Richard Dunne: Candidate Profile
Back to Elgin City Council
<p style="height:1px;margin:0;padding:0;overflow:hidden;">
<p class="disclaimer" style="font-size:16px;color:#666;"><strong>Note:</strong> 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.
<h4><strong>Jump to:</strong></h4>
<p style="height:1px;margin:0;padding:0;overflow:hidden;" class="clearFix">
<h3 class="breakHead">Bio</h3>
<strong>City:</strong> Elgin
<strong>Website:</strong> Dunneforelgin.com
<strong>Twitter:</strong> Candidate did not respond.
<strong>Facebook:</strong> https://www.facebook.com/DunneForElgin/
<strong>Office sought:</strong>
<strong>Age:</strong> 55
<strong>Family:</strong> I have been married to my wife Judy for 32 years and have three grown daughters; Erin, Shannon and Carolyn.
<strong>Occupation:</strong> Federal Grants Manager for the Department of Homeland Security
<strong>Education:</strong> Masters in Business Administration, Argosy University 2013
Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Management, Southern Illinois University 2005
Associates of Applied Science in Fire Science & Safety, Elgin Community College 1999
<strong>Civic involvement:</strong> Elgin City Councilmember 2009-Present
Elgin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1307 1991-Present
American Legion Post 57 1992-Present
Knights of Columbus 2012-Present
Elgin Near West Neighborhood Association - Founding Member and President
Elgin Veterans Memorial Commission & Phase II Committee 2006-2011
<strong>Elected offices held:</strong> Elgin City Councilmember 2009-Present
<h3 class="breakHead">Questions & Answers</h3>
<h3 class="briefHead">The Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin is funded by a $135,000 yearly contract with the city, and future funding will be discussed by the city council. The DNA could continue to be funded by the city, or by a new special tax imposed on downtown property owners, or by a special sales tax increase for downtown only. Or by a combination of all three. How do you believe the DNA should be funded? Please explain.</h3>
I support the current plan for the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) to establish a Special Assessment Area (SAA) which would add a special property tax on downtown property owners. For this to happen, the majority of the property owners would need to vote to establish the SAA. The DNA has started the legal process of establishing the SAA
<h3 class="briefHead">Elgin straddles Cook and Kane counties. Cook County approved increasing the hourly minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 effective July 1. Elgin, as a home rule community, can opt out. Do you support opting out or allowing the $10 minimum wage to take effect? Why?</h3>
While I do support having a living wage for all workers, this is an issue that should be addressed by our state representatives in Springfield. I do not believe that it would be prudent for the city to opt in on the Cook County minimum wage ordinance. The additional costs of accounting for many of our business would be too great. We have many businesses with multiple locations in the city, some with locations in both Kane County and Cook County. These businesses would lose the ability to transfer employees from their Kane County location to their Cook County to meet operational needs without tracking the employees' hours at each location separately to comply with the Cook County ordinance. Currently the city does not have the staff, or the ability to assure compliance with such an ordinance.
<h3 class="briefHead">A task force told the city council in summer 2015 that the Hemmens Cultural Center should be expanded with a new performance space for up to 450 patrons, new restrooms, dressing rooms, a box office and more. The cost hasnít been estimated but it would be in the millions. Do you believe an expansion is necessary? Please explain.</h3>
I support the Hemmens Cultural Center. Our first priority must be to address the current Life Safety, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and general maintenance issues to keep the Hemmens Cultural Center viable. With the current uncertainty in Springfield, I could not support having the city undertake a major project such as an expansion of the Hemmens at this time. However, if we were able to build a public/private partnership to secure the necessary funding, I would consider moving forward with the proposed expansion.
<h3 class="briefHead">The city council set a policy of gradually spending down the cityís reserves to 30 percent of operational expenses. By the end of 2017, the general fund will have $37.9 million in reserves, or about 32 percent, as per this yearís budget. Do you agree with the policy? Or do you believe the city should be more prudent with reserves? Or should it spend down reserves even more? Why?</h3>
I support the Council's current policy on maintaining the city's reserves of 30 percent of our operational expenses. These reserves allow the city to handle the day to day operations without worrying about having receipts or distributions from others failing to arrive in a timely fashion. It is similar to carrying a balance in a household checking account. With the current budget impasse between our state representatives in Springfield, and the uncertainty for local communities that this impasse is causing, I believe that the current reserve policy is prudent. Most of the proposed budgets coming out Springfield have the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) being reduced or totally eliminated. In 2016 the city received $10.5 million in LGDF funding from the state of Illinois. This would mean an equal, if not larger, due to growth in population, future reduction of $10.5 million in our General Fund. Without these reserve funds, the city would have to do immediate cuts to projects and programs funded from our General Fund.
<h3 class="briefHead">The city is working on a creating a ìcode compliance academyî for residents who want to find out more about property-related regulations, and help keep an eye on problems. Do you think this is a sound approach? If not, what is your alternative?</h3>
I support having a Citizens Code Academy for our residents. I believe that as residents become more knowledgeable in the code requirements and the steps to achieve code enforcement, this will give our citizens a greater understanding of the need for more resources in code enforcement.
The lack of proper code enforcement is one of the reasons I am running for reelection. Code enforcement is a core function of the city. It meets three elements of the city's Strategic Plan, Public Safety, Neighborhoods, and Image & Engagement. The city does not provide our staff with the resources necessary to provide proper code enforcement. The number one resource that we need for proper code enforcement is personnel. Currently the city has only four code enforcement officers conducting property maintenance inspections for a city of over 110,000 residents with structures exceeding 100 years in age. This is not enough staff to do the job required.
<h3 class="briefHead">What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?</h3>
I believe that the city should have an Ethics Ordinance covering all City Councilmembers, all Class A Employees and key appointed Commissioners. Questions have been raised over whether a Councilmember should recuse themselves from voting on an issue where some might perceive a conflict of interest. Our current policy is, if a Councilmember believes that they have a conflict of interest, they should seek the advice of the city's Corporation Counsel on the issue. I propose to clarify the issue in an Ethics Ordinance. An ordinance that not only covers the elected officials of the city, but also the senior management of the city and key appointed Commissioners. This would give all parties clear guidelines on the conduct that is expected by our citizens.
<h3 class="briefHead">Please name one current leader who most inspires you.</h3>
General Colin Powell
During Operation Desert Storm, I served under Gen. Powell. Still today he remains as one of the transformational leaders of our time.
<h3 class="briefHead">What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?</h3>
You can lose everything in life but your education. So make sure you get a good education. It will carry you far.
<h3 class="briefHead">If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?</h3>
When I was younger, I would have spent less time at work and more time with my daughters.
<h3 class="briefHead">What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?</h3>
History
Still today I love to know how we arrived at the place we are today and why.
<h3 class="briefHead">If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?</h3>
As stated above. You can lose everything in life but your education. So make sure you get a good education. It will carry you far.