Joe Gallo: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Joe Gallo
City: Rolling Meadows
Office sought: Mayor
Age: 38 yrs. old
Family: Married (wife Danielle Gallo), 2 children ages 7 & 5
Occupation: Management Analyst - Operations & Process
Education: Bachelor of Arts
Civic involvement: Board Member, Rolling Meadows Chamber of Commerce "Programs", participant and early adopter of the Illinois Autonomous Vehicle Association (ILAVA) platform, Co-Founder Illinois Smart City & Regions Association (ISCRA), Participant-Rolling Meadows Partners,
National Safety Council Road to Zero -Member,
Previous elected offices held: Current Alderman 4th Ward City of Rolling Meadows
Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Not the incumbent
Website: www.Gallo4mayor.com
Issue questions
What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?
Spending - Cost control and the Misallocation of capital. I will be more involved in direct oversight of spending and establish a committee to audit and analyze city financial records.
Community Development - Capital improvement, alternative mechanisms for sustainable revenue, and controlling rate of resource use. I will ensure staff pursue grant funding more aggressively and assign key performance indicators to certain jobs of city employees to ensure accountability when achieving certain predefined bench marks
What makes you the best candidate for the job?
I am a lifelong resident of Rolling Meadows. I was born here. I was raised here. I was educated and returned here. I now have a young family of my own. Because if my unique position as opposed to that of my competitors, I am not just an active resident, I am a product of this city. I know what we need to attract new residents from providing viable services, quality education, affordable taxes to appealing programs that cater to new and growing families through retired and senior residents. I have retired parents who live 11 doors down from me on the same street I grew up on and I know what they need to keep this city affordable for our aging population who are on fixed incomes and want to remain in this city to maintain close relationships with their children and participate in their grandchildren's lives. I belong to the Xennial generation so I understand where we've been, how things used to be, and where we're heading as a globally connected society. It's my age group that has the knowledge and ability to deconstruct the conventional-isms of yesterday and reconstruct it in preparation for the coming years
Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your city council.
I've always had a high level of autonomy. I use logic and reason as the foundation of my discovery process when determining an outcome to a situation, which allows me to take complex concepts and see them from a very general level all the into the finest details. As a result, my decisive nature allows me to make quick calculated decisions to carry the task through to completion. I am a firm believer that the only asset we're all given equally as people, is Integrity. Since integrity is finite and hard to replace if you ever lose it in the eye of others, I will never sacrifice it over a self serving impulse. I stand on my morals, compassion and empathy when navigating sensitive or standard situations. As a result I will always take a stand for my beliefs and what is right and just. I am confident in who I am. I do not need approval or acceptance from others to feel secure. I do what I say and whatever I say I am passionate about.
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?
Though we appear fiscally sound in our budget and by report, I believe we can always do better. I believe this because we're overborrowing against our future generations of taxpayers and at the same time, not incorporating new creative or forward thinking mechanisms for generating new and sustainable revenues through alternative means. During my time on City Council, I have encountered instances when we, as a city, have not exercised diligence in controlling cost for equipment and/or services. I believe our lack of cost control is due to a lack of oversight from executive management within certain departments where continuous encouragement to staff is warranted so they hunt more aggressively for more competitive rates because better rates do exist. It's simply a matter of determination, discipline, and desire by those tasked with procuring to find better rates through continued diligence.
What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
I've implemented smart city initiatives. I have applied for multiple, multimillion dollar grants such as the National Safety Council Road to Zero Initiative and IDC Smart City N. America Awards. I've started a program that 18 months underway. It protects emergency personnel and others in our town and on our streets via Haas Alert System. HAAS Alert is a mobility and smart city data service provider keeping emergency crews, drivers, and the public safe through C-V2X communication that alerts motorists and other road users when emergency responders and/or slow-moving vehicles are in the vicinity or en route to a call. I'm working to integrate with connected traffic signals at intersections creating vital connected corridors. This accelerates first responder's arrival on scene or when transporting away. while analysis from the created data helps city officials make accurate informed decisions that may improve components of citywide infrastructure. Currently, more than half Rolling Meadows Fire Department RMFD vehicle (ambulance & fire truck) fleet have been outfitted with Haas Alert System devices. Conversations are underway with the connected traffic signal OEM's discussing the distance of the connected corridor and traffic signal quantity needs necessary to fulfill the route.