Dennis B. Crosby: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: AntiochWebsite: http://Under constructionOffice sought: Antioch Village boardAge: 65Family: Married, four children, five grandchildrenOccupation: Owner of two companies operating in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, providing global logistics management to manufacturing companies and the airline/aerospace industry.Education: Attended Los Angeles Pierce CollegeCivic involvement: Trustee, Village of AntiochVillage Board Liaison - Public Safety 2009-2011Village Board Liaison #8211; Senior Council 2010-2011Village Board Liaison #8211; Finance 2007-2009Antioch Chamber of CommercePast Rotary InternationalCommissioner Parks and Recreation, City of Southlake, Texas 1977-1978Elected offices held: Trustee - Village of Antioch, IL 2007-2011Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Continuing to insure that the Village is run with solid business principals including balanced budgets, high employee productivity, accountability, clear and measurable, challenging, meaningful, and attainable goals, respect, and clear and open communications with residents and the entire Village team.Key Issue 2 Insuring that Antioch is among the first Villages to recover from the recession with continued development of commerce. This will best be done by aggressive marketing of Antioch as a place for business to locate and grow, by providing business friendly support where taxpayers will clearly benefit, and by insuring fair and uniform treatment of developers and companies considering Antioch for future investments.Key Issue 3 Ensuring that public safety capabilities in Antioch are second to none. Thanks to professional and dedicated teams at the Antioch Police Department, the First Fire District and Antioch Fire Department, and the Antioch Rescue Squad, residents are being well served. There are opportunities for further improvement however. Examples include the Antioch Police Department's recently implemented community watch and domestic violence programs and a new initiative on eradicating gang activities through use of enhanced nuisance controls, and the aggressive efforts to train and develop those in leadership positions at the Fire Department. Public safety touches every aspect of taxpayer#146;s lives, from their protection, to education, to making Antioch an attractive and safe place to live.Questions Answers Antioch has recently instituted a utility tax on electricity, gas and telephones. Do you support that tax, and why or why not?Two days after I was elected in 2007, I began being lobbied to immediately pass a utility tax. I was unwilling to do so because of concerns the money would be used to fund inefficiency and waste that I strongly felt needed to be addressed first. Over the following 2 years, the issue came up numerous times, and each time, I and a majority of the other Board members refused to approve the tax. It was only after extensive cost cutting, layoffs, and realignments of employee responsibilities, and with the knowledge that the Village could suffer serious financial consequences without the extra revenue, that I and 5 other elected officials voted for the Utility tax. My vote came with the stipulation that the money could NOT be used for operational expenses - but only for capital projects and building of a security reserve which had been drained nearly dry by past management decisions - a dangerous place to be financially. To date, there have been only limited capital equipment related disbursements from the utility tax pool, and our reserve is building in keeping with the limits and controls on the money I believe need to be in place.Should Antioch proceed with plans to build a new aquatic center in Williams Park? If so, how would you ensure the financial success of the center amid concerns about competition from similar facilities in neighboring towns?The Antioch pool has been a favorite with residents and neighbors for over 50 years. The pool already draws from a wide area of residents in Antioch, Antioch Township, and neighboring towns and townships in Wisconsin and Illinois. A modern facility will attract even more.Residents have clearly indicated in surveys that they want a new pool, and for that reason I support the expense with several provisos: 1). While there are pluses and minuses to both locations that have been considered, I firmly believe that Williams Park is the best location for a new aquatic center. It is downtown, more centrally located, well positioned for visitor traffic when Metra eventually brings commuter rail service on the weekend, and because the majority of the residents we have heard from want it there. 2). We have applied for and are awaiting a decision on a state conservation grant for the pool development. Receiving that grant would greatly enhance the facility while minimizing financial impact on the Village, and I believe is a requisite for moving forward Even if we get that grant, there is still only a limited budget opportunity to build a pool, and until this recession has run its course, I can support only a comparatively modest, outdoor facility. At some future time, when the economy improves, and the finances demonstrate sustainability, I might consider supporting a larger, indoor facility on a separate campus. I believe it is vitally important that whatever facility is built, that it is self-supporting and not a burden on taxpayers3). A great deal of planning and evaluation of the physical concept needs to be finished to insure that the needs of both pool users and other groups are met and satisfied before moving ahead Are you in favor of spending the money needed to bring Lake Michigan water to Antioch? Why or why not?I am not in favor of spending taxpayer dollars without specific plans and controls to insure the money is not used to fund a bureaucracy that benefits those involved in the bureaucracy more than it benefits residents. Further, I believe that significant additional information needs to be provided to all residents to insure that we all understand all sides of the issue. The reports we have seen on the Board clearly indicate that at some point, we may run out of viable and cost effective ground water resources, and at that point, we may not be able to get Lake Michigan water, or only at costs that are untenable. That would suggest that if affordable funding mechanisms can be found, this project might need to move forward. At the same time, I believe there needs to be a comprehensive education program discussing the pros and cons of the project, followed by a referendum. While I intend to take an active role in evaluating all aspects of this issue and making recommendations, this project is far too large and important to place just in the hands of elected officials. I see the Village Board#146;s primary responsibility in all this as helping make sure the most accurate information is made available to the voters so that we have a truly informed electorate voting on an initiative that has the potential to shape the future of this entire regionWith the Lake Villa parks and recreation department shutting down, should Antioch pursue those residents as potential customers? Why or why not?We should, and do, offer services to residents of communities in all directions around Antioch. The Board and staff have worked diligently to insure that we provide the best, most innovative, and most cost effective services possible. Given that we do not have a separate tax supported Parks entity in Antioch, the organization represents an extraordinary benefit to residents at minimal cost. Non residents help offset some of our costs, and their involvement brings energy and enrichment to the many programs we offer.What do you think the village must do to move forward on the development of the Antioch Market Place property?The state of the economy is and will continue to be the prime factor in the development of Antioch Marketplace. When developers feel the economy has recovered enough to make the project viable, the project will be built #8211; by someone. That time may not occur until more rooftops are built in Antioch, which commercial developers count. The Village can help through its ongoing commercial development marketing efforts as well as the Board providing friendly but businesslike support to developers for it and other commercial parcels. We have done exactly that for the new Antioch Corporate Center and the Parker Hannifin division headquarters scheduled to be built there. The developers of Antioch Marketplace received 100% of the attention of the Board in insuring that Antioch received the best possible result while supporting the developer#146;s plans. I personally voted for the Antioch Marketplace and will continue to work with the current or future developers to achieve the result most residents of the Village want on terms that are most beneficial to residents and future patrons of the development.