Three run for Vernon Hills Park District
Three candidates are running for two, six-year seats on the Vernon Hills Park District board.
Incumbent Michael Meline, 53, a former Realtor who is pursuing a degree in finance, is seeking a second term. James E. Ballowe, 48, superintendent of revenue facilities for the Lake County Forest Preserve District, was appointed to the board last year and is seeking his first full elected term. Michael Oren Rochow, 27, a mechanical engineer, is in his first run for office. A two-year seat is also open for election with Bruce A. Robbins running unopposed.
The most recent development in the district is the retirement of longtime Executive Director Larry DeGraaf. The board interviewed several candidates and a replacement is expected to be named soon.
Following are candidates' responses to questions posed by the Daily Herald.
Q: Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.
Ballowe: 1. Renovation and improvement of existing infrastructure. The park district has done a great job in upgrading our existing parks as well as adding new ones over the last decade. It is now time to focus on our facilities and buildings which have grown tired and in need of a facelift or complete renovation. 2. Communication and customer service. The park district does a good job in this area, but improvement is still needed. With a renewed interest in these areas, I think the park district can become even more resident-friendly while providing more information about all of the wonderful things the park district does and has to offer. 3. Listen to the community. The park district is in the middle of a communitywide survey about the district. When those results become available, planning should be based in great part on the results of the residents opinions and interests gained from those surveys.
Meline: The first objective is that we work with our new executive director so that they will be able to do their job effectively. It is always difficult when the person at the top is replaced, and that person will need all of the board's help and support during the transition. I am confident that since the board spent a lot of time and effort to search for a good director, this process will go well. The second objective is to work through the results of the upcoming community survey. This survey was commissioned so that the board would be able to have a better idea of what our residents think about the current programs and services the park district provides as well as find out what they feel we may need to add. The last objective is to complete a new master plan for the district. Our last plan is several years old and once we have a new director in place and a community survey in hand we will be able to intelligently construct a new master plan for the next 5 to 10 years.
Rochow: 1. Have the parks appeal to more people, such as working adults. This includes making some of the park land more natural and visually appealing. 2. Emphasize having the Vernon Hills Aquatic Center stay open during the published hours, and to have at least a couple nights each work week where the main pool is not closed for lessons. 3. Improve the parks that are south of Route 45. I lived off Westmoreland Drive in Vernon Hills for two years. I know from personal experience that the parks in that region of Vernon Hills are far less appealing and need to be improved.
Q: Are there facilities or services that are sorely needed in the park district? If so, what? And how would you pay for them?
Ballowe: The one type of facility that the park district seems to be in need of at this time is indoor gymnasium space. The park district is presently using the Sullivan Center gym as well as many school gyms for indoor programs requiring gym space. Even with these, gym space is in short supply and preventing existing programs from getting enough practice or class time as well as limiting sizes of these programs due to a lack of facilities. Providing more gym space would require building a new facility such as a field house or gymnasium center. Paying for this would have to be done responsibly. Possible funding sources are refinancing existing park district bonds and extending that debt or if necessary asking the residents for referendum dollars if we think it is something the community would support. Obviously, any project of this magnitude is probably not the greatest idea in these economically challenging times.
Meline: Our community survey should identify any facilities that the residents feel the park district is lacking. There has been some discussion about whether or not the district needs a field house, and hopefully the survey will give the board a better handle on this issue. Other than that, I think that we are more likely as a district to concentrate on making sure our existing facilities are kept up to date and well maintained. I'm sure our incoming director will come to us with new ideas as well. As far as funding is concerned, there are some impact fee dollars coming in from the last few construction projects being built in the village. Referendums are always a possibility (although that's unlikely in the current economic climate) and we may have the ability to restructure some of our existing debt to provide us will some additional capital funding.
