Bill Seiden: Candidate For Deerfield Trustee

DEERFIELD, IL — Ahead of the April 4 consolidated municipal elections, Deerfield Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Three seats on the Deerfield Village Board will be up for grabs on Election Day. Four candidates will be on the ballot for a four-year seat, according to Deerfield Deputy Village Clerk Daniel Van Dusen.

The current terms of trustees Larry Berg, Elaine Jacoby and Bill Seiden all end in April. The three are seeking reelection as part of the Deerfield Village Caucus 2023 slate. The trio will be challenged for the spots by independent Christopher M. Goodsnyder.

Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Bill Seiden

Age (as of Election Day)

N/A

Town/City of Residence

Deerfield

Office Sought

Village trustee

Party Affiliation

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

University of Michigan, BBA with distinction
Illinois CPA

I am a CPA but most of my expertise lies in the broader treasury and finance areas. For the last twenty years of my career, I worked for the original owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Clint Murchison, Jr., as his Chief Financial Officer for all of his diverse food, manufacturing and service companies, including Texas Stadium Corporation. l participated in many acquisitions and divestitures, including the sale of the Dallas Cowboys in 1985. My earlier business experience included serving as Chief Financial Officer for two manufacturing companies, and I began my career as an Auditor for Arthur Andersen & Co., a major CPA firm.

I currently teach "Sports Business: Finance, Accounting and Economics" in a Master of Sports Administration program at Northwestern University in the School of Professional Studies.

Campaign website

None

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

1. Current long-term elected Trustee of the Deerfield Village Board.
2. Current member of the "Illinois Center for the Book", a committee which is an affiliate of t the Library of Congress organized to promote Illinois authors,
3. Six years as an elected trustee of the Deerfield Public Library.
4. Past elected President and a Director of the North Suburban Library System Board (NSLS), a consortium of over 650 academic, public, school, and special libraries.
5. 17 years on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Park Zoological Society.
6. Member and past Director of the Financial Executives International.
7. Member and past President and Director of the Deerfield Optimists

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

1. The most pressing issue to be faced by the Village Board in the next few years is the need to update some of our obsolete infrastructure. My unique experience in finance will help to determine the sources of the funding for these very large expenditures. Without postponing the needed expenditure, I will look to various funding arrangements, including long-term financing without the need to raise real estate taxes.

Other pressing issues are the following:
1. The Green Initiative is an issue that concerns not only our Village, but the entire world.. We already have set goals, but we will have to implement them.
2. Keeping our AAA bond rating in light of the needed funding that will be required.
3. Encouraging new business development in our Village and continuing to support our existing businesses. The village continually makes use of economic incentives to foster business development. On large new businesses, we have and can in the future share a portion of our sales tax (over a predetermined level) to attract new businesses. Also, during these trying times, we can modify our ordinances to make them more pro-business.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Although all of our current Board Members have excellent qualifications that are valuable to the Village, I am the only candidate or member of the Board with significant financial expertise that makes me uniquely qualified for the Board.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I think that we have to be cautious when we change residential zoning. We must be mindful of our residents expectations when they purchased or built a home in our community that the zoning around them would not be changed unless absolutely necessary.

Traffic is a major problem in our community and is of concern to me. With the growing population of Deerfield, this is a problem for the Board to monitor.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

During the years that I have been on the village board, I feel that I have been an effective leader and have accomplished much. In all my dealings with village affairs, I have always striven for consensus. I have spent many hours helping residents solve local problems. I believe in transparency in government and have instituted such activities as “Trustee in the Town” which is a program that allows residents to interact with trustees on an informal basis. I am particularly proud of the Residential Redevelopment Review Task Force which I chaired. The task force was responsible for many new ordinances affecting zoning, construction safety, and trees which, I believe, will serve the village well for many years to come.

Why should voters trust you?

Residents who have had past interactions with me can vouch that I have always exhibited integrity, honesty and transparency. I have, at all times, tried to treat others as I would like to be treated.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Primarily, I will feel that I have been successful if I have been able to assist the Village with the huge challenge of upgrading our infrastructure without