James Robert Hughes: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: WinfieldWebsite: http://www.JamesHughesForWinfield.comOffice sought: Winfield Village boardAge: 43Family: I#146;m married to my wonderful wife Suzanne; five children, and four beautiful grandchildren. We are empty nesters, our oldest daughter is a (RN) Registered Nurse, and our son is a State Policeman, our other kids are currently seeking their masters.Occupation: Chief Executive Officer Product Development DirectorEducation: • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer• Artisoft TeleVantage (Digital PBX/VoIP) • Microsoft Technical Sales Specialists• Microsoft +Internet Engineer• Microsoft Deploying Installing Certified• Red Hat (Linux Engineer)• TCP/IP EngineerCivic involvement: I#146;m on the Winfield Riverwalk Committee where I designed the 1st annual Taste of Winfield and helped move the committee forward with new ideas and solutions to reach our goals while working to bring a team environment with open communications. The Riverwalk is perhaps the largest development project in the history of Winfield. I also attend nearly all other committee, commission and board meetings of the Village of Winfield.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoneCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Winfield Riverwalk with New Urban Town Center; perhaps the largest development project in the history of Winfield.The Riverwalk gives Winfield a central identity while putting people to work and providing for improved community experiences while increasing our villages tax base.Key Issue 2 Reasonable and Sensible Development; together let#146;s preserve our unique small town and natural environment as we expand our population and business community.Key Issue 3 Communication and Technologies; seek new ways to inform and listen with our neighbors. Improve our technologies including our website to support the local Village more while using the proper communication channels and new technologies for maintaining the best possible costs out-come, yet be more effective and efficient #8211; proactively sharing and open communications from the Village for us the Residents and businesses of Winfield.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Winfield is a small town with an urban design home to many commuters that is beautifully nestled among the forest preserve. I#146;ll help move Winfield forward while caring about all that is so important to our Village.I#146;m a resident of Shelburne Crossing in Winfield, a fresh face running for trustee; my goals are the goals of the people of Winfield with no past relationships or personal goals to achieve. Stand with me: Stimulate the Economy, Build and Preserve the Future of Winfield. Our Plans must be Clear, Compelling, and Balanced to get Winfield Strong and Prosperous.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Winfield has some of the lowest sales taxes in the area. We do need to look at them and bring them in-line with the current times for the right reasons, not just because we can. It#146;s vital for Winfield to control its spending and its ability to raise any taxes #8211; it has to be for the right reasons, be sensible, and be the only option or solution.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.Winfield as many other towns in our area is going to have work hard to be able to cover the growing cost(s) of police protection. My son is a state policeman providing me with a bit more perspective with this matter.This is an area where we need to be listening to our residents, our police staff, looking for all solutions to provide the best possible service we can while be the most effective and efficient with our budget. Everything should be on the table from joint police force(s), to more public police aid/help, looking into better technology lowering the total cost of providing service. There are many areas we can research and take action to protect the future of our police and our Villages police protection. We need to be making all the choices for the right reasons and move forward on them.It should be noted that Winfield today has a balanced budget that includes our current police protection.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Winfield currently has a completely balanced budget. This then means it#146;s the perfect time to look in-depth at our spending and find solutions that often when under stress are over-looked.Example is paying for our road repairs, now is the time to look at pilot technologies, county maintained roads, grants, and other solutions, let#146;s put everything on the table to form the best possible solution(s). We don#146;t need to spend it just because we have it, or because it#146;s in the budget.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I have many; I#146;ve been listening very close to all residents in Winfield and attending most all of our Villages board and committee meetings.Let#146;s start with the Riverwalk, perhaps the largest development project in history of Winfield, brings new jobs, new businesses, improves our tax base, improves the community experiences tremendously; it#146;s a wonderful project that#146;s being completed without the use of tax payer monies. Even more, this community wide project helps all of Winfield build and maintain our property values.During all phases of the Riverwalk from engineering to construction we put people back to work. Once completed the new Riverwalk Urban Center will increase our local tax base with the new businesses while also bringing a larger job base to Winfield.Other areas right now may only be offering new business a basic plot of land and address of 27Wxxx #8211; Winfield will be offering property in Riverwalk Urban Center at One Riverwalk Drive!Winfield is a small town with an urban design home to many commuters that is beautifully nestled among the forest preserve. We can move forward preserving all that it is that we love as residents of Winfield, sensibly and reasonably. I will always reach out to the people of Winfield being certain that what we do is what all us resident#146;s desire, while being fiscally responsible; our plans must be clear, compelling, balanced, and stimulate the economy to build and preserve the future of Winfield.