Mark Moy: 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: Oak BrookWebsite: http://www.markmmoy.comOffice sought: Oak Brook Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 63Family: Married to Wingyee L. Moy, Four children: Anthony with MBA from Loyola University, Abigail with JD from Harvard Law School, Philip with MD from Loyola Medical School and Matthew, a junior at Rosaline Franklin Medical School.Occupation: Emergency Medicine Physician at Hinsdale Hospital, LaGrange Adventist Hospital and Bolingbrook Adventist Hospital.Education: Bachelor of Science - University of Illinois, Urbana Doctor of Medicine - University of Illinois College of Medicine Residency in Family Practice at Cook County Hospital Masters in Jurisprudence - University of Loyola Law SchoolCivic involvement: Oak Brook Civic Association Oak Brook Historical Society Friends of Oak Brook LibraryElected offices held: Trustee Oak Brook elected 2009Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number one campaign issue is to maintain the economic viability for Oak Brook. The village was significantly challanged in 2008 to 2010 because of the economic recession that plagued the nation. In response, the village board laid off 28 full time equivalents in personnel and cut $2.5 million in expenditure. As a result, we are at present fortunate to have a balanced budget for 2013 as well as $10 million in reserve. Because the national economic picture is still nebulous, we should not spend any of this $10 million unless it is for dire emergency.Key Issue 2 My second campaign issue is to do all we can to revitalize the population of Oak Brook. When I moved into Oak Brook in 1986, the census was just under 10,000. The 1990 census was under 9000. The 2000 census was under 8000. The 2010 census showed that Oak Brook had dropped to about 7800 citizens. Our average age also increased to 55 years of age. We are not a dying community but we are a shrinking community. We need to attract new citizens expecially young families to Oak Brook. We should do all we can to improve the physical attractiveness of the village, improve services, improve schools, improve parks to maximize the image of Oak Brook to all.Key Issue 3 My number three campaign issue is to maximize the attractiveness of Oak Brook to businesses. It is vital that we continue to work cloosely with the Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce as partners to attract businesses to locate to Oak Brook. This involves, as one example, staying personally involved with their Rapid Response Team so that when a business expresses interest in locating to Oak Brook, the village has personnel to immediately help showcase all of the advantages of Oak Brook to that business and then facilitate with any details of relocation.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My thirty years of working in the emergency department has trained me to be a level headed, calm leader of the team in the emergency department during life threatening, very stressful emergency situations. My years of teaching as an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago helps me evaluate difficult issues and then present and deliberate the issue in open forum. My Masters in Jurisprudence degree from Loyola Law School helps me understand and evaluate the many legal aspects of municipal governing. My four years as Trustee for Oak Brook, especially during the tough economic crises of 2008, 2009, has given me invaluable experience in governing Oak Brook.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.Since Oak Brook depends on the local sales tax for over half of its operating revenues, it is obviously vital that we guard this vital source of revenue. I believe that the present level of taxation is appropriate. The challenge is not in the tax level but in maintaining sales volumn by addressing issues such as the increasing competition from internet purchases that provide no sales tax returns to the local municipalityTalking 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.Given the increasing frequency and fatalities of mass shootings such as in Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the theater in Aurora, Colarado and Shopping Mall shooting in Oregon, I am in favor of increased gun control laws especially of semi-assault weapons. Until effective legislation can control the prevalence of assault weapons, all open areas such as the Oak Brook Center Mall are at risk of another tragedy.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?The number one cost in any municipal budget is personnel. One example of where the village could realize savings is in the fire department where the budget is $4.5 million for 2013. As one example, the Fire Union has been unrelenting in maintaining a minimum of 28 full time firefighters that was granted them in previous negotiations. The village has no choice but to maintain 28 full time firefighters regardless of need The village could realize significant savings if we could hire less than 28 full time firefighters and replace with part-time or contract out to private companies. Also,joining the York Fire District for fire protection would bring savings in the millions. It does not make economic sense for every individual municipality to fund its own fully manned and equipped fire department The same evaluation could be made for the police department as well as public works. Cooperating with neighbor municipalities to share fire,police and public works services makes sense economically because of shared cost for common used services.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Because of the convenient location of Oak Brook with the convergence of highways and proximaty Ohare and Midway Airports, we could consider a convention center to attract small to medium sized conventions to Oak Brook.