Gregg Goslin Candidate Profile:
Bio
Name: Gregg Goslin
City: Glenview
Website: Goslin2018.com
Twitter: @gregggoslin
Facebook: Goslin2018.com
Party: Republican
Office sought: Cook County Commissioner, 14th District
Age: 65
Family: Wife Victoria, adult children Kathryn, Maggie & Alex, granddaughter Ella
Occupation: President of Glenview-based Cabot Properties, Ltd; recently sold the healthcare business I developed and operated for 32 years
Education: Licensed real estate broker and a certified secondary education teacher in the State of Illinois; B.S.ed in Political Science and Secondary Education from Southern Illinois University; completed postgraduate study in Real Estate
Civic involvement: Past Chairman, Glenview Chamber of Commerce (three terms), Member since 1989; Glenview Optimist Club; Former Officer, Northwest Municipal Conference; Glenview Chamber Business Person of the Year; Glenview Chamber Business of the Year; Founding member of the Glenview Values Project; Board Member, Thomas Place Senior Housing; Member, Glenview Naval Air Station Reuse Task Force
Elected offices held: Member, Illinois House of Representatives, 89th General Assembly; Supervisor, Northfield Township, 3 terms; Township Collector, Northfield Township; Township Trustee, Northfield Township; Republican Committeeman, Northfield Township, 1994-2006
Questions & Answers
Question 1: After the repeal of the sweetened beverage tax last year, the county made extensive cuts to bring expenditures more in line with revenues. Does more need to be done to either trim costs or grow revenues? If so, please give specific examples.
ANSWER: Put short, Cook County doesn't have a revenue problem but a spending problem. Under the current administration, the county budget has grown from $3.055 billion in 2011 to the current $5.2 billion, in a time of zero inflation. A 70% increase in the county budget is astonishing - most of our citizens have not had a 70% wage increase in the last 7 years. I have opposed and voted against a number of unfair and burdensome budgets. There is no appetite by the board or our taxpayers for an increase in taxes of any type - witness the rise and fall of the soda tax, which I opposed, and voted to repeal.
Personnel costs are at the core of the county budget, and no meaningful progress can be made without addressing this issue. Across the board cuts in personnel will not solve this issue. A fine-tuning must be conducted department by department, office by office to right-size staffing. As an example, in my office I conduct business with a staff of three, this despite the fact that I represent a suburban district that requires more services than my Chicago based colleagues due to its size which includes 90 miles of county roadways and 5,257 acres of forest preserve property and issues such as vehicle stickers and building permits. Our district office is in the Northfield Township office and this partnership in good government best serves our residents and is economical as well. Through these cost savings measures, I have returned $446,847.00 to the county treasury in unused office budget expenses during my service.
Huge cost centers involve public safety and healthcare, which are complicated but are at the heart of the mission and must be operated in an efficient, effective and economical manner. Over 100 years ago the county made the decision to provide healthcare for the neediest among us. In light of the Affordable Care Act, the county hospital system should continue to expand the County Care insurance plan and look for ways to partner with other hospital systems, as outlined in its strategic plan. Keep in mind that the county is under no legal obligation to operate a hospital and clinic system, as opined by the Cook County State's Attorney.
Question 2: The county has at times encouraged suburban communities to annex unincorporated areas, lessening the need for services in often small and remote areas of the county. Should the county continue this policy? Should it incentivize municipalities to annex?
ANSWER: The county has at times encouraged suburban communities to annex unincorporated areas, lessening the need for services in often small and remote areas of the county. Should the county continue this policy? Should it incentivize municipalities to annex?
As a former 13-year Northfield Township Supervisor (CEO), I have interacted with citizens in the unincorporated areas often over the years. These taxpaying citizens receive police protection from the sheriff and building/zoning services from the county. Other than that, they receive no more services than their incorporated neighbors and pay an annual wheel tax (vehicle sticker) to the county. The township highway departments maintain roadways and they're serviced by private sanitary sewer systems in unincorporated areas.
Any county assets the municipalities may have wanted have been "cherry picked" over the years. What is left is what basically no municipality wants. Bringing the infrastructure up to municipal standards would absolutely be necessary and very expensive.
Question 3: As commissioner on a board dominated by representatives of Chicago, how will you work (or if an incumbent, how have you worked) to ensure your suburban constituents' interests get fairly represented?
ANSWER: I represent the values of my constituents and work to ensure my district taxpayers receive a fair share of the tax dollars returned via infrastructure projects, FPD improvements, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and road improvements. $437,756,811.00 has been invested back into the 14th District over my years as its commissioner.
As chair of the Forest Preserve Finance Committee, I oversee the finances of one of the most important assets to many of the residents in the 14th District. I have brought about new measures designed to increase transparency and promote fiscal responsibility of these treasured properties that adds much to our local quality of life. As a Republican on a predominantly Democratic Board, I believe this speaks to my ability to cooperatively work to benefit the citizens we serve.
I have sponsored a variety of measures I believe make Cook County government operation better and supported numerous 6b job-creating tax incentive programs. Question 4: Do you support the Cook County minimum wage and sick leave ordinances that took effect last year?
ANSWER: I oppose county legislation that should be appropriately dictated on state or federal level such as such as Mandated Sick Leave and the Minimum Wage. On a county level, these laws create a patchwork that negatively impacts our local economy, particularly for us as a border district with Lake County (McHenry and Kane Counties are within earshot as well) - and as the 14th District is only 28 miles from the Wisconsin border, the competition for job creating and revenue generating enterprises is ferocious. That only damages the ability of local employers to hire our residents and contribute back into the community. This is NOT the way to encourage economic growth.
