Donald A. Weiss: 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: Carol StreamWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carol Stream Village boardAge: 46Family: Married, one childOccupation: Director of Community Relations, Village of AddisonEducation: Bachelor of Arts in Television, Columbia College Chicago, 1986Civic involvement: Carol Stream Village Trustee, 2007-presentCarol Stream Plan Commission/Zoning Board, 2001-2007Carol Stream Citizens Police Academy, 2007Rotary Club of Addison, 1993-present (President 1998-99)Elected offices held: Carol Stream Village Trustee, 2007-presentCommitteeman, Wayne Township Republican Organization,2006-09Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number one campaign issue, and the number one challenge facing the Village of Carol Stream, is how to continue to provide quality village services to the residents of Carol Stream with limited fiscal resources, such as a decline in sales tax revenue. To address this challenge, as a Village Trustee, I will continue to work with the Mayor and Village Board to encourage new sales tax generating businesses to locate and expand in Carol Stream and maintain a conservative Village budget.Key Issue 2 My second campaign issue is the construction and completion of the recreation center at the Town Center and to work for successful intergovernmental agency cooperation between the Village of Carol Stream and Carol Stream Park District in coordinating use and events at the Town Center complex. I envision a ""Town Center Alive!"" plan using both facilities to the fullest extent possible.Key Issue 3 My number three campaign issue is to continue to work with DuPage County in addressing stormwater management problems in Carol Stream, primarily along Klein Creek in the vicinity of Armstrong Park.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am an independent voice representing Carol Stream residents with more than 30 years of local government experience. I voted against increasing the citation penalty for late vehicle sticker purchases. I was the lone vote against allowing #8220;smoking shelters#8221; outside restaurants. I was the lone supporter of allowing cable programming from area legislators to be broadcast on the Carol Stream government access channel to keep residents informed of issues facing our community. In 2009, I worked to bring the #8220;Shape of Carol Stream#8221; town meeting to our community, allowing residents to hear from, and ask questions of, officials from all government agencies in Carol Stream either in person or by viewing the live cable broadcast. Two town meetings have been held and are welcomed by the participating agencies and our residents.Many buildings in the industrial park on Gary Avenue remain vacant and could provide a large revenue stream. How could the village best promote that park to bring businesses in?The best way for Carol Stream to attract and maintain businesses in our community, and the best way to promote economic development, is to insist that the State of Illinois stop driving business out of Illinois. The 2011 corporate tax increase, enacted during the ""lame-duck"" session of the legislature, was proof from Springfield that businesses will not be able to expand, hire or thrive in Illinois under these present conditions. Until State leaders stop piling on more taxes on businesses, which are really taxes on citizens and consumers, Illinois will continue to see private enterprise and investment move to other states.Red-light cameras have been controversial almost since they first were installed in Carol Stream. Where do you stand on that issue?I support the use of red-light cameras in Carol Stream.The park district will build a huge recreation center just south of Town Center in the near future. What should the village do to get involved in that and how much of an impact can, and should, the village have on that project?The construction and opening of the new Carol Stream Park District recreation center at the Town Center will make the entire complex a destination point for residents and non-residents of Carol Stream. To address this task, I have been designated as the Village Board's liaison to work with Park District officials in strategically coordinating events at the Town Center and rec center for the benefit of the community and our two agencies.How would you fix the flooding issues that have plagued Carol Stream in the last several years? What, specifically, would you do to both fix the problem and put residents at ease that they won't have to worry about this in the future?Stormwater management issues, specifically along Klein Creek in the vicinity of Armstrong Park, have been an underaddressed issue for many years. To address this challenge, as has already begun, I will continue to support the efforts of the Village and DuPage County in the planning and construction of a stormwater reservoir in the to-be redesigned Armstrong Park. Additionally, the work already underway of the Village's disaster preparedness committee and Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) are pro-active approaches that will aid in future disaster response.