As I mentioned in a previous post, I received a questionnaire from the new “Biz PAC” (formerly Peoria Area Chamber PAC). Here are the questions they asked, along with my answers:
What are your top three priorities if elected?
I believe city government exists for the purpose of providing basic, essential public services to residents and businesses in the fairest and most efficient manner possible. Based on those principles, my top priorities include developing a sustainable budget, improving the city’s infrastructure, and restoring faith in local government through greater transparency.For Incumbents only: What are your top three accomplishments in your most recent term on the Council?
N/APlease explain your position on the provision of economic development services by the City of Peoria. Discuss the options of contracting out vs. providing the services in house.
I oppose outsourcing economic development services to private organizations because it could compromise accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars. However, sharing these services with Peoria County or contracting them out to the County would be worth exploring. Economic Development tools should be used strategically and as intended. (For instance, Enterprise Zone status should be given to blighted areas that need it, not to greenfield sites that do not.)Please explain your position on shared services between the City and other units of government. Be specific regarding the services you believe should be shared, with whom should they be shared and why.
I do believe in exploring and acting on opportunities to share or combine services with other governmental bodies when it’s to our mutual advantage. One possibility mentioned already is to share Economic Development activities. Additionally, the City and County should combine their election commissions to eliminate needless duplication. Peoria Township should be dissolved and its duties discharged by the City and/or the County; there is no good reason to have this superfluous layer of government. Other areas should be explored for possible consolidation such as planning/zoning, information technology, and human resources.The City Council recently engaged an outside firm to assist in the reorganization process. Please provide your perspective reorganization of city government and be as specific as possible.
Since no specifics have been made public, I can only speak in generalities. It is a good idea to investigate whether greater efficiency can be gained through the reorganization of city departments. However, this should be a public debate, deliberated in open session.The City Council has had two back to back challenging budget years. Please explain your perspective on the recently passed 2011 budget. Do you believe the structural deficit problem has been addressed? Do you support or oppose the fee/fine/tax increases passed by the Council?
Before instituting a natural gas tax, the City should have exhausted other, less regressive methods of raising revenue and lowering costs, such as instituting a packaged liquor tax and reducing/eliminating downtown parking subsidies. Acknowledging the recession’s role in our budget crisis, much of the crisis is of the Council’s own making. The predictable failure of MidTown Plaza is costing taxpayers a half million dollars a year. The City had to pay out over one million dollars to cover a very unwise loan guarantee to Firefly Energy. The City also gave away two very valuable assets for practically nothing (the $10 million Sears block sold to the County for $1 and the $2+ million Kellar Branch rail line sold to the Park District for $1). The 2011 budget crisis could have been significantly mitigated had the Council sold these assets for market value and stayed out of the venture capital business. To address the structural deficit successfully, we need to learn from (and not repeat) past mistakes.While control of the pension systems for City of Peoria employees is outside the direct purview of the City Council, what will you do personally to work for change in this system?
I will support pension reform that provides fair and reasonable pension benefits that are affordable and sustainable for municipalities.What do you believe is the role of the City Council members (both collectively and individually) in promoting regionalism?
I’m not sure what is meant by “regionalism” in this context. Regional cooperation among municipal organizations should be pursued as a matter of policy. However, cities should retain their own elected representatives and decision-making authority, not be subsumed into a large regional government. City Council members can promote regional cooperation by building relationships with other elected officials (collectively) and working with them on areas of mutual concern, resulting in more efficient delivery of public services.Please tell us in 400 words or less why the business community should support your candidacy.
A basic-services platform is very business-friendly. Safe streets and improved infrastructure benefit everyone in the City. When public services and incentives are provided in a fair and equitable manner, they give businesses an even playing field and set the table for economic development. Furthermore, by limiting government to its core function, taxes can be kept low.
Wow! Sounds good.
It is reasoned, researched and thoughtful. You’re f*cked.
Agree with “Just me”
You’ve got my vote or 2.5 of my total vote.
You have at at least 2.5 of my votes, maybe 5 if I decide the other 2.5 recipient can struggle through without my help.
Don’t be fooled. The new PAC only removed itself from the Chamber so it can now endorse Mr. Spain and cut him a check. This new PAC has the same people running it, Rob Parks who is the Chamber President is still in charge, their address is still the at the Chamber address and I will bet they will solicit money still from businesses on the annual Chamber dues letter that goes out to all businesses.