Question 5: The Forest Preserve District made negative headlines in three instances recently, with a temporary employee being arrested in connection with a fatal crash, the deaths of three elk at Busse Woods, and an officer's inaction when a woman was harassed by another patron because of her Puerto Rico flag shirt. What do these incidents say about leadership in the district and what changes, if any, are needed?
ANSWER: These events are distressing; however, they are also isolated incidents. The Forest Preserve leadership response to these instances was strong and immediate. The police officer who wasn't doing his job is now out of a job. I introduced and passed the Recommitment to Public Safety resolution calling for more training for our FPD police. With 5,257 acres of forest preserve property in the 14th District, I am adamant that our FPD holdings, which add so much to our quality of life, remain safe and accessible to our residents and visitors.
Question 6: Do you support the Forest Preserve District's Next Century Plan and, if so, how does the county find the funding for it? If not, what measures can be taken to improve the conditions of forest preserve facilities within the county's means?
ANSWER: Habitat restoration is a key tenant of the Cook County Forest Preserves mission. Along with the help and assistance of numerous volunteers, we have a long standing program to restore high quality habitat and eliminate invasive species.
I support the Cook County Forest Preserve's Next Century Plan and applaud the far-reaching goals established within it. While it would be wonderful to be able to restore all 69,000+ acres of FPD lands it is simply not feasible due to funding and manpower. Currently the FPD has a vegetation management plan in place for 10,500 acres but through the Next Century Conservation Plan, the goal is to be able to manage and restore up to 30,000 acres and acquire another 20,000 acres to add to FPD holdings.
We can do that by continuing to leverage public and private funds to both acquire and restore high quality preserves. Also of utmost importance is to continue to recruit restoration volunteers. The Forest Preserves has recently launched a radio and print campaign to recruit new volunteers to the preserves as more volunteers are key to reaching our restoration goals.
Meeting the goals of the Next Century Plan is a huge undertaking and it cannot be done without the help of the public but the rewards are great. In my own district, Somme Woods and Deer Grove are shining examples of what restoration can accomplish. Restoration in Somme Woods began in the 1970's and has gone from land shrouded by dense thickets of invasive buckthorn to shaded to shaded woodland, sun-dappled savanna to wide open prairie. Restored wetlands within Deer Grove have transformed the landscape where hundreds of rare birds and plants are now thriving.
I am committed to continuing restoration of Forest Preserve lands by supporting the Forest Preserve's Sustainability Doctrine, a plan to maintain the rich biological diversity and the ecosystem services of the flora and fauna in the Forest Preserve District and working to meet the goals established in the Next Century Conservation Plan.
Question 7: What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?
ANSWER: I love my job representing the citizens of the 14th District on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and want to continue my work to reinvent Cook County into an efficient, effective and economical unit of government, managed in a professional manner.
Instead of identifying specific issues at this time, beyond what has been previously discussed, let's talk about the need to be flexible and responsive to what new challenges unexpectedly appear. None of us really know what the future holds: just ask Blockbuster Video or Best Buy's owners and employees in this day of streaming movies and Amazon. What is more relevant to our discussion today, I believe, is to look at my core values which drive my work on the county board. My personal mission statement is to: Professionalize, modernize and privatize Cook County government; Provide efficient, effective, economical and compassionate management of County business; Partner with other units of government and the private sector to develop regional solutions for regional issues & Provide citizens with the necessary tools to access and benefit from Cook County resources. This continues to shape my approach looking for resolutions for county issues that impact our citizens.
My philosophy regarding new legislation is simple: it should directly improve Cook County government's economic efficiencies and be related to our mission of serving our citizens. We need to continue to encourage economic growth in all of Cook County and repeal short-sighted initiatives that stunt growth.
As to my record: I have sponsored diverse measures I believe make Cook County government operation better: requiring a fiscal impact note for proposed legislation, taxing district debt disclosure, Cook County Midyear Accountability Ordinance, approved numerous job creating economic development incentives, establishing elimination of drones on county property, establishing the Cook County Small Business Commission, creating a sheriff's operations asset forfeiture fund and supported numerous 6b job creating tax incentive programs.
More about you
In addition, here a few questions meant to provide more personal insight into you as a person:
1. What's the hardest decision you ever had to make?
ANSWER: "Hardest" is a bit strong. Life is full of choices, for all of us, and I have struggled with some of them. For most of my adult life I have been in the real estate development business. I have built and sold over 400 units and every development - and the financial risk that goes with it - is a hard choice. Getting married (36 years this month) was a big decision. Running for public office is a big decision and very time consuming and requires family support and sacrifice.
2. Who is your hero?
ANSWER: My mother and father. Parenting is a very hard and rewarding job on every level, something I never fully realized until I had children. Like most children of the Great Depression, life was not easy for my parents. They role-modeled how to have high expectations for themselves and their children in a way that was always encouraging and inspirational. My three children are adults now starting their own families. Our first grandchild is 15 months now, and the circle of life has started anew.
3. Each amendment in the Bill of Rights is important, but which one of those 10 is most precious to you?
ANSWER: I would select the First Amendment as the most important. Its focus on protecting five of our most basic rights: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to right wrongs are the very foundation of our country.
4. What lesson of youth has been most important to you as an adult? 5. Think back to a time you failed at something. What did you learn from it?
ANSWER: I have combined these two questions because my answer to each is the same. Failing at anything is the best education there is if you thoughtfully analyze what worked and what didn't. The next step is to pick yourself up and get back at it, a bit smarter and wiser for the misstep.