Brian Owen: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Brian J. Owen

City: Arlington Heights

Office sought: Arlington Heights Park District Board of Commissioners

Age (on election day): 49

Family: Eugena Whitson-Owen (wife) 49, Jake H. Owen (son) 21, Abigail Owen (daughter) 19, been married for 24 years and have been a resident in Arlington Heights for 15 years

Occupation: President, BJO Wealth Management LLC.

Education: 1992 BSB in Finance, Eastern Illinois University, 2009 MBA DePaul University

Civic involvement: since 2014 Arlington Lakes Golf Advisory Committee

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected?

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Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your park district and how do you intend to address them?

The demographics of Arlington Heights have changed over time and we have an aging population. With the shift in demographics, the Park District has to continue to offer programming for a more active aging adult. We have to look at our programming to make sure it accommodates the desires and schedules of our residence. Arlington Heights is also following another national trend as more households are dual income families which creates the need for additional child support. I believe the Park District has done a great job with their CAP program, spring and summer camps. The Park District offers a variety of programming to meet the needs of working families and it has to be able to provide those services at a reasonable cost. My family has used many of the Park Districts services over the years from CAP, summer sports camps, and the pools. I believe, if elected, I would be a good intermediary between our community and the Park District.

If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.

For the past five years, I have served on the Arlington Lakes Golf Advisory Committee. I was part of the committee during the redesign of the golf course and have enjoyed being an advocate for the community. The Park's Board of Commissioners reached out to the advisory committees informing us that there might be an opening on the Board and I thought I would be a good fit. I believe that my education and financial background could help in the Park District's business planning and future financial needs.

Which programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?

The goal of recreational programs is to recoup 100% of the direct costs and a portion of the indirect costs. Although, some programs are subsidized and are free while others recover additional costs. When we look at programs that are losing money, we have consider how many participate in that program and if it's supposed to make a profit, break even or even have a loss. The Park District currently offers over 3,000 programs to its residents. I believe that the Park District has good financial metrics in place as a way to look at programming and pricing to see which programs are financially feasible. We continue to see costs rise and we need to either find new sources of funds or appropriate current funding to those areas that have the most impact. I feel that the Board and the Park District need to be prudent with the funds they are responsible for and make sure they allocate it to where it has the most benefit to its residence.

Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.

I feel that the Park District should continue to look at spaces near or adjacent to parks and properties it currently owns. As we develop a future plan for these properties, we need to generate a cash flow. For example, we could rent the properties to offset the cost of purchasing until developing has been done. Having a long term strategic plan would be a benefit to the Park District and the community.

Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them?

The Park District has to be ever changing to meet the needs of the community. As demographics in Arlington Heights changes or shifts, so does the needs of its residence. The Park District has to continue to access those needs and change programming accordingly to meet those needs. The Park District has to be able to offer or partner with organizations such as AHYAA to provide the programming needed to the community.