Robin LaBedz: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Robin LaBedz

City: Arlington Heights

Office sought: Village Trustee

Age (on election day): 63

Family: Husband: Gary; adult children: Laura, Steven

Occupation: Human Resources

Education: BA, Rockford College; MBA, J.L. Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern U.

Civic involvement: League of Women Voters, 30 years, including Local League Past President and League of Women Voters of Illinois past Voter Service Chair; Friends of the Library; Past President, Historic Arlington Neighborhood Association (HANA); Arlington Heights Plan Commission, Housing Commission and Downtown Master Plan Task Force

Previous elected offices held: Arlington Heights Memorial Library Trustee, 1993-1999

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Yes - appointed to fill vacancy in 2013, elected for full term in 2015

Website: www.friends4robin.com

Facebook: Friends for Robin LaBedz

Twitter: RobinLaBedz@rplabedz

Issue questions

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

One of the biggest concerns residents face is the burden of property taxes. Although the Village portion of the property tax bill is about 12.5%, any increase levied by the Village adds to the overall burden. I have worked to keep increases to a minimum and will continue to do so, and work with the Board and staff to search for and implement other sources of revenue.

Another concern is aging infrastructure, such as the water and sewer system, roadways, and sidewalks. Flooding is a major problem, and based on the results of the recent flood study we have prioritized areas to be addressed and are beginning to implement improvements. The downtown will be affected later this year with several infrastructure projects, but when they are completed residents will see major improvement.

A third issue is business development. We compete with both the internet and surrounding communities, resulting in empty storefronts. We must continue to attract and support a variety of businesses, including those offering experiences, to differentiate ourselves from other communities. We must make it easier for businesses to do business in town, which would include reshaping processes, easing the permit process, and focusing on customer service.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I grew up in a military household and learned the importance of public service. Throughout my life I have continued to serve in the tradition set by my parents. I have served in numerous ways, including terms as Village Trustee, Library Trustee, Plan Commissioner, and Housing Commissioner. I am a longtime member of the League of Women Voters, and have worked with and supported many organizations, including Friends of the Library, CEDA Northwest, PTA, my homeowners' association, the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Arlington Cares, and Faith Community Homes. I believe the knowledge and experience gained through this breadth of service are, and will continue to be, assets to the Board and the Village. As a Board member, I am knowledgeable and informed about the issues, and always prepared for meetings. I spend a considerable amount of time reading material and studying issues so that I can make informed decisions. I attend as many Village and community events, programs and activities as possible because I believe in the importance of being available in the community. I am proud of my long record of service to the residents of Arlington Heights, and am running for reelection to continue that service.

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

I have a collaborative and positive leadership style, and am open to hearing a variety of opinions. I believe in the importance of listening and communicating, and I work to bring residents into the conversation. I consider all available information before making decisions, and listen carefully to all sides with an open mind. I also make an effort to attend as many internal Village events as possible so that the staff sees that I support and appreciate them. These traits, and others, make me an effective Board member. I am proud of the fact that our Village Board members are respectful of residents, staff, petitioners and others who come before the Board, and most importantly respectful of one another. We may not agree on every issue but we are able to calmly discuss them and due to our varied strengths learn from each other. This serves our Village well and enables our community to continue to move forward.

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?

Arlington Heights is a fiscally strong community and that can be attributed to both continued residential and business development and conservative budgeting practices. This strength translates into an excellent credit rating, reduces the cost of borrowing and allows us to withstand challenges in the economy, such as the State's fiscal problems and the flattening of sales and other tax revenue. The overall goal is to keep property taxes as low as possible while providing the services our residents expect and deserve. As a service organization our Village employees are one of the most important assets but a significant number are at or near retirement age. As employees leave it is important to carefully review each position to determine if and how it should be filled. This is already being done, and one example resulted in the hiring of a Social Services Coordinator to assist residents with a variety of needs. Other important actions include technology and process improvement to better serve both businesses and residents, such as with the permitting process. Finally, I encourage our residents to shop, eat and play in Arlington Heights, which helps our businesses to thrive and takes the burden off the property tax base.

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

Housing, especially affordable housing, is an important topic currently being discussed, but one subset of that discussion not being addressed is the lack of new yet smaller ranch homes in the community. Over the last few years I have heard from a number of older residents who want to downsize from two-story homes but are not ready to move into condos, apartments or continuum of care communities. They are looking for single-family ranch homes that do not need a lot of updating but are unable to find them in Arlington Heights. Some have been forced to leave the Village to find such housing, especially new housing. To maintain a diverse community we must have diversity in housing to retain longtime residents and attract new and younger residents. I believe that this type of housing product would fill a niche that is not currently filled.