Ildiko Schultz: 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: Lake ZurichWebsite: http://To be advisedOffice sought: Lake Zurich Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 58Family: Married, husband's name is Joseph. One son, David. Two step daughters, Eileen and Melissa, six step grandchildren.Occupation: Operational Accounting DirectorEducation: Bachelor of Arts, Northeastern Illinois University. Masters in Business Administration, Keller Graduate School of Management. CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) ARM - Associate in Risk Mgmt, ARC - Associate in Regulation ComplianceCivic involvement: Lake Zurich Plan Commissioner. Good Shepherd HospitalElected 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 The number one issue in the short term is the TIF and the bond payment due in 2013. The economic downturn dramatically affected our ability to implement new development and without new development, we did not realize the revenues that were anticipated when the TIF was first established in 2002. While there were multiple reasons for the lack of development, we do not serve the village well if we continue to focus on the past rather than solutions for the future. Regardless of how we got to this point, we have a financial obligation that we will need to satisfy in 2013. Projected revenues will not be enough to retire the outstanding debt obligation. There are several options which need to be examined closely and then a decision must be made. The ability to act in a unified, decisive manner will be critical to the long term financial health of the village.Key Issue 2 The second issue, which is just as important as the first, is the need to attract private development and new businesses into the village with focus on downtown and the Route 12 corridor. Lake Zurich is optimally located and we need to leverage that as a way to attract viable businesses that will be a good fit for the village, generate tax revenue and ultimately create more jobs, more customers and more businesses. This will ensure that the village remains financially healthy and that the resources needed to support our residents continues. We cannot let development opportunities trickle through our fingers because we were reluctant to act or did not act due to personal interests. Village government is no different than a business except for the added responsibility to show a profit. We do need sustainable revenues that support expenditures, focused on the services that must be maintained and those that are valued by the community. At a minimum, revenues and expenses should be balanced, with a certain amount of surplus that can bebanked? for future needs.Key Issue 3 The third campaign issue facing Lake Zurich is the need to have strong, financially responsible leadership in the village. Suzanne Branding has put together a great team with complimentary financial and business skills and I am proud to work with such a talented group. She recognizes the need for a strong slate that is committed to doing what is best for the village as a whole. We cannot continue to lose opportunities for viable growth and development because politics got in the way of good business decisions. Lake Zurich should be guided by an experienced, capable mayor and a competent board that is willing to put the village's needs first. Collaboration, with a healthy dose of respectful disagreement when necessary, will ensure that we make the best decisions. Coupled with the need for strong leadership is the need to continue the mayor's efforts to communicate the issues and help residents better understand some of the challenges we face. A perfect example is the vacant Kmart property which has been raised by many residents as an issue that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, there is nothing the village can do. The owners give every indication that they are content to leave the property vacant and they cannot be legally forced to do otherwise. At least we receive tax revenue, which would be much less if the building is torn down. It's important that residents are given the facts we all have a vested interest in understanding the details behind many of the issues we face as a community.Questions Answers What is your position on what needs to be done to jump-start downtown redevelopment and how soon does this need to get happen?Redeveloping downtown is a critical priority and actions need to start immediately. We need to diversify our efforts by identifying multiple developers willing to partner with the village. We need to do due diligence to ensure that developers have the wherewithal and financial resources to actually deliver on the plans they present to the village and we need to ensure that the activities actually take place within agreed upon timeframes. Part of making this a success will require a fresh perspective from the village, demonstrating our willingness to work with developers and businesses. Lake Zurich is perceived as a town that is difficult to do business withwe need to change that perception and present a unified village face that welcomes new ventures. One way to do this is to examine previous unsuccessful proposals, identify things that went wrong or that we should have handled differently and establish a process to make sure they do not happen in the future. This does not mean we reduce or ignore established standards but we do need to ensure that we aren't our own worst enemy. We should also contact businesses that previously expressed interest to see if we can re-engage them. We need to aggressively market Lake Zurich, and include the residents and village staff in the process. We need to review our strategic plans for the downtown area, update where necessary and aggressively move forward. We need to utilize all resources to identify a key business that would draw people into the downtown area and encourage further business development and growth. It only takes one attractive, highly viable business to get the ball rolling.What are your views on any kind of financial incentives to attract future development? Do you have any concerns about offering breaks in the wake of those recently received by the developer of Mariano?s?Financial incentives can be a great tool if used judiciously and appropriately. That means that we make sure that the village's needs are met and that the incentives do not outweigh the benefits of the project. We need to do what we can, in a financially responsible way, to make Lake Zurich an attractive place to conduct business. Long term revenue that positively benefits the village should always be our intended outcome. There are opportunities within the downtown area to make village owned property available for use/development at a very reasonable cost. This is preferable to having underutilized, vacate buildings.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed? Conversely, is there something that should be reinstated or have resources directed toward?I do not have enough detailed information about the current budget, the various departments, overall priorities, resources, etc. It would be premature to comment on this until I have more information. Each area within the village has their own needs and the only responsible way to address this question is to first fully understand all the details as they exist today. Once we have that in hand, we can then begin the process of determining how to utilize our finite resources. We have to serve the needs of the village residents that is government's role. But we need to do it in an informed, responsible manner.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to see Lake Zurich utilize our parks much more than we do today, in a way that is self-funding. Lake Zurich has a lot more parks and recreation areas when compared to other, similar communities. We should be able to utilize them more fully an example would be to create an ice skating rink in the winter that would be available for public use at a reasonable cost. The money charged would pay for establishing the rink, upkeep, liability exposure, etc. As long as we break even, we should do what we can to use the parks on a year round basis. Other possible uses: Art festivals, more musical events, winter sports events. The key is to charge reasonable fees to cover the expenses.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.More and more, we are becoming awalking society? as both a form of recreation and exercise. We need to address some of the traffic; lighting and the lack of sidewalks in more commonly traveled areas. We had a recent tragedy that resulted in the death of a young lady we need to address the lack of sidewalks and stoplights in areas where foot traffic has increased. This is not just a village issue we need to work with IDOT to have these prioritized and addressed. Residents want to be able to walk and ride their bikes and not worry about basic safety.False107160Ildiko Schultz, running for Lake Zurich Village Board (4-year Terms) False