Sensible and reasonable answers, CJ.
you should have copied Spain’s answers. it will not be suprising when BizPAC does not endorse you. i hope you win, but you must know there are large stacks of money against you. i hope you win and are able to do so without looking too long into the abyss.
Maybe Ms. Akeson could share her answers to the BizPac questions with us.
If CJ thinks it is ok I would be happy to.
I don’t mind at all. I invite any and all candidates to post their answers to the questions here if they wish.
What are your top three priorities if elected?
To Listen
Understanding that city council people are elected to serve all citizens my first priority will be to listen to constituents, ask for their input and represent them accordingly as a servant leader. Hosting quarterly town-hall type meetings, establishing a council office and being available full-time to hear from constituents will provide channels of communication beyond what is occurring currently.
Be a good steward of taxpayer dollars
City council people are the stewards of taxpayer money. My second priority will be to work to align city spending and investing decisions with the needs and goals of the citizens. We must ensure they receive the service they deserve while at the same time being able to invest in worthy projects to improve our city’s stature. In order to do this Peoria City council needs to engage in an annual strategic planning process to make certain actions are in line with vision.
Advocate for improving Peoria’s quality of life
City led initiatives that promote community safety, improve public infrastructure and that focus on core neighborhoods will improve Peoria’s quality of life. My third priority will be to advocate for projects that are guided by principles of new urbanism and that contribute to city vitality.
Please explain your position on the provision of economic development services by the City of Peoria. Discuss the options of contracting out vs. providing the services in house.
Peoria has been without a director of economic development for over a year and this is not the first time we have experienced a vacancy in this position. Every city department has been asked to do more with less and yet at what point do we lose our ability to deliver the economic development services that are necessary for city stability and economic growth? Peoria cannot afford to be without a well organized and properly staffed economic effort.
The idea of outsourcing all or more economic development responsibility to an outside agency merits exploration. I will need to learn more about the existing contracts and review the results of current collaboration before making a recommendation.
Please explain your position on shared services between the City and other units of government.Be specific regarding the services you believe should be shared, with whom should they be shared and why.
It is always a good idea to look for ways to save taxpayer money and deliver services more effectively.Peoria County is obligated under statutory law to deliver certain services. These obligations make it very difficult to change the structure and are beyond the reach of local government.
Looking for ways to consolidate and share services we need to keep in mind that we may find areas where both the city and the county have the discretion to consolidate, but the savings is so small that it is not worth the effort.
Currently there is an Ad-Hoc committee of both city and county elected officials and I would be happy to serve on the committee if elected to help.
The City Council recently engaged an outside firm to assist in the reorganization process. Please provide your perspective reorganization of city government and be as specific as possible.
I am in favor of the improvement of systems and tackling the big stuff. I am not a fan of picking “low hanging fruit” for the quick win because doing so sets the expectation that new initiatives are not focused on what is really important and the results typically to not solve the problems.
I am not sure who is handling the restructuring and my understanding is that the outside firm the city has hired has a contract to assist in the implementation of the restructuring not for designing the restructuring itself. Having a strategy in place for managing the risk associated with any ensuing changes is a good idea and I am cautiously optimistic the city will be successful.
The City Council has had two back to back challenging budget years. Please explain your perspective on the recently passed 2011 budget. Do you believe the structural deficit problem has been addressed? Do you support or oppose the fee/fine/tax increases passed by the Council
To quote a city official we are in “uncharted waters” and I can appreciate how difficult this year has been for the administration and staff. Our city staffing numbers are at record lows and our city obligations are at record highs. Balancing the city budget will be more difficult in 2012 and beyond if we do not see an increase in revenues and a curtailment spending.The current economic climate has inhibited business growth, individual incomes and property values. There are no guarantees that it will get better any time soon.
The structural deficit will not be addressed until the city can reach a long term compromise with the various bargaining units regarding their employment contracts. Additionally the city council’s willingness to incur more bond debt regardless of staff recommendation or realistic project performance must stop.
I do not want to see taxes/fees/or fines increase, but I am also pragmatic about this issue. They will continue to increase until we commit to finding ways to grow our tax base and reduce spending.We can do that through thoughtful city planning, economic development and collaborative efforts with our amenity partners (schools, parks, libraries, civic center). I am running for office for just this reason- I want to work to improve the quality of life in Peoria.
