David Pileski: 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: RoselleWebsite: www.renewroselle.comTwitter: dpileskiFacebook: dpileskiOffice sought: Roselle Village Board Age: 25Family: Partner Kathryn Kilbridge and dog Bella.Occupation: AnalystEducation: B.A. Urban and Regional Planning University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignCivic involvement: Board Member Roselle Zoning Board of Appeals(2016-); Board Member Lake Park High School Educational Foundation(2016-); University of Illinois System Board of Trustees (2012-2013)Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I graduated from college with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning; the technical study of how communities develop and its impact on the environment, health, and transportation. I've had the opportunity to work within both city government and a private developer gaining unique insights to the complete process of development. As Trustee, I would bring that valuable understanding to help accomplish our goals outlined in the newly adopted Comprehensive Plan. In addition, I have unique insight dealing with Springfield through my past service on the Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois system from 2012 - 2013. During my term, I collaborated closely with educators, administrators, and students to advance the mission of a public research institution in a climate of diminishing public funds. As a village Trustee, that experience will help me to ensure Roselle doesn't end up suffering at the hands of politicians in Springfield. I am very proud to call Roselle home and I want to see it continue to flourish and grow so the next generation can enjoy it as well. I have enjoyed giving back by volunteering at the Roselle Community Food Pantry and serving on the Lake Park Educational Foundation Board; I want to continue to provide to our community. As a fourth generation resident, I feel a strong duty to ensure our community is set on a path to prosperity.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Roselle's financial outlook has benefited from both strong leadership throughout the recession and leveraging conservative budgeting measures. However, that doesn't make our community's taxing bodies invisible to the pressure of rising costs and uncertainty in Springfield. We have already seen the culmination of those pressures at School District 12 and the 2016 spring referendum rate increase. To protect residents from further tax increases, I strongly believe Roselle should prioritize growing our tax bases to expand our revenue organically. For decades, homeowners have held the burden of paying for public services through property tax and other service fees. I strongly support diversifying our revenue sources so we are more insulated from raising costs.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?Roselle's Fire Department has benefited from the strong leadership in both departments. Since being hired, Chief Anderson has conducted a diligent review of the department making frequent recommendations to the Village Board to improve services while saving costs. I strongly believe our Fire Department is making the right investments in its staff, equipment, and facilities to drive success for the next decade. Policing in the 21st century is rapidly evolving and it is no different for Roselle. A consulting firm is reviewing the Roselle Police Department policies and staffing and I am eager to see the results of its report. Investments in new technology are going to become inevitable for the Police; and as Trustee, I believe we should prioritize and budget these initiatives.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Roselle's contractual services represent the second largest expenditure category. Comparing the 2017 budget amount to 2014, contractual services have increased by 32%. I believe the Board should review Roselle's staffing and evaluate if there are new roles that should be added to village staff or could be fulfilled through an intergovernmental agency agreement. Roselle would also benefit from promoting energy efficiency upgrades from lighting to water consumption in order to reduce utility costs. I support the creation of a revolving loan fund in the budget, targeting energy upgrade projects across departments. The cost savings would be recaptured to pay back the internal grant and then used again to fund future projects. Leveraging a revolving loan fund helps incentivize cost saving upgrades while building a self-sufficient funding source.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I believe we should empower residents to participate in our Village Government. I would like to leverage technology to broaden accessibility to Village Hall. One way to achieve this is through existing smart phone app platforms that allow residents to report a public works or code issue instantly to the appropriate department. Village Staff can easily send updates on the progress of repairs or resolution. This would allow for easier transmission of important information and allow metrics to be easily tracked to further improve services. In addition, I believe Roselle Village Board and Committee of the Whole meetings should be live streamed and posted online because it would provide additional insight into how the Board makes decisions beyond the summaries provided in the minutes. Recent technology improvements have reduced the time and cost need to implement such a strategy.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Roselle will have its centennial celebration in four more years. We are fortunate to have a dedicated historical foundation and museum to preserve our rich history, but we have lost many of the unique buildings that brought character to our community. Roselle has an ordinance to recognize and protect houses important to Roselle's history, but it has been underutilized. Many vibrant communities have embraced new development while preserving their local historical architecture. Roselle can benefit from many federal and state programs that provide grants and property tax freezes for designated properties. These are opt-in programs that can help us stimulate increased property values and attract new homebuyers.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.German Chancellor Angela Merkel has provided stable leadership to Western Europe with her pragmatic yet progressive agenda working to compromise with diverse stakeholders.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?No matter what the circumstances are a positive attitude makes a world of difference.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Good or bad I accept what life has dealt me. I prefer to live in the present while yearning for what the future could be,What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English Literature showed me opportunities to explore new concepts and perspectives unlocking infinite creativity.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Don't dwell on your disappointments too long; learn from your mistakes and face each new challenge as an opportunity.