Rob Whaley: 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: HampshireWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Hampshire Village boardAge: 45Family: Married, four children.Occupation: Business ManagerEducation: B.S. - Electricial Engineering Technology - Purdue University - 1993MBA - North Central College, 2003Civic involvement: American Legion Veteran US Navy Submarine Force - 6 years.Hampshire Township Park DistrictElected offices held: Hampshire Township Park District Board of Directors 2005 to present. Term ends in April 2011Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Our revenue base is constrained. I would like to attract more businesses to Hampshire to increase the tax base.Key Issue 2 Better understand the forward looking direction of our community and ensure our cost structure is aligned to support this direction.Key Issue 3 Ensure we have appropriate and binding agreements in place with developers, suppliers,service providers and other intergovernmental agencies so that we protect Hampshire and also best leverage our community resources.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have over twenty years of business experience with Fortune 500 companies and six years experience serving on the Hampshire Township Park board. I have demonstrated success in increasing revenue, reducing cost, prioritizing work, and working effectively with teams. I have managed large amounts of money, managed a large supply base, and effectively negotiated multi-million dollar contracts. As part of the park district board, we hired good talent, succesfully prioritized our budget and reduced costs to balance our budget every year.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I believe that we need to focus more on attracting new business to Hampshire and less on the level of taxation.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.My friends and neighbors are most concerned with the well being and safety of their children. Their biggest safety concerns are about drugs, gangs, and alchol consumption by minors. We need to ensure that our community is safe for our children.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?It will be my first priority to analyze the budget and understand the prioritization plan. I will make recommendations that are consistent with feedback we receive from the community.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Strategic growth is key to our community. We need to plan our growth and ensure we can support our strategy through efficient use of our collective community resources.