While control of the pension systems for City of Peoria employees is outside the direct purview of the City Council, what will you do personally to work for change in this system?
I do not have an outside job to juggle and my children are all grown. My husband and family are completely supportive of me. I am willing and able to devote myself full-time to an At-Large City Council position. I will have the time needed to lobby State elected officials or volunteer to work on committees if the opportunity presents itself
.
What do you believe is the role of the City Council members (both collectively and individually)in promoting regionalism?
It is in Peoria’s best interest to have a strong region. We are connected to other communities through family, business and personal relationships. Many of our neighboring communities enjoy the amenities we have to offer and vice-versa. We are connected by the Illinois River, the rail system and by roadways. City Council members must understand that our city has an interdependent relationship with outside communities and a high tide lifts all boats. City Council members are ambassadors for not only Peoria but for the region as a whole.
Please tell us in 400 words or less why the business community should support your candidacy.
The Peoria business community should support my candidacy because I am a proponent of smaller government, sound fiscal policy and creating an environment to allow local and unique businesses to thrive. To grow in the 21st century Peoria will need to create the type of community that attracts talented, highly motivated and educated individuals. My focus and attention as a Heart of Peoria commissioner was to advocate for the principals of new urbanism which allow these conditions to happen. My interests and advocacy have not changed.
These principals are based on walkable neighborhood environments which build value, promote security, and help residents feel proud of their community. Currently conventional planning and zoning laws work against these principals. The proposed Warehouse District will ideally reflect the plan proposed years ago by Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberg, the authors of the Heart of Peoria Plan.
Skeptical business leaders may want to read The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, The Economies of Cities by Jane Jacobs or The Rise of Creative Class by Richard Florida. The ideas and observations set forth in these books are time tested and real. We do not have to look very far to see these principals alive and well. When you visit the Village of Peoria Heights and wonder why it is they have a successful two block business district with shops and restaurants alive with people walking – it is because the principals of new urbanism are at play.
Central Illinois needs more leaders who are willing to buck the status quo. We can no longer afford business as usual with strip malls and big box stores defining our city. We must encourage home grown businesses and local entrepreneurs to set up shop and do what we can to help them grow. Businesses such as One World on Main and Kelleher’s on Water are the types of enterprises that help make Peoria unique. As a City Council member I will do my best to work to advance the idea that we can be a distinctive city. I look forward to the support of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce and its Business PAC.
When I first read the questions, I immediately thought these were prepared by HP staff, especially the regionalism question. Regional branding is what lead the city to spend an untold amount of money on a new logo. I also found the questions repetitive. In thinking through how I would have answered them myself, It appeared one quality answer would cover about 4 questions. I also wasn’t sure how several of the questions showed you were “pro business” which was the reported reason for the PAC breaking away from the Chamber/HP in the first place. I understand that the questionaires were to be dropped off at 100 SW Water St. It will be interesting to hear what the actual questions asked during the interviews are. I also would stake what little reputation that I have that I could put the names of who will be endorsed in a hermetically sealed mayonaise jar and place it on the porch of Funk and Wagners to be opened at the same time that the PAC releases its choices and they will be one and the same. And yes I just dated myself with the Carson reference.
I had a phone poll/survey last night – asked how likely it was that I’d vote, if I knew who Ardis was (favorable or unfavorable impression of him) and then asked favorable/unfavorable opinions for most of the candidates (know they didn’t ask about the 19 year old). It seemed to be funded by Ryan Spain since several questions were about him – one being along the lines of which of these three great things that Ryan Spain did do you like the most? They also asked if I knew about the voting system (5 votes to distribute), would I be using it and who I’d vote for. Suffice it say that my last answer wasn’t Ryan Spain.
CJ, first of all I applaud your invitation to Beth to post her answers, and I hope the other candidates will take you up on the offer. An open and honest statement can go a long way in helping thinking individuals form accurate and fact based opinions. I applaud both you and Beth for making these questionnaires and your answers available to us.
Without going into great detail, I must say that I prefer your answers over Beth’s, simply because they are more focused and on point. Candidate Akeson is, in my opinion, walking the “middle of the road” in most of her responses. That being said, there are a few more candidates I will listen to before deciding who to vote for.