Doug Ramsdale: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Doug Ramsdale

City: Village of North Barrington

Office sought: Trustee

Age (on election day): 73

Family: Wife, Carol, son, Neil, daughter-in-law, Shannon, and granddaughters Maisie and Gemma - all North Barrington residents!

Occupation: Former CEO of $250 million manufacturing company, today owner of small business consulting form

Education: Degree in Business Studies. John Moores University, Liverpool, England

Civic involvement: Treasurer, Rotary Club of Lake Zurich, IL

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected?

Website: www.jaydougnb.com

Facebook: Yes

Twitter: No

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

For parents, and grandparents, it's the safety of our children in North Barrington School and how to ensure that without closing the school on election day. I intend to push hard to locate voting in another Village facility. More broadly, North Barrington is becoming less attractive to buy a home because of punitively high real estate taxes. Most homeowners have seen values decline or stagnate at best. I intend to use North Barrington's voice to push Lake County to hold an election for Assessor to replace the ineffective, unelected one we have today.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My investment in and commitment to the North Barrington community. My family owns two homes here; combined we have 70 years of residency, and I have two brilliant, bright-eyed granddaughters who love it here and whose future is my priority. I regard residents as investors. Isn't that what they are after purchasing their home here? They deserve to be served efficiently, gracefully, and with utmost respect. I understand the importance of keeping costs under control, but I also understand the importance of performance and quality. The time to judge a contract is when the snow is on the ground or the power is down. I question whether the Village administration has the best tools for the work we ask them to do. Technology can lower costs while improving productivity and responsiveness. I see lots of opportunity to make life easier for our employees and do a better job for residents while reducing costs.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your city council.

I'm a team player. I seek talent and respect people with knowledge and experience. I focus on the best results - not necessarily what I want personally - try to find the best way to get them. I make sure everybody gets a chance to be heard and I value feedback. But I also respect time and process. I expect to be held accountable for results and not involved in endless discussion.

How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services people want?

Our budget is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Polite inquiry has not revealed much. The Village balance sheet is strong, as is investment income. I know this administration is obsessed with cost, but exactly why is not clear. Residents will make better choices if they have better information. Again, like the investors they are, the deserve to know what the Village does with their money. I will push hard for openness and transparency.

What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

The Village has a vehicle sticker program. I would eliminate it. The money disappears into General Revenue, nobody can say what it's used for. It is unfair, we already pay for a State sticker. It is not enforced. But the worst thing is the antiquated billing and collection process. It costs a business anywhere between $12 and $30 to raise an invoice. The Village produces two letters, two envelopes, and a double form and then snail mails it to residents for a sticker fee as low as $10. Who can justify spending $12 to collect $10? One answer was "it helps to update the database". Well, there's a better way to do that.