Ed Ritter: Candidate Profile

Back to Carpentersville Village President

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: CarpentersvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carpentersville Village President Age: 68Family: Daughters -Amanda, Katie, KimGrandsons -Cayden, DonnieOccupation: RetiredEducation: BA Valparaiso UniversityMA Indiana State University+30 Ball State UniversityCivic involvement: Carpentersville Rotary (Morning)Elected offices held: Village Trustee 4 yearsVillage President 8 yearsQuestions Answers Many municipalities are met with the challenge of maintaining steady revenue streams while trying to lower the tax burden on businesses and property owners. How has the village handled that balancing act so far, and how would you improve/maintain that situation?We have reduced staff from 230 to 170 resulting in an annual savings of $1,400,000. We have used a new method of handling bond refinancing that has created about $2,000,000 in savings. We have secured a new Walmart creating a sales tax income expected to be $1,000,000+ as well as 150 new jobs for our residents. We have issued several new video gaming licenses with expected yearly income for the village of $120,000+.These measures have allowed us to keep the portion of our tax levy for general expenses and debt service flat or in some cases even lowered for the last 5 years. Unfortunately, state mandated increases for public safety pensions have risen dramatically eating up any savings or new income we have been able to generate.We have had several new businesses open recently, and the presence of Walmart has sparked a lot of interest in our Route 25 Corridor. Likewise, our Route 31 TIF has created renewed interest in properties along that corridor. Also, our participation in the renewal of Springhill Mall has already brought several new businesses into the Carpentersville portion of the Mall. We expect that all this activity will allow us to maintain a flat levy in our general expenses fund.In addition We are actively lobbying in Springfield for pension relief and changes to union friendly regulations that currently limit our ability to contain costs.How would you suggest Carpentersville carry out its long-term goal of finding occupants for vacant buildings and properties throughout the village? What, if anything, is currently lacking in the village's business and economic portfolio?The village recently hired a new business development director who is working closely with our current businesses to expand their sales. We now have a website, Shop Cville, that allows our businesses and residents to easily connect through our village website. We also have a current inventory of all available buildings and building sites so we can quickly link potential new businesses and industries with sites that match their needs.Carpentersville has recently also employed the firm Retail Strategies, which actively engages national retailers at trade shows and through other contacts to locate firms that match what Carpentersville has to offer. Our Community Development Department operates under the slogan "Get to yes!" Our goal is to work with any potential new business to quickly and easily get them through the development process.We would like to bring in an auto dealer, a furniture store, an appliance store,and a national call center.Call centers often seek locations with large bilingual populations which could bring a significant number of jobs to Carpentersville.One other item on our shopping list is some new housing, possibly a high end apartment complex. We have suitable land on either side of the village for such a development.Where in the village's budget, if anywhere, could expenses be trimmed? And on the other hand, should the budget allot more money toward any particular area, service or village department?As noted elsewhere, we have already made major cuts to our personnel costs. In addition we have streamlined every department for greater efficiency at a lower cost. We have outsourced some services such as lawn and landscaping needs which are mostly seasonal. We have also outsourced certain portions of our snow plowing to a private company that uses smaller trucks that work well in cul-de-sacs.Both of these outsourcings are done at a much lower cost than we can do with our own employees. Careful safety training for all employees has kept our insurance costs down.Right now we are providing excellent services to our residents with a good balance among all the departments, but one area where we may be able to bring some savings and convenience to our residents is through intergovernmental agreements. We are looking for ways to work with our neighbors to provide better services to both governments at lower cost. Several years ago we linked Carpentersville and West Dundee's water services which allowed us to each paint our west side water tanks without any lose or reduction of service. More recently Carpentersville was able to repair a major pipe leak without requiring a boil order or losing water pressure by using our interconnect to maintain service. We also are working with Algonquin to provide a similar interconnect.What are your biggest concerns regarding public safety, and how could those be addressed?I am very proud of our public safety departments. We recently hired a new fire chief, but before we offered him the job, we asked our firefighters to meet with him. After his hiring, he embarked on a 100 day plan that relied heavily on cooperative work with the fire staff. Our police are heavily involved in public outreach which has lowered our crime statistics to a level that is below that of many similar sized Illinois cities.Our problems are not with our public safety personnel but with the rules imposed by the state legislature. The public safety pension system is set up so that the legislature sets the rules but has no stake in how the rules are funded. All funding is local. Likewise, the state sets work rules and rules concerning disabilities the are far more generous than federal disability rules. All these factors drive our village budget and put us in a position where we could be forced to cut services and personnel to pay for pensions.What can the village do to improve its relationship with union employees, particularly those in the fire department, and is there room for improvement? Please explain.There is always room for improvement, but I think we have started on the right path by inviting the fire staff to meet the new chief early and and the new chief having the foresight to get them involved in the planning process. The new chief has gained the respect of the men which is making a world of difference. As long as we all operate on the basis of mutual respect and good will, good things will continue to happen.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Carpentersville has made great strides in recent years on the quality of life available to its residents. Our streets and other infrastructure are vastly improved. Our park system is much better. Our events committee is dedicated to bringing more quality events to the village for our residents and others to enjoy. We are now recognized by Tree City USA for efforts to expand and improve our tree inventory. Many new businesses are coming into town. our Business Development Committee has developed a long range strategy for attracting quality new businesses and industries. We are receiving awards for our transparency and our financial accounting. The issue we face is how do we get people outside of Carpentersville to realize that Carpentersville is not the village they perceive it to be. Carpentersville is a great place to live and raise a family."Don't blink, or you will miss something good happening in Carpentersville."Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has been able to lead a very diverse group with dignity and perseverance.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I grew up in a family with very modest means and learned to be frugal, work hard, and save for what I really wanted.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have forced my wife to go to the doctor. She waited too long and we lost her.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I enjoyed math. It taught me how to attack problems systematically.A solid understanding of how numbers work has allowed me to keep my finances straight.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Look twice before you make any big decision - once with your heart and once with your head.