Fred Moulton: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Fred Moulton

City: Elgin

Office sought: City Council

Age: 68

Family: Married

Occupation: Retired after 40 years with AT&T & IBM as a Network Engineer, Contract & Financial Manager

Education: H.S. graduate with 3 years of college (various institutions including Judson U., ECC and oth-ERs). On-the-job classes & training in Network Engineering, Financial & Large Budget management, Conflict resolution, Team & Consensus Building and other related courses.

Civic involvement: Member of Elgin's Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (3 years); various Neighborhood Associations including C.U.R.E (Cleanup and Restore Elgin), Valley Creek and others. Community Activist advocating improved infrastructure maintenance, upkeep of foreclosed homes, electrical service issues and maintaining favorable aesthetics in our neighborhood(s).

Previous elected offices held: None.

Incumbent: No.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FredMoultonElginCityCouncil/

Issue questions

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

Proper staffing of Elgin's Fire Department and general staff positions.

Fire Department: The number of calls to the FD has increased over the past 10 years by 13 percent, from 10,983 in 2009 to 12,424 in 2018. The number of Firefighters per daily shift during the same period has decreased 11 percent, from 35 per daily shift to now only 31. Fewer firefighters are responding to an ever increasing volume all the while the city's population and geographic size increases. Elgin also has decreased active equipment by 1 ambulance a few years ago and in March will decrease 1 available engine! I propose appointing an independent commission of experts to determine Elgin's true FD staffing and equipment requirements going forward. Meaningful discussion on this issue has been postponed far too long!

General Staffing: Over the past couple of years Elgin has lost at least 8 key staff members that, mostly moving to other jobs outside the city. This talent drain I believe is symptomatic of a more serious problem with Senior Management and other leadership at high levels within the city. I would initiate an independent review of Sr. Management to recommend potential improvement if not changes to personnel.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have 40 business years of experience in staff management, contract negotiations, large budget creation and management (in excess of $150-M), team building and confrontation mitigation.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board or city council.

I am nonconfrontational. I am responsive, compassionate and pride myself on my integrity and openness. I listen! I have 40 business years of experience in contract negotiations, team building and management and confrontation mitigation.

How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services people want?

The city has done a reasonably good job of diversifying its revenue stream without putting the entire burden solely upon property taxes. That and other aggressive budget trimming has maintained Elgin's Triple-A bond rating, but at what cost? The fire department equipment and shift personnel have been reduced, quite possibly putting the city's residents and firefighters at greater risk. Fire department personnel serious injuries at up. Public works staff has been reduced to the point where routine infrastructure maintenance is either significantly delayed or abandoned all together (i.e. proactive street maintenance to lengthen street surface life, etc.) Code enforcement staff remains chronically under funded and understaffed. At what point does the city sacrifice services all in the name of maintaining a great bond rating?

What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

Foster greater Community input on police and fire department contract negotiations; other departments, too. More community input is necessary to make sure not just the approximately 7-thousand people who bother to vote in Elgin's municipal elections, but all of Elgin's citizens have an equal voice in Elgin's day-to-day operations. I suggest regular neighborhood coffees or walks or town halls with their Council Members.