Timothy Doherty: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Timothy Doherty

City: Des Plaines

Office sought: Mt. Prospect Park District Commissioner

Age: 39

Family: Married to my Wife Alison who is a 2nd grade teacher in East Maine School District 63, and have 2 children, Charlie (7) and Nora (5).

Occupation: City of Des Plaines Police Department

Education: Bachelors in Management from Benedictine University, and currently attending the University of South Dakota for a Masters in Public Administration.

Civic involvement: Active in Cub Scout Pack 263, Saint Zachary Parish, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

Previous elected offices held:

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Yes, First elected in 2001.

Website: None

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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 Mt. Prospect Park District is no different from many other government bodies with one of the largest issues being funding. The park board and staff have to create and approve a budget that is balanced and sound. The park district has a number of facilities and parks that are aging, and our focus needs to be using capital money and the annual budget to address those facilities and playgrounds. One of facilities that needs to most attention is Big Surf Pool. I would like to see the board and park district staff works with the community to come up with a plan for renovation that will be the most economical, but address all the needs of the community and the aging equipment and pool house.

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.

The Mt. Prospect Park District has been a very special place for me for my entire life. As a youth I was raised in the park district boundaries and participated in many activities. When I turned 15 years old, my first job was working for the Mt. Prospect Park District and the Northwest Special Recreation Association in the capacity as a one-on-one summer camp counselor for a child. My reason to run for re-election is the same as it was 18 years ago when I ran for the first time, I want to see the park district continue to grow, improve, and be fiscally sound for many years to come. When it comes to accomplishments, the park board and staff have worked together to get a lot done. Some of the things I'm most proud of are the local playgrounds and parks that we update each year, the creation of the Veteran's Memorial Fountain, the creation of one centrally located maintenance facility, the renovation of the Mt. Prospect Golf Course, the new Meadows Pool, and the fact that the park district has been fiscally responsible and has healthy finances going into the future.

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

The park district finances are solid, but no one would question the want to improve those finances. Much of the improvement to finances also falls into the programs. There are always new fads and programs popping up that take the country, state, or community by storm. It's important the park district staff and board are on top of those types of programs to make sure we are not only meeting the recreation needs of the residents, so they don't have to go to a neighboring district, but also that we are helping the district finances by implementing a program that brings in money to the district. On the other hand, it's also important that reviews of current programs are done to make sure the program is still viable and a benefit to the district and residents. While there are some programs that do not pay for themselves, it's important to remember the park district has the goal of meeting the communities' recreational needs. Before a decision to change or eliminate a program, the park district needs to review why the program is not making money, and also review if those recreational needs can be met by another agency. Staff is always reviewing current programs and recommends changes when needed.

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

The Mt. Prospect Park District is in a very congested area, with little open space or real estate available for recreational opportunities. That's why I believe over the next four years it's so important that the district continues to keep the focus on our current facilities, and make sure they are up to the condition that the residents deserve. While it's always nice to want new buildings and expand, it's more important during these economic times to make sure our current building and parks are taken care of. One of the main things I want to see continue is the updating of local playgrounds and parks every year. Over the last years the board has made this one of our main goals, and I want to see it continue. When I think of a park district, the first thing I think of are the parks in the neighborhood. Those neighborhood parks are so important to the community. The park renovations are completed by using capital money each year, and I would make sure that renovations are included in the capital before I would vote for it.

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

As times change the recreational needs of the people evolve too. Every park district has unmet recreational needs. When the unmet needs are a program it's much easier to address. Many times the park district is able to create a program to meet those needs using one of our many facilities or parks. Usually these programs are self funding, and actually help bring money into the district. However, if the need requires the purchasing of land and building a new facility that become much more difficult. I believe the Mt. Prospect Park District offers a wide variety of programs and facilities that can meet the needs of almost everyone in the district. With the current finances and the want to be a fiscally responsible board, I think our focus needs to be on renovating current facilities. Therefore while it would be great to add land and buildings to meet any unmet needs, I don't believe that should be the focus of the board over the next 4 years.