Rochow: Vernon Hills needs something that could be used year round, such as an indoor pool and/or a fitness center that can compete with the ones in the private sector. Increased attendance and higher fees for these new facilities could potentially pay for the development. Obviously, substantial research would need to be done for a plan such as this.
Q: What is your philosophy of a park district and the services it should provide? Should a greater financial burden be placed on program users to relieve impact on property taxes?
Ballowe: Park districts should provide the community and its residents with services that are open and available to everyone. Tax dollars provided the park district by the residents of Vernon Hills should be used for services that every resident can enjoy. Programs and services that are more single-focus and user-group-specific should bear most of if not all of the financial burden on the users of those programs.
Meline: Proper program fees are vital to a district's economic health. Too high and you dissuade people from participating, lowering revenue. Too low and the program doesn't contribute enough income to offset its cost. During these tough economic times, its even more important that the park district provide residents with quality programs at an affordable price.
Rochow: Having beautiful and well-manicured parks is a benefit to virtually everyone in Vernon Hills. It affects the village's curb appeal to potential buyers, and therefore raises property values. That being said, because most of the park district programs and infrastructure currently appeal to a narrow demographic, a larger portion of the financial burden should go to them through increased fees. This especially holds true for nonresidents using the ball fields, pool and other programs.
Q: In these hard economic times, can you identify some park district expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?
Ballowe: The park district does a good job of controlling its expenses and using its tax dollars wisely. If you start trimming too many expenses or programs to relieve the tax burden, you will only lessen the quality of the services every one wants and needs. I think instead of reducing the quality of services by cutting more expenses, we need to focus more attention on user-fee programs and services and make sure that they are paid for by the users and therefore not putting undo pressure on the services required to operate solely with tax dollars.
Meline: I believe that as people look for better value and try to cut costs in their own lives, they will turn to the park district even more for their recreational needs. This increased participation should actually help our bottom line and in doing so shift a greater percentage of the cost onto the programs and away from property taxes. This means the park district shouldn't be cutting programs, but looking for ways to add quality programs that can sustain themselves or generate a profit. Rochow: We should maintain having a variety of programs. However, there are likely some activities and programs that can also be scaled back.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
Ballowe: I feel I am the best candidate for the job because I bring 27 years of parks and recreation service and experience to the park board. As an incumbent commissioner and 17-year resident, I have a good working knowledge of the park district and its operations. With my background and knowledge of the parks and recreation field, I feel I bring a professional perspective to the operations of a park district as well as a long-term sense of what the community wants and needs are.
Meline: I have several reasons for believing that I am the most qualified candidate for this position. First, I have six years of experience in it. During that time, our district has succeeded in strengthened its ties with the village, instituted a shoreline restoration program of Big Bear and Little Bear Lakes, built numerous new parks and provided quality programs and services to the residents of Vernon Hills. Second, I have many years of experience in community service. I'm a member of the Vernon Hills Lions Club, a coach for the Vernon Hills Stingers travel softball program and member of the Vernon Hills Fourth of July Committee. I'm a former president and treasurer of the Lake County Association of Realtors, a past district vice-president of the Illinois Association of Realtors, a past governor of the Realtor's Institute of Illinois, a past governor of the Civic Center Foundation of Libertyville and was even the president of the Illinois State Racquetball Association many years ago. I've served on committees that looked at our high school expansion plans as well as our library expansion plans. Finally, I believe I'm the best candidate because I happen to love living in the Village of Vernon Hills. My father always told me: Everyone needs to take a turn at the wheel. I've tried very hard to follow that motto in my life.
Rochow: I am the only non-incumbent running for a 6-year term for the Vernon Hills Park District. By and large, virtually every resolution that the park district Board has voted upon has had little debate and unanimous approval from the board. I am willing to stick my head out and respectfully disagree with the other board members, because my goal is to put serious effort into creating a more efficient and effective Vernon Hills Park District. If voters want positive changes that will make the Vernon Hills Park District more useful to them, I am the best and only choice they have.