John Krukoff: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: ElburnWebsite: N/AOffice sought: Elburn Village Board Age: 65Family: My wife is retired, and we have lived in Elburn for the last 11 years. My son lives in Denver with his wife and our granddaughter, and my brother lives in Naperville. My father passed away last year, and my mother is in an assisted living facility in Plainfield.Occupation: Director of Information Central for the National Association of REALTORSEducation: Bachelor's in Forestry and Wildlife Management from SIU; Masters in Library and Information Science from Dominican University; Masters in Public Administration from the University of Colorado;and All-But-Dissertation for a PhD in Resource Economics from Michigan State University.Civic involvement: Park Ranger, Sheriff's Deputy, and Volunteer Fireman for 10 years in Colorado. I have served on Elburn's Planning Commission and Tree Board for the last four years, and I am currently the treasurer for the Elburn Community Emergency Response Team. i also volunteer every year to help with Elburn Days, Arbor Day, the Christmas Walk, National Night Out Against Crime, and in the past, Elburn's Day in the Park.Elected offices held: Chief Park Ranger and acting Director for Boulder County Parks and Open Space. Currently an Elburn Planning Commissioner and Treasurer of the Elburn Community Emergency Response Team.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I believe both my education and extensive business experience make me a very strong candidate. I have a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Colorado and have had a managerial position with a professional trade association for over 25 years. My current responsibilities include managing a staff of 16 professionals and a 2.2 million dollar budget providing information services to the over one million members of our organization. This combination of theory and practice gives me a valuable perspective on evaluating and directing Village services. Since moving here eleven years ago I have been actively involved in many community activities, organizations and events, and have served as an Elburn Planning Commissioner for the last four. My wife and I have made many friends here and we have watched the village grow and prosper. I sincerely believe that I can do an excellent job representing the interests of the residents of Elburn.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I do a great deal of research for the members of my association and have found Illinois sales and property taxes to be much higher then most of the other states. It is difficult to buy a home here and provide for your family when the taxes and insurance are more than the mortgage. I believe the answer is two-fold. First we need to make sure Elburn is run as efficiently as possible by providing essential services in the most economical way possible. Unlike some other taxing districts we should NOT always raise the mill levy by the maximum amount possible. There needs to be an extremely important reason to consider raising taxes, and Village residents should always be informed of the reasons and allowed to vote on it. I would also like to see an effort made to put any future tax initiatives on the November ballot when more residents show up to vote than on the April one. The second possible solution is to attract more commercial development to the town. They use minimal services, create jobs, and help the tax base. This should be a significant goal of the new board and I hope the new Elburn Station development will make this an easier option for us to pursue.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?Elburn and Countryside is one of the most effectively run fire districts in Illinois. Chief Callaghan's department answers over 1500 calls a year and has one of the best reputations for professionalism and excellence. As a member of the Elburn Community Emergency Services Team, and a past volunteer firefighter, I can appreciate the competent organization he has developed. Elburn Police Chief Smith should also be congratulated for his efforts in making the Elburn Police Department efficient and responsive. Under his watch, Elburn's crime rate is 70% lower than the Illinois average and he has managed to accomplish this while also keeping his staffing well below the Illinois state average. However, this is one area that will have an important impact on future budgets. The Police department is currently a sizeable part of Elburn's annual budget. New development will add pressures to increase the size of the force and it will be the new board's job to work with the Chief to maintain low crime rates in the most economical way possible. Recent efforts to unionize and changes in police pension benefits will further impact future Village budgets.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As compared to most of the other local taxing districts, the current Village tax levy is actually one of the smallest parts of everyone's annual property tax bill. The services that residents now receive are, for the most part, provided efficiently and effectively. However, there are going to be significant challenges in the near future. The rising costs of policing the village, the new services that are going to have to be provided to Elburn Station, and the future costs of repairing and replacing our older, existing infrastructure to name just a few. It is the expansion and maintenance of the Village's water, sewer and transportation system that concerns me the most. These infrastructure issues include aging water and sewer pipes; well pumps and filtration systems, the waste water treatment plant, sidewalks and roads, the train station and parking lots, and our neighborhood parks. There are significant expenditures that will need to be made in the not so distant future to maintain the general operation and usefulness of all of these. I would like to be part of this ongoing replacement and improvement process to ensure it is carried out by local firms, if at all possible, and at competitive prices when necessary.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I actually have two. The first is the development of agreements with other towns and agencies in order to collaborate on providing basic services, sharing specialized equipment and utilizing each other's expertise. A good example would be to bring our village parks, the forest preserve district, the school district, community associations and other private organizations together. These groups would then meet and actively collaborate on and coordinate existing and future recreational opportunities, facilities and services. The new group's sole purpose would be to increase the variety and availability of recreation related activities to area residents at little or no additional cost. This could help eliminate the need to create another special taxing district to provide additional parks and recreation services, which some residents have been talking about for several years. My second idea is to greatly increase our efforts to identify, apply for and hopefully secure public and private grants. These grants can help finance improvements in public safety, health and welfare, energy efficiency, transportation, and capital improvements. They are well worth the effort to actively pursue, and I believe the Village Board should spearhead these efforts.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are three important areas that I would like to concentrate on when elected. First is to make every effort to capitalize on the new development at Elburn Station to attract new industrial, commercial, and retail projects to town. It is a priority to expand the tax base in order to keep property taxes at a minimum. Second, to make sure the Elburn Station development is carried forward in a way that benefits the Village and its residents, as well as the developer. I want to ensure that this new growth does not negatively impact the current residents, existing businesses, or small town flavor that we all now enjoy. Third, ensure that the village has adequate plans for maintaining, replacing and financing its aging infrastructure. I do not want our village residents surprised by any unanticipated sewer, water, or road costs in the foreseeable future.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis, for bringing a new era of transparency, forgiveness, acceptance and compassion to his church and the world.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always share what you have and be willing to help those in need. The real value of life is not about getting... but in giving.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would spend more time with my friends and family. Life is short and in the end, its the people in your life that matter.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Reading. It has opened my mind to new people, places and ideas. It has helped me appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Never stop learning. Education will bring you wealth, joy, understanding and compassion. It's the foundation of your future and will make you a better person.