Dist. 15's Millar discusses voting record, taking son out of district

Palatine Township Elementary District 15 incumbent Tim Millar concedes he shouldn't have abstained when the board raised its tax request by 15 percent in December.

But he stands behind several other abstentions, saying he didn't have enough information to take a vote.

"Most board members don't look into detail the way I do," he said.

Millar is among eight candidates vying for four seats April 7. The others are fellow incumbent Nancy Carlson and challengers Margaret "Peggy" Babcock, Mark Bloom, Richard Bokor, Steven Miller, Matthew Taylor and Vicki Wilson.

Since July 2007, Millar has abstained from eight votes. That's fewer than some incumbents, but theirs came when the board voted on personnel reports or minutes from meetings they missed. Millar's all came on issue votes.

In one case, he abstained from a vote on roof repairs at Pleasant Hill Elementary, requesting more information. He said he's since learned a 15-year roof is being installed and that the district should be opting for 20-year life spans.

He similarly abstained last May on a $202,000 computer monitor contract.

Millar said the process is set up to rubber-stamp district proposals. Board members don't get their informational packets until the Friday night before Wednesday meetings.

"That's not a lot of time to get your questions answered," he said.

Carlson, fellow incumbent and herself a popular target of critics, doesn't think lack of information is a valid defense.

"We all get the packet at the same time," she said. "I manage to talk to the superintendent to get my questions answered."

In 2007, Millar sought to get packets earlier was told it would be difficult for the staff.

Carlson herself was the only other board member to pass on an issue vote.

A year ago she abstained from a resolution against state "tax swap" legislation, which would have raised income tax in exchange for property tax relief. She said she hadn't read new versions thoroughly and didn't think they had a chance of passing. They haven't.

Carlson also questioned why Millar pulled his son from District 15 two years ago and enrolled him at Quest Academy, a Palatine private school. Millar, who has two other children in District 15, said his son has Asperger's syndrome and needed a break from his peer group. In addition, he's strong academically and didn't qualify for certain programs.

"It's not that District 15 doesn't do a good job with special education," said Millar adding that at Quest, where tuition is about $16,500, his son's confidence has grown and he recently went out for the track team.

Carlson, the mother of an autistic child who graduated from District 15 schools, said she empathizes with Millar but disagrees with his decision.

He "should have worked within the system," Carlson said. "That's what the people without money have to do."