Eric Dubiel: 2021 candidate for Lake Zurich village trustee
Bio
City: Lake Zurich
Age: 46
Occupation: Program, Portfolio Management and Management Consulting primarily in Information Technology application development, infrastructure and security, Consultant - Independent
Civic involvement: Trash cleanup of tunnel under Rand Road at Country Club Road and walking planks repairs in 2020; elected a Director of Northwest Tax Watch in 1998, a local nonpartisan citizen tax watchdog group
Q&A
Q: How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state and federal authorities?
A: Our mission as local leaders must include facilitation efforts to sustain our local economic vitality, when our community thrives, we all thrive. We should facilitate education and partner with local businesses to help residents realize healthier characteristics through encouragement of better building air quality, restful sleep, physical exercise, better foods/nutrition, vitamins, probiotics and supplements to build strong immune systems. We should work to protect freedoms of healthy people. Never before in human history have healthy humans been under conditions of lockdown, this is quite simply misguided and harms local economics and mental health. We should also communicate that those with weakened immune systems, preexisting conditions, and seniors should plainly take extra precautions. Further we should provide additional guidance to protect health and facilitate recovery and information to locate treatment or preventive approaches such as vaccines to those who choose them.
Q: Did your town continue to adequately serve its constituents during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.
A: Residents did not hear from their village about how they can improve their resilience to this pathogen and how they can improve their health by boosting their immune systems. The old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is ever-relevant. The village can improve educational messaging around improving indoor air quality such as fresh air adders, ionizers, and general cleanliness and partner with local businesses for these opportunities.
Q: In light of our experiences with COVID-19, what safeguards/guidelines should you put in place to address any future public health crises?
A: Facilitate not dictate, every health crisis or condition brings unique circumstances which must be considered when crafting any safeguards or guidelines. We cannot know what future health issues may be, we can focus on what we do know. Educational messaging to residents and businesses about being healthy - physical exercise, eating quality nutritional foods, cleanliness, hygiene and improving buildings' air quality. The U.S. has significant numbers of unhealthy people, rating 35th in Bloomberg's Healthiest Country Index. People who have been most impacted have other underlying health conditions or illness. Lake County obesity rate is ~28%, a single largest underlying condition affecting health stresses, next ~10% is diabetes, per 2018 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. CDC states an average of 3.8 additional conditions or causes per death for 94% of deaths where COVID-19 is indicated. Relatively few healthy people have been impacted unless they were already having health challenges. Lake Zurich must take this factual information into account for decisions.
Q: What cuts can local government make to reduce the burden of the pandemic on taxpayers?
A: LZ budget is ~80% payroll, adjust high staff compensation to include not just base salary, overtime and benefits, factor staff's total estimated lifetime pension payouts. A former administrator earns ~$3.5M lifetime pension at >$143k/yr. Every $1 village employees deposit to their pensions, taxpayers are forced to pay $4.74. Gov. employees work ~20.1 years & ~61 retirement for pensions. Reassess high salary department head spikes under incumbent slate over 6 years, many increased salaries by >=$30k! Rein-in payroll, better oversight & paid leadership accountability for overtime. A former PD sergeant randomly "retired" made almost $200k in 2018 but >$79k was extra overtime, for many years. >69% of base in overtime shows mismanagement. LZ spent >78.36% in IL Municipal in 2018 according to Better Gov Association. Govsalaries.com shows LZ salaries +43% US average, median salary +53% US median. Consolidate positions w/Public Safety Director merging police & fire Chiefs. PD can leverage economies of scale by consolidating dispatch w/Lake County 911, saving ~$500k/yr. operational & capital costs. Wauconda saved $400k doing this.
Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what infrastructure project can be put on the back burner?
A: Wastewater treatment due to Lake County forcing LZ to find a new disposal for byproducts of ion exchangers from deep wells. LZ should investigate private partnership options for remediation. Investigate the impact of multiple potential cancer-causing chemicals in our water not alleviated by moving to Lake Michigan water. i.e. Palatine on LM water & yet even more variety of potential cancer causing chemicals than LZ, per Environmental Working Group. LZ paid $140,000 for yet another non-wholistic water study, surprisingly this type of water analysis is not part of their contract. Costs funded by water/wastewater use fees, along with bonds for large costs. Structural assessment of crumbling tunnel leaking water and no lighting under Rand Rd. at Country Club Rd., safety concern to insure no collapse is imminent. In 21 years the finger pointing game between the village and IDOT has resulted in no fixes. Stop $200k throwaway work spend at Block A across the Promenade. TIF property taken off tax rolls from 2005 eminent domain for economic development era is for sale, but a developer would rip out "improvements" upon purchase. Fix the potholed street there instead.
Q: Do you plan to address businesses that don't adhere to the governor's order to close or restrict business?
A: The Village should do all it can do legally to protect residents' freedom to earn a living and support its local economic vitality so Lake Zurich can thrive. Too many businesses are closing due to the economic fallout from restricting otherwise healthy individuals, this causes many unintended consequences with domino effects.
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the stance your board/council has taken on permitting recreational marijuana sales in the community? What would you change about that stance, if you could?
A: Laws were modified in Illinois enabling change. The village should play a part in educating residents about something which has previously been restricted, while respecting life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and self-medication health freedom. The village should take a proactive approach to integrating the sale of this substance for health remediation, cultivation and recreational uses in the Village. Appropriate consideration for risk mitigation must be applied to this substance, just like Lake Zurich does for nicotine and alcohol. Moderation and personal responsibility are important points to educate residents about, especially when implementing change.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
A: Adjusting staff compensation to better align total compensation to include not just base salary, overtime and benefits, but factor in staff total estimated lifetime pension payouts. Salaries are too high when pensions are factored in, and these pension burdens are unsustainable to residents. This is one thing which could be accomplished at the local level without waiting for the Illinois General Assembly to act. When we reduce our residents' overall tax burden, we better our community with additional capital for our residents to improve their standard of living and thrive. This explains why I was endorsed by Tax Accountability, the political action arm of Taxpayers United of America. I signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge that I will support economic freedom by working to decrease the overall tax burden of Illinois taxpayers.