Tim Ritter: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Tim Ritter

City: Cary

Office sought: Village trustee

Age: 33

Occupation: Materials Research scientist

Education: Doctorate - Materials Engineering - University of Illinois at Chicago (in progress); Master's - Mechanical Engineering - University of Illinois at Chicago; Bachelor's - Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University.

Civic involvement: Cary Citizens Police Academy; Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy; Zero Hour.

Previous elected offices held: None

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TimRitterforTrustee

Issue questions

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

There are three issues that I see as important facing the community: The first one is upcoming developments (ex: Maplewood and Meyers Construction Properties). I want to see these areas developed in a sustainable manner both environmentally & economically that brings the maximum benefit to the community. Sustainable development is something I am familiar with as I just completed a concept for the design of an entire neighborhood downtown Chicago. Second, making sure the Village's finances continue the level of service that we are used to in the Village without raising taxes and putting additional burdens on people. There are simple solutions such as investments into efficiency, either through physical updates to buildings or just updates to various processes that can save money. Additionally, working with our other local government bodies to decreases costs such as during bulk purchasing of equipment and bidding of projects. Last, the village has a growing image problem as being secretive among the board on several issues. I believe elected officials should hide no information that is privy to few behind closed doors and should be upfront with their decisions. I will make sure all information is easily available for fellow residents to stay informed.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My experience has always been in finding the best solution to a given problem. As a research engineer, I am always tackling difficult problems by studying the facts and coming up with simple solutions. My scientific and sustainability background brings a different viewpoint to our local government that is currently being ignored and which can provide a great benefit to the community. I understand the long-term implications that local decisions can have and therefore I am able to make decisions that are best for the long-term success of Cary instead of focusing on short-term gains. I look forward to applying the same high standards I apply to my research to serving the people of Cary.

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 tend to lead by first doing research into the issue at hand, gathering as much data on the subject as possible and then basing my decisions to create a solution that benefits the most amount of people. I use my expertise to try and educate the people around me, so they can also make well-informed decisions as well as listen to the ideas that others offer. It is important for all people not just elected officials to have access to the facts and I am a big supporter of public information being easily accessible and decisions being made out in the open. Aside from that, as a researcher I stay up to date on the newest ideas in as many subject areas as I can, and I hope to bring that high level of knowledge to keep Cary on the cutting edge of government. I like to lead from the front through increased education and awareness on all that I learn, and I aim to help others around me learn and grow as I continue to do.

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?

I think the overall budget for Cary is doing well. The long-term funding of capital projects needs to be addressed and is becoming an issue. Projects such as making improvements to the newly acquired Meyers park and a possible new Village Hall are large capital projects that could be upcoming. The first action the village needs to investigate are long term investments for services that are a yearly expenditure, for example, energy costs. Locking in lower rates for public contracts can save large amounts of money over a long period. Second, more intergovernmental cooperation should be examined for cost savings on purchasing power. Illinois has many layers of government bodies, and while they are difficult to remove in the short term, plans to accommodate cooperative purchasing should make it possible to lower costs at all levels. For instance, if Cary is purchasing new vehicles, the Village should check with surrounding government bodies requesting similar purchases to save money by making bulk purchases. Third, promoting new businesses in the Village both increases the atmosphere of the Village while at the same time generating additional tax revenues which makes it easier to keep the current level of services that residents desire.

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

One idea I would like to see take a larger role in the community is leaders thinking more about sustainability in their decision making. I have been working over the past year to educate the current board and administrators on these issues and how their decisions effect the Village. Sustainability based decision making can improve the community both economically, socially and environmentally which overall makes Cary a nicer place to live for everyone. It not only saves tax payers money but also puts forth a positive image for the Village as being clean and forward-thinking city looking to the future as a better place to live. An example of public sustainability could be applied to our public buildings. Site surveys on two local schools by me show a costs savings of at least $1.56 million dollars by utilizing solar energy. Such simple investments not only make the local area cleaner but saves money which can be spent elsewhere. Long term vision with specific goals