Michael Zadel: 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: Mount ProspectWebsite: Office sought: Mount Prospect Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 66Family: Wife (Carolyn) Five Children (Extended Family) - Daughters Cari (Keith) Schingoethe, Suzanne (Karl) Nordeen - Sons Adam Zadel, Chris Zadel, Todd Klamer - Grandchildren - Cason (8), Billie (5) and Gwyneth (21 months) Schingoethe and Anthony (23 months) Nordeen.Occupation: Roadway Maintenance Manager, Illinois State Toll Highway AuthorityEducation: High School Diploma (Prospect High School) - Attended University of Michigan - studies in Education; attended Southern Illinois university - studies in Education - no degree.Civic involvement: Served on VOMP Plan Commission (1999-2001); served as Village Trustee (2001 to present) Elected offices held:Village TrusteeHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintain fiscal responsibility despite many demanding community capital and personnel needs during difficult economic timesKey Issue 2 Providing for a sustainable business climate in our community despite barriers created by County and State policiesKey Issue 3 Influencing State legislators to stop diminishing the authority of home rule communities that provide services and legislation that benefits their local communities, and to lobby as necessary to stop the State legislators from raiding funds that are dedicated by law to local governments.Questions Answers What's working at Village of Randhurst? What worries you about the Village of Randhurst? Talk about the rate of occupancy, the mix of businesses and the customer traffic. What can the village do to improve those things?Working: The delightful mix of retail diversity; the state-of-the-art Theater; the mix of restaurants and pubs that appeal to all diners and sports enthusiasts; the physical layout, the ability of the developer to find quality tenants who have a high potential for market share and business success. Worries: The perimeter and interior traffic flow issues and the traffic congestion on the arterial roads surrounding the property. The rate of occupancy is very encouraging considering the economic climate for developing retail establishments. The mix of retail and professional space is very effective and filling with quality tenants that are likely to be very successful. The Village can work with the developers to suggest traffic flow patterns within the property that may improve customer safety. As far as providing tenants, the developer has a good vision of what will be successful there and a desire to protect their investment. It is their responsibility to fill the retail and office space to maximize their profits. This will in turn make the entire concept of Randhurst Village very successful for years to come, and that will in turn benefit Village residents by providing a stable, sustainable tax baseGiven 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. The sales tax rate is currently competitive with neighboring communities and does not place any Mount Prospect businesses at a disadvantage locally or regionally. Because of actions taken during my tenure on the Village Board, the Village employs a diverse revue structure that precludes us from being solely dependent upon the on the cyclical highs and lows of sales tax revenue.Has the village's flooding issues been adequately addressed? Explain. The Village has a good track record for identifying and addressing flooding and drainage problems. In fact, over the past twenty years, the Village has either mitigated or resolved some major flooding problems in the Northeast section near the Des Plaines River. This has been done by coupling planning and engineering practices and determining dedicated revenue sources to methodically make improvements over time and having the political will not to waver from the plan. That said, there are still deficiencies in the existing storm drainage system within the Village that need to be addressed, and recent actions taken by the current Board have provided a significant amount of funding to begin the process of improvements in these areas as well. As long as I am on the Board, I will continue to support plans to take the necessary action on the path to mitigation of these issues as well. This issue has been a concern of Village residents for as long as I can remember. As a youngster in the late 1950's and 60's I can recall reading articles in what was then the Weekly Herald newspaper about flooding issues on the south side of town (known then as the "country club" section) that have long since been resolved using a similar action strategy.What are the village's biggest public safety concerns? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The biggest Public Safety concern is continuing to maintain the highest level of service possible to our residents and holding the line on costs. We currently enjoy a high level of service from our Police and Fire Departments, who have received State and National recognition for excellence. The Village hires top notch candidates in their respective departments who approach their work with loyalty and dedication to their oath. As a result, we can all feel confident that we will be safe as we visit parks and recreational facilities or just go out for a casual stroll in the evening. If we or a loved one need immediate medical assistance, we know that the services provided by our Fire Department are just minutes away from our home. Maintaining these services requires a commitment to these dedicated officers that does not disproportionately take revenues away from other needed services. Find a balance between staffing levels and providing the highest level of Public Service possible is always a challenge. 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?As an incumbent Village Board member, these are issues that I consider and ponder over on a regular basis. Creating and maintaining a budget to operate the Village is not a once a year occurrence. The budget, revenues and expenditures are items that we on the Board concern ourselves with every day. With regard to "trimming" the budget, this is done on a regular basis by Department heads and the Village Manager throughout the year. These individuals challenge their staff to justify purchases or find other ways to reduce costs wherever possible. We on the Board have to make decisions about "Cutting" (as opposed to "trimming") cost which often lead to cutting services that we provide and that our residents have come to rely upon. Over the years, especially during this recent "great recession", decisions implemented by this Board have proven to be fiscally responsible and have left the Village of Mount Prospect in a very sound financial position, especially as compared to other communities in the area. There are always areas to which we could apply additional funding, but if the funding if not readily available, we must find alternate ways to satisfy our needs. Prudent financial planning is one of the most difficult yet important functions provided to a community by its elected officials. During my tenure on the Board, I have participated in some of the deepest budget cutting activities in the history of the Village. I do not see us cutting our way to fiscal prosperity as we have many issues to resolve that require significant funding, and striking a balance between managing the funds we currently have available and the need for additional funding without placing undue financial burdens on our residents is the fiscal battle we face moving forward.