John Prendiville: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: John R. Prendiville

City: City of Wheaton

Office sought: Mayor

Age: 56

Family: Wife - Georgia; children - Katherine (married to Matthew), Elaine, Jack, and Zoe

Occupation: Managing Director and Managing Counsel, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation

Education: University of Notre Dame, Eastern Illinois University, DePaul University College of Law

Civic involvement: Coached approximately 60 teams, over many years, with Wheaton Park District; served on Downtown Wheaton Association Board

Previous elected offices held: Wheaton City Councilman-At-Large (three terms)

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Incumbent councilman, first elected in 2007

Website: johnprendiville.com

Facebook: John Prendiville for Mayor

Issue questions

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

The major issue for the City during the next few years will be funding capital projects, such as the annual road program, the completion of the Downtown Streetscape Project, stormwater projects, and the sidewalk program. The City has a structural budget problem - revenue has remained fairly flat for several years while operating expenses have slowly risen (less than 2 percent each year). The difference between revenue and operating expenses is the primary source of funding for capital projects. This gap is projected to disappear within the next two years, while the City has $13.3 million in unfunded capital projects (water, storm sewer, road, parking and bridge/culvert improvements) planned for the next five years. We must identify a consistent source of funding for capital improvements; we cannot simply choose not to fund them. One funding opportunity will arise in 2023, when the bonds issued to fund the Library expansion and improvements are retired. The City could then issue bonds to finance capital improvements without raising property taxes; however, this is not a long-term solution. We must continually search for ways to lower our operating costs and re-evaluate our priorities each budget year, with a view to a structurally balanced budget.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

First, I have served three terms as Councilman at large, representing the entire City, and have a very good understanding of the City, how it works, and the issues it must address. Second, my priorities align with those of City residents: keeping Wheaton financially strong through responsible fiscal practices while keeping taxes and fees as low as possible, maintaining and improving our infrastructure, and providing a very high level of services. Finally, I have a long record of working well with other members of the City Council, as well as other local governments. I have always been open to the opinions and ideas of others, and genuinely respect the people with whom I speak. I reach out to members of the City Council when important issues arise, and my conversations with fellow Council members have helped to shape my opinions countless times; I have learned a great deal from each of them. I believe that these factors have contributed greatly to my endorsement for election as Mayor by eight current and former Wheaton City Council members, including two former Mayors, five District 200 Board members (including all Wheaton residents on the Board), and three Wheaton Park District Board members.

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

My leadership style is based on respect. I listen and learn from others, and respect opinions and the people expressing them. When I disagree with an opinion, I am not disagreeable. An effective leader must take a position, be able to articulate the reasons for that position, and move others to join that position. This should be accomplished through effective reasoning and communication. The ability to listen (not merely hear) and understand the points raised by others is crucial; if someone with a differing opinion believes that you are actively listening to her/his presentation and seeking to understand it fully, you can then interact in a mutually respectful manner. In my experience, this leads to better ultimate conclusions. We are very fortunate to have very intelligent, dedicated people on the Wheaton City Council. Each brings his or her particular experience and expertise to the table. The best Mayor will tap into these resources and encourage an open and uninhibited discussion among members of the Council; when this occurs, the best group decisions can be made. I believe that I function in this manner, and would help lead the City Council to the best decisions possible.

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?

The 2019 City of Wheaton budget is in excellent shape. My first priority as Mayor would be to continue the fiscally responsible practices that have kept the City in a position of financial strength. By fiscally responsible practices, I mean planning ahead (not merely one year at a time), spending taxpayer money wisely, ensuring a revenue stream that keeps up with inflationary increases in costs, and maintaining appropriate reserves that act as a cushion against unforeseen costs and liabilities, while keeping taxes and fees as low as possible. The City has consistently held operating expenses to a growth rate of 2 percent or less, while continuing to provide the high level of services that residents of Wheaton expect. The property tax levy for the City (13 percent of the typical tax bill for a property owner) has increased very slightly in the past two years (only 0.7 percent for 2019). The impact on the average property owner is a zero increase in City property taxes because the 0.7 percent increase was limited to the capture of economic growth in the City. We do have a revenue issue ahead of us (discussed above), and must address this in a fair and responsible manner.

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

I would like to see the City of Wheaton work with District 200 and the Wheaton Park District (and perhaps DuPage County) to share some operational costs. While there certainly would be governance hurdles to overcome, and perhaps other complications, the opportunity exists to increase overall governmental efficiencies through greater cooperation. The City, Park District and District 200 have an excellent working relationship and have cooperated successfully in a number of ways in the past; an expansion of mutually beneficial operations such as fleet maintenance would reduce costs, permit a more mission-effective allocation of revenues, and benefit taxpayers.