Robert Hoban: 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: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wheeling Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 43Family: I have been married to Elizabeth for nearly five years and we have two daughters, Colleen, 2, and Emily, 9 months.Occupation: AttorneyEducation: B.A., Political Science, Northern Illinois University J.D., Marquette University Law SchoolCivic involvement: I have frequently donated to charitable causes, such as by providing clothes for needy families to Wheeling Township, participating in the Adopt-a-Family Program and the English Bulldog Rescue, and by donating to the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. I have also volunteered at fundraisers for Robert Frost, my neighborhood elementary school, and have served as a mentor for young lawyers.Elected offices held: I was elected Community Representative at Skinner Classical Elementary School in 2008 and re-elected in 2010.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To continue to provide needed social services (such as transportation, health care, heating assistance, and youth programs) to our elderly and disadvantaged residents without increasing the tax burden on the property taxpayers of Wheeling Township. I will vigilantly monitor those entities providing Township funded services to ensure that they are providing those services in the most effective and cost efficient way possible.Key Issue 2 With the multitude of taxing bodies that overlap in any given area, often units of local government are unaware of the needs of other governmental entities. Units of local government should work together in an effort to promote volunteerism. For instance, I regularly attend School Board meetings to determine what fundraisers are upcoming and whether they need financial or volunteer assistance. I would like the Township to take an active role in promoting the activities and needs of other units of local government and, conversely, for them to promote our needs, such as keeping our food pantry stocked. Ultimately, this benefits everyone as it has been my experience that private donations can have an huge impact on the quality of services provided by local government.Key Issue 3 When I was growing up, I was fortunate enough to have access to a Township where youth activities were regulary provided. I would like to expand such opportunities for the youth of Wheeling Township. I would also like to promote family programs, particularly during the summer months. I have always found it unfortunate that the 4th of July, the holiday that should focus on our civic pride, falls during the summer when school is out and valuable lessons are missed. I would like the Township to provide family activities during the summer, such as plays or concerts that focus on our American Heritage.Questions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.1. Promoting our Services -- Although Wheeling Township provides excellent social services to the community, people need to know about those services to take advantage of them. Although our newsletter does an excellent job of infoming the community of what is available, we must think of new ways, such as by making presentations to group homes and nursing homes or posting bulletins in local businesses and civic organizations, to promote the work that we do. 2. Increasing Community Involvement -- In addition to promoting our services, we must solicit ideas from our residents as to how those services can be improved. One possible solution is to provide surveys to those who use Township funded services to find out how such services can suit their needs better. 3. Appoint liasons to other units of local goverment -- Township Government should not exist in a vacuum, but should regulary be in contact with other units of local government, such as Village, School, Park District, and Library Boards, to promote both their services and our own. Collaborative projects should also be explored, such as food drives, book drives, after school programs, and voter registration.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?With State and County Government slashing funding for needed social services, such as services for the mentally ill, Township Government is needed now more than ever. Although it has been argued that people can access social services without Township assistance, the Township serves a valuable role by providing information to the community about what assistance is available and by requiring that service providers properly document that they are in fact providing the promised services to our residents.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?To serve as a resource for community residents who require assistance and to provide information to residents who may otherwise not know that such services are available for them.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?Wheeling Township is one of the few taxing bodies that has not increased taxes, or increased trustee salaries, for several years. The Township also closely monitors service providers to ensure that they are providing the promised services. It is precisely because of our hard economic times that any further budget cuts should take place only after very careful consideration of the impact such cuts will have on the community. I will, however, continue to require that all entities whom receive Township funding are being careful stewards of our taxpayer dollars and are providing services in the most cost effective way possible. Funding for providers who do not show results should be discontinued. I will also not vote for, nor accept, a salary increase.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?As the Community Representative at Skinner Classical Elementary, I was instrumental in reducing student fees by 85%, in large part by soliciting private donations. This would not have been possible if not for my communicating of the school's needs to the community, many of whom were willing to step forward and help out. People are very willing to donate their time and money if they see a direct result of their volunterism. It is this dedication to public outreach and transparency that will, I believe, make me as asset to the Wheeling Township Board of Trustees. As an attorney who represents public entities, I am also very familiar with the budgeting process and consider myself a careful steward of taxpayer funds.