Ray Ladewig: 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: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein Mayor Age: 57Family: Wife - NatalieDaughter - MaddiePet Bischon - WinstonOccupation: Owner - Ray's Bike and Mower, Inc.Education: Mundelein High SchoolCollege of Lake County, Harper College, Wright College and Dale Carnegie Sales and Human Relations curriculum.Civic involvement: Planning and Zoning Commission February 2002 to June 2015Pond Project 2014 and 2015PADS - St. Andrew's and Messian Lutheran ChurchesElected offices held: Commissioner - Planning and Zoning Commission.Questions Answers Do you believe residents should be allowed to keep chickens or hens in their backyards? Why or why not? If you do support this, will you make it a priority if elected?With all that faces our village, this issue while important to some, is not on my front burner. Are candidates from every Municipal Mayoral/Village President race asked this question? Similar to pets though unlicensed, if a resident asks for and receives permission from his/her neighbors to keep Chickens or Hens, so be it. This won't be a priority if elected. I don't believe it should be up to the Mayor to decide. A community discussion(s) should be held so many of the "what ifs" can be examined. I believe the State will have its guidelines for health reasons too. Limits may be determined - how many houses in a row, same side of street, etc., will be permitted to own chickens. There could be required training classes too. Possibly the ultimate deciding factor would be a village referendum.Do you support video gambling in town? Why or why not?I do support video gaming in Mundelein. It is a revenue generator for our village, county and state coffers. It does provide entertainment and has generated another reason to stay in town and visit/support our local businesses that provide video gaming. While video gaming is not intended to be the sole revenue source for the host business, it does provide useful supplemental income for the host business.Has the village's effort to attract new businesses and help the businesses operating here been successful? What programs or initiatives will you propose if elected to help businesses?While there has been some reduction in vacancies - store fronts and available land, more could be done. I believe we need a dedicated sales staff to actively prospect and promote Mundelein. While the need remains for additional vibrant attractions, our village has the demographics for a prospective business to locate here. We need to call on businesses, etc., offer to take them on a village tour and show several available sites letting the prospect choose one they feel comfortable with. The village could offer an incentive package to help them get started. Mundelein is beginning to show infrastructure improvements that can be used as a negotiating strength. I do not believe the current sign ordinance is helpful and would look to modify it. Continuity is important. If all retail space was full, I wouldn't dwell on this. We are not and I don't believe we are helping existing businesses with a burdensome sign ordinance. I will set up staff tours of successful area down towns. We could take a Saturday to visit one or two per session. Actually parking and walking a down town district with eclectic shops and boutiques will exhibit the point of what Mundelein wants to mirror. Hosting a Strawberry Fest in May, a Summer Fest in July, a Harvest Fest in September and a Winter Fest in December with local area vendors will create a continuous draw to Mundelein and subsequently advertise available retail spaces to establish and prosper your business here.Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board or city council.I like to think of managing in terms of building a winning football team. Having the right team members in the positions they best utilize their skills creates a winning combination for them, the village residents and the village as a whole. Asking questions versus telling generates conversation and favorable action from the attending staff, etc. Holding discussions and allowing each participating member to voice/float his or her concerns and ideas is helpful for so many reasons. There is a need for a business meeting environment to be fun and without fear of proposing ideas that won't be laughed or scowled at. Some of the best ideas never make it to the table for fear of personal rejection. Ideas are the building block of action plans that enable progress. Referees have the task of getting the call correct. As a village manager, our responsibility is to do what is best for the village. I want to have everyone's input and be able to make a decision based on facts that better our village. Having a combined input helps foster participant "ownership" of an item approved for the next phase, etc. A good leader knows how to keep a meeting moving forward and can have all entities reaching agreement on a final decision. Working together reallyWhat is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I have always wanted a water feature in my yard. A stream, or pond - preferably a running stream. There is an attraction with one. Plenty of ideas to build a bridge, seawall or boardwalk with lawn chairs and music to sit and enjoy it. San Antonio, TX has an incredible river walk. It is lined with sidewalk accessible business boutiques and restaurants. The river is really a source of drainage that happens to run through the village. Rather than looking at it this way, San Antonio chose to enhance the town with a river walk. Naperville has its version of a successful river walk, so does St. Charles and Geneva. I would love to see Mundelein construct a similar river walk beginning at Kracklauer Park along Courtland to the CN Railroad viaduct. We could build a business district along the "waterway" and use it as an attraction to park, shop and dine and gather. If not here, stop building high rise, high density, access and view blocking condo/rental apartments along the water's edge of Diamond Lake. Our public beach could also support a boardwalk area and become an even more popular destination for recreation, day picnics at the beach, shopping, dining and gathering. How many towns have a "hidden jewel" like Diamond Lake in their towns. Capitalizing on this water asset will prove its worth in commerce, recreation and good living in Mundelein.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Ask ourselves - "What are our needs, etc., that we leave Mundelein for and can we build/create them here in Mundelein?" I want to create a Mundelein community that draws from outside its borders and establishes itself as a destination. We have the population, staff, Park District and community pride to effectively launch this mission to be a favorite Lake County village with attractions "you just got to see and visit!" I grew up in Mundelein and have watched for years the building on the perimeter borders of Mundelein instead of a centralized focus - a true down town district. Should a proposed builder come to Mundelein with another perimiter build idea, I would like to respectfully thank them for their interest in Mundelein and decline participation. We need to find builders with working capital, and a successful history of building a true centralized business district - a down town. Yes we may be turning down tax dollars in the mean time but we also will be closer to finally builiding our coveted down town. The vacant perimeter land will still be there afterwards and may even be more valuable via supply and demand. With our economy on a steady rebound since 2009, now is the time to actually support our Park and Seymour business district with additional build-outs and remodels in this immediate area. I'll call it"Ground Zero" for where we need to focus our efforts. It can really happen here!Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Theo Epstein - Changed a Cubs culture. Defined what it means to be a Cub. A true leader with a vision and a plan.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Can you really pin it down to one? Honor and listen to your parents. Communicate with family, friends neighbors. Social skills developed at home!If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I really like my life and wouldn't want to change it.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Biology. Life is biology. Understanding what supports life helps you live fully within it.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Education. Look, listen, learn and adapt to what is going on around you. Good manners and social skills are key to everyday interaction and success!