Thomas W. Hayes: 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: Arlington HeightsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Arlington Heights Village boardAge: 54Family: Married to Sue Hayes for 32 years. Daughter - Tara, Son - Tim and his wife, Aneli.Occupation: Civil defense trial attorney employed by McKenna Storer, Chicago, ILEducation: U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY (B.S. General in 1978)DePaul University College of Law (J.D. in 1986)Civic involvement: Member - Citizens Committee for The Drive to Revive Veteran's Memorial ParkRepublican Precinct CaptainMember - Republicans of Wheeling TownshipFormer AHYAA and AHYBA baseball and basketball coach, and Church AWANA leaderElected offices held: Arlington Heights Village Trustee 1991-PresentArlington Heights President Pro Tem (Appointed 1998-Present)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintaining the quality of life (including health, safety, and welfare) of our residents.Key Issue 2 Partnering with our business community to work through these challenging economic times.Key Issue 3 Providing our Village employees with what they need to provide high quality essential services to our residents and business community.Questions Answers Explain your point of view, or your vote, on the Boeger Place apartments proposal. Was the village board correct in rejecting the proposal as presented? What should happen now?The matter is currently in litigation as a result of a lawsuit filed against the Village by the developer, so my comments must be limited. My vote against the development as currently proposed, however, is a matter of public record. While the Village has always strived to accomodate those with special needs, the current proposal does not fit the chosen site.Should Arlington Hts. keep twice-a-week garbage pick-up forever? How do you feel about once-a-week versus twice-a-week, and the usefulness of rolling carts?We continue to evaluate all options based on a number of factors including cost and resident input. I voted to keep twice a week pick-up because there was insufficient support to change the way the Village has picked up garbage for many years. I also voted to go to rolling carts for recycling as an incremental step to possible rolling carts for garbage as well.Given the economic difficulties, what village services must be kept and what could still be cut? Are there things you would be willing to forego temporarily until the economy rebounds?I have advocated focus on essential services (police, fire, and public works) since I was first elected. Recent economic conditions have made that a necessity, as evidenced by the elimination of the Teen Center and Too Good for Drugs program last year. While we continue to look for possible additional cuts, few non-essential programs and services remain.Is downtown Arlington Heights a success? Explain your answer.Absolutely. Despite the impact of current economic conditions, I believe our downtown is the envy of our surrounding communities. Anchored by great restaurants and the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, the vision of downtown Arlington Heights as a destination for both residents and non-residents has become a reality.Other than downtown, what is the one area of town that needs the most attention from the village board in terms of economic development?We continue to seek both tenants and developers for the north and south ends of town. The Village has been pro-active in acquiring and assembling properties on the south side and remain hopeful that we can attract a quality development in the near future to enhance this entrance to our community.