Rob Weber: 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: voterobweber.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glen Ellyn Park Board Age: 46Family: I have a great wife and three sons. The sons are age 10, 14, 16. They attend Forest Glen, Hadley and Glenbard West respectivelyOccupation: EVP GC of a Software CompanyEducation: BA--University of Wisconsin--MadisonJD--University of WisconsinCivic involvement: PADS Volunteer Glen Ellyn Park District CommissionerGlen Ellyn Lakers Coach/Mgr. (6 years)Many Seasons as Park District CoachElected offices held: Glen Ellyn Park District CommissionerQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?The park district is part of what makes Glen Ellyn a great place to live. My family and I have taken advantage of the wonderful parks, green spaces, facilities and activities for years. As a result, I am well-qualified to provide the perspective of a parent, participant and taxpayer.As a board member, I focus primarily on:a.Taxes related to the park district make up 5.3% of our property tax bill. We must ensure every dollar is spent wisely. For years, the park board has worked to reduce the tax burden. As a result, our district tax rate is lower than our neighboring communities. The district's tax burden will go down 7.5% in 2017 and 27.5% in 2018. I want to build on that success.b.I am committed to the park district's mission. The mission is to create a "blend of recreation programs, facilities and open space" that enhances the quality of life in Glen Ellyn now and the future. If we stay true to that mission, residents of all ages and backgrounds will benefit.c.As a parent of three children involved in many programs and as a volunteer, I understand the contribution those programs make to the lives of our residents. The board needs members that are aware of the value of the programs and the challenges, costs and parent involvement required for them to succeed.I have learned from listening to residents, and I hope to continue to use that knowledge to serve the community.How do you assess the state of the district's finances? What, if any, changes do you propose to alter the district's financial picture, whether through cost reduction or revenue increases? Please be as specific as possible on where you would propose cutting or how you would propose increasing revenue.The park district finances are strong. As a result of the unanimous vote of the district board to allow referendum debt to retire, district residents will realize an estimated 7.5% reduction on the park district portion of their property tax bill payable in 2017 and a 27.5% reduction on the park district portion of their property tax bill payable in 2018. No services will be reduced as a result of these reductions. In fact, the park district was able to add a staff member to help support the ever-increasing needs of our community within the limits of our budget.In addition, through significant planning and budgeting, the park district has more than a $1.0 million annual operating surplus. As a result, we are able to plan and budget for the long-term costs of maintaining our playground equipment, our facilities and field repair. We should not have to increase taxes to maintain our excellent facilities.These fiscal successes were championed by the current board. The board also had the foresight to create the community finance committee that includes financially skilled members of the community who provide financial guidance and help ensure that we are being fiscally responsible. I am pleased to serve as a board representative to that committee.Significantly, in 2016, the park district achieved a AA+ bond rating. Only a handful of park districts in Illinois have achieved that rating. This rating demonstrates our strong financial position and prudent fiscal activities.What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?The park district mission is to provide a blend of recreation programs, facilities and open spaces that enhance the quality of life in Glen Ellyn now and the future. Significantly, I believe it is critical that our programs and facilities are valuable and available to all of our residents.To achieve this goal, the park district has some programs that run a surplus and others that do not. Some programs have fewer participants and others have more. I think that is fine. I believe we should provide a broad based set of programs that can be used by people of all backgrounds and ages.The park district staff has a very good understanding of the needs of the community. As a result of their expertise and with the input of the board and the community, I believe we offer a great mix of program that meet the needs of people of all ages, interests and abilities. I think the staff and the park district board should continually evaluate our programs and add new programs as people's interests change and remove programs when appropriate. The financial success of a program cannot be ignored, but it also should not be the only factor in determining what programs and facilities a park district should provide.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them?The Glen Ellyn park district works very hard to ensure that there are not significant "unmet" recreational needs. Looking forward, however, to better serve our programs, the park district needs to implement the Ackerman Park Master Plan. That plan includes many components, including improved drainage for the fields. We also need to consider how we can leverage the wonderful facilities we have to their fullest potential.Over the last few years the number of park district programs, activities and participants have grown but the number of staff supporting those programs has decreased. In the 2017 budget, without risking our financial goals, we added a new staff person who will help support the parent volunteers that make our programs so successful. I believe that new staff member will help to improve the experience for our program participants and volunteers.Finally, the Ackerman parking lot requires repair. Through the hard work of the staff, the park district won a grant to improve the parking lot. Unfortunately, as a result of the ongoing state budget battle, we have not received the funding from the grant. We will need to continue monitoring that situation and make a determination about how best to move forward.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 park district commissioner for less than a year, but I am proud of what the board and I have accomplished during that relatively short period of time. Our accomplishments include:"circ;cent;Completion of the Lake Ellyn Boat House renovation, on time and on budget;"circ;cent;A unanimous vote by the board to retire bonds and to allow property taxes related to the park district to be substantially reduced;"circ;cent;Adding staff to support the needs of our program participants and volunteers;"circ;cent;Achieving a AA+ bond rating; "circ;cent;Approving a 2017 budget with an operating surplus; and "circ;cent;Approving a partnership with the Glen Ellyn Paddle Tennis club which will allow for the creation of additional courts at limited taxpayer expense.While I cannot take credit for all of those things individually, I am proud to have served as the board's representative on the citizens' finance committee. That group helps the board to make sound financial decisions. I am also very pleased to have played a significant role in increasing the staff supporting our programs (in a fiscally responsible way) and approving the addition of additional paddle tennis courts.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Over the last several years the Glen Ellyn Park District has begun restoration projects in some of its parks. These projects, through the work of the park district's naturalist and many volunteers in the community, are returning parts of our parks to their natural state. These changes are good for the environment, reduce maintenance costs and provide the community the opportunity to enjoy nature and open spaces in a different way. I think it is important that the park district continue these projects.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Mark Kirk/Gabi Gifford--both experienced tragic and significant mental and physical set back. Yet, they worked hard to make themselves the best they could be.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Family is the most important thing.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I don't look at life that way. I have no regrets and always look at how I can make tomorrow better.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History gives me a perspective on current events. Things are usually better than we think; but we must be careful not to repeat past mistakes.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?You get out of life what you put into it.