Ralph Roller: 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: SchaumburgWebsite: http://www.ralphroller2011.com/Office sought: Schaumburg Village boardAge: 39Family: Married to wife Jennifer for 19 years and we have three daughters. Ali, Brooke, and Katelyn.Occupation: Director of Operations, Children's and Family Life Ministries at Willow Creek Community ChurchEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: I have been coaching youth softball and basketball in Schaumburg for a decade through the Schaumburg Athletic Association. I was also involved in District 54 on the School Leadership Team at Michael Collins School for two years.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I believe that it is important for the Village Trustees to represent the best interests of the Residents and it is clear that the current Board no longer does. They no longer view themselves as accountable to the people who they serve as evidenced by their decisions and behavior towards the residents. I believe that that we need more transparency in the Village of Schaumburg. I will never hide anything the Board or Village is doing and in fact want to work on ideas to get even more residents involved. This is your town and you should have a voice. I also believe that the Residents should be listened to and treated with respect even if we disagree.Key Issue 2 The taxes in Schaumburg are out of control, business and people are being taxed out of Schaumburg. If we do not reverse this trend then we risk the future of Schaumburg and my goal is for Schaumburg to be a great, safe place to live and raise a family for the long run.Key Issue 3 I strongly believe the first thing we owe our Police and Firefighters is a thank you! These men and women put their lives on the line to protect us on a daily basis. I want to be very clear that I live in Schaumburg with my wife and three daughters; I have no intention of cutting Police or Firefighters from the Village payroll. Over the last six years my family had to call the Paramedics three times and they have served our family very well. I would never put my family or yours in a situation where if called we might not have the Officers or Firefighters we need to respond.Questions Answers What is your opinion of Schaumburg's municipal property tax? Do you support immediate repeal, an increase in the tax or something in between?The Municipal tax in Schaumburg was brought on by poor decisions by the current Board. I am for a reduction with the goal of eliminating the tax as soon as possible. We need to get the out of control spending under control so the tax can be eliminated. The current Board has said that they want to eliminate the tax but then they say that the property tax was necessary to restructure revenue. Which is it?How is the village's decades-old model of reliance on commercial development and retail sales taxes for revenue weathering the current economic downturn? Do the vulnerabilities revealed by the recession justify a major overhaul of that model?The problem was not with the prior revenue model, the problem was with poor decisions by the current Board. It is easy to look like a good leader when the money is flowing; a true test of leadership is what happens in tougher times. The answer of the current Board was to continue to spend at the same rates and in some instances increase spending and then to place additional tax burden on residents and businesses.What is your attitude towards the village's ownership of the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel Convention Center, Alexian Field and the Schaumburg Regional Airport? Should these properties be privatized? Why or why not?I think the Village Board's decision to build a hotel and convention center was a huge mistake that contributed to the Village's financial situation. I know that some would say that this was an attempt of the Village Board to build the financial future of the Schaumburg but this was a huge gamble that should never been taken on. According to the Village's own 2011 Budget Proposal the Village will begin paying Bond principal in 2011 and at the end of 2011 there will be just over 228 million dollars of general obligation Bonds outstanding that pertain to the Hotel and Convention Center. I believe we should investigate privatizing the Hotel and Convention center but only if it can be done without putting Schaumburg in a worse financial situation. I believe that the ownership in the airport and Alexian Field should continue for now but a viable tenant needs to be found for Alexian Field.Should Schaumburg continue to run Septemberfest and other special events? Do you support the work of the cultural services department and the village#146;s continued operation of the Prairie Center for the Arts and the Trickster Gallery?I do feel that Schaumburg should keep Septemberfest and I agree with the continued support of the Prairie Arts Center and the Trickster Gallery.What significant infrastructure improvements, if any, should the village be pursuing? Why?I believe that until we can get the Village's budget back under control that we should focus on ensuring that the current Infrastructure is sound throughout the Village and not just in targeted sections. We can make new improvements once we get the budget back on track.