to encounter financial difficulties as the state reigns in its own financial issues. As the new governor pushes to move Illinois in a more fiscally stable position, a likely consequence will be a reduction in grants that are used for improvements of facilities. Additionally a possible freeze of property taxes or redistribution away from operations to prop up the underfunded pensions would result in less money for programs. All Illinois public officials should be prepared for this possible outcome, even the ones that are presently spending responsibly. I believe I am the best suited candidate for this scenario, as I am the only current commissioner that has presented the idea of freezing the park district's portion of property taxes. This is an unpopular idea within local governments because all organization want more funding year over year. However, I believe it is the path that leads to the most long term viability and one the taxpayers will appreciate the most.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Ron PaulWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Respect - respect for God, respect for others, and respect for myself.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'd prefer to spend my time focusing on what to do today rather than what I can't do over from yesterday.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math - it made engineering school a lot less stressful, and allowed me to pursue my successful engineering career.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.