Fred Moulton: 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: ElginWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moulton4Council/1054048751278774Office sought: Elgin City Council Age: 64Family: SpouseOccupation: RetiredEducation: H.S. graduate. Higher education at Judson College, Elgin, Il; Elgin Community College, Harper Community College and University of Pittsburgh (Pitt).Civic involvement: Past and/or current member of Clean-Up and Restore Elgin (C.U.R.E), Valley Creek Neighborhood Association. Decades long Neighborhood and Community Advocate.Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have proudly lived in Elgin for 41 years and have recently retired from a near 40-year long career at IBM and ATT. I am running for City Council for the right reasons: I have no ambition to seek higher office and will fully dedicate myself to Elgin's Citizens while serving as a Council Member as I have been for decades as an Elgin neighborhood advocate. I have managed budgets and negotiated communication vendor contracts worth over $150-Million. During my career I have work both as a Union and Management employee - I've seen and understand fundamental issues on both sides. I have had extensive training and real-time experience in conflict resolution and consensus building. I also have comprehensive expertise in network engineering; budget, performance and financial management having held numerous supervisory and technical positions. Over the decades I've seen many changes in this City: Some good, some not so good. I believe in Elgin, its people and its future. I know that I have the Savvy, Integrity and Compassion to do a great job for the City.City Manager Sean Stegaall says that the city's property tax levy -- which is staying flat this year -- is projected to increase by 5 percent in 2016 and 2017 unless cuts are made to public safety. However, some believe public safety budgets are untouchable. What is your stance? Would you make such cuts? If not, what alternatives would you propose?We are in the business of providing basic services to the Citizens of Elgin: Fire, Police and Public Works. These quality services are critical and also what defines this City as a safe and desirable community in which to live. The pressure on our budget due to continued Unfunded State Mandates; Health Insurance Cost with looming Affordable Care Act "Cadillac" Insurance penalties and being a vibrant and still growing city will, no doubt, continue to put pressures upon our budget. Newly constructed neighborhood Impact Fees should be assessed at appropriate levels sufficient to fund new safety and public works infrastructure and equipment where needed due to the expansion. Without relief, particularly from the State, there will need to be some realistic dialog and potential concessions from particularly newly hired City Union Members and other non-union staff as to increasing their personal contributions for health insurance and/or pension funding. Targeted buy-outs of certain employees, where not detrimental to safety, should be explored. The intent is to keep critical public safety services whole. Property tax and/or municipal utility fee increases should be the last option and only enacted if all else fails. I consider myself a fiscal conservative, frugal yet practical and realistic. No matter which direction(s)is taken it's quite likely to involve some painful decision making for many.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.Personal safety in certain high density areas of the City is a recurring concern expressed from many. Some go out of their way to avoid these areas. Whether real or perceived people feel unsafe while in certain neighborhoods, expressing anxiety for their safety. Recent crime statistics do show crimes such as assault and theft are down, but when these or similar crimes against a person occur they tend to cluster in specific and recurring areas. Some believe it's gang related while others believe it is driven more by poverty or ethnicity conflicts. Elgin has long struggled with this image and our police department and other community organizations have made great strides in minimizing gang and other criminal activity. They all should be commended for their achievements and contributions for the good of the City. That focus by our police and other community organizations needs to continue. The perception of Downtown have been or still is unsafe has greatly diminished over the years due to efforts of many by bringing new businesses and activities to the area and via positive promotion. Unfortunately, it takes time to reverse long held negative perceptions, sometime years.The city of Elgin has invested resources into promoting arts and entertainment downtown, which Mayor David Kaptain and others believe can be a long-term economic engine . Do you agree with the approach? If so, why? If not, what would you propose instead?Arts Entertainment: Should the City spend tax dollars to fund and promote or not? I believe the ARTS are indeed beneficial to Elgin. They no doubt bring in some revenue to local businesses and restaurants when people visit our City and they certainly help to create a more positive image of Elgin. I would caution not to overspend in this area and to seek private funding or grants where and when possible. I would also recommend a study to determine the true economic benefit to the City to help determine appropriate funding levels and would encourage these enterprises to have a measurable goal of self-sufficient and sustainable revenues once established.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Holding regular City sponsored job fairs: Inviting potential employers from Elgin and the surrounding area to come and recruit Elgin's available and talented work force.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Business development, especially that of new sales tax revenue generating businesses. It's simple: Increasing sales tax revenue reduces the pressure of having to raise property taxes and/or utility fees. Elgin's long term policy to incent and capture new businesses, especially along the Randall Road Corridor, has been inconsistent and mostly ineffective compared to our immediate neighbors to the north and south who have exploited Elgin's weakness and are reaping the revenue rewards. We are in a competitive environment with other communities. Elgin deserves a consistent and aggressive development policy to successfully compete and win; a policy that is creative and minimizes the impact on existing businesses while still growing the base. Elgin should hire its own fresh-faced, talented and experienced Economic Development Director to work in tandem with the Chamber of Commerce and independently as required. Also, the refurbishment of city infrastructure is critical. A proactive street maintenance program should be put in place and funded to slow the deterioration of city streets. Today and for at least a decade, no program has existed. Penny wise, pound foolish. Also, while oil thus blacktop, prices are low and interest rates are also low on funding bonds: NOW is the time to accelerate and catch-up on street repair and other infrastructure needs. Some streets have not been touched in more than a generation which is unacceptable!Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Barack Obama. He never tires of efforts to build a consensus on critical issues and to reach out to opponents that seem unpersuadable.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Honesty and Family loyaltyIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Would have stayed in the radio profession(engineering and on-air talent)which has always been a passion of mine. But only if it had paid well..did not!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Science. It helped me to develop my natural curiosities and technical abilities and knowledge which I successfully applied to my ATT IBM career.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat other people as you would have them treat you -- with honesty, respect and compassion.