Bob Wegner: 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: NapervilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Naperville Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 52Family: Married 3 children 1 son-in-lawOccupation: Senior Medical Science LiaisonEducation: BS in Marketing University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign cum laude 1983Civic involvement: Active volunteer in political and church-based groupsElected offices held: Republican Committeeman, 2012 - presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NeverCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Insure accurate and professional commercial and residential assessment valuesKey Issue 2 Provide effective and needed services to township residentsKey Issue 3 Maintain and construct township roadways enhancing commerce and residents? quality of lifeQuestions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.1. The most important function of township government centers on certifying fairly valued land assessments. Both the business base and residential homeowners depend on assessments completed by a qualified and credentialed Assessor. We have such a candidate in Warren Dixon III. In order to keep strong businesses in our township, and keep our property taxes within manageable levels, Warren understands this vital township need and is highly qualified to fulfill it. We are committed to maintain the Naperville Township's Assessor's Office very high and distinguished rating among all Illinois townships. 2. Township government also exists to provide goods and services to its residents in need. Going forward, assistance to our seniors, veterans, disabled, and youth through programs such as Ride DuPage, TRIAD, Veterans? Assistance Programs, Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Programs, and Senior and Veteran's Safety and Wellness Fair will be strengthened and complimented by new programs based on identified needs of the community and the charter of our Township. 3. The goals outlined above must be managed by my third objective and that is accountability to the taxpayers and wise stewardship of their resources. Every program the Township supports should have a need-based objective based upon processes that are transparent, easily quantified, and highly measureable. As a Trustee, I look forward to continue the good work of previous boards to provide necessary goods and services to our residents while acknowledging that the money we spend comes from, and should therefore efficiently serve, the people.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Research has shown that the Township Government model provides the most effective and highly cost-efficient services to its residents. For most people, it is the most accessible form of local government both in scope and accountability. With city and county governments already under pressure to maintain their stated functions without deficit spending and increasing taxes, the identified and established services provided by Township Governments and their officials will actually increase in importance in the future as other levels of government continue to struggle to provide more with less.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?See number one under "important goals" above.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?As a group of people committed to the vision of providing high quality service with a pledge to hold or cut the tax levy over the next four years, our team will be reviewing all existing programs to determine their value and success. Those that are no longer accomplishing their original purpose will be amended or eliminated. New programs should only be instituted if they are need-based, cost-effective, measureable, and fill a mandated gap in what our Township currently offers.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?My family has lived in Naperville for almost 20 years. We greatly appreciate the work and dedication others have shown to build and preserve this wonderful city. In addition, I have spent 30 years in private industry as a Project Manager responsible for creating need-based programs supported by large budgets. As such, I have been highly successful building and leading teams without line authority to identify team goals and then working together to develop processes to achieve those goals. Enhancing these professional qualifications is involvement in enriching community and church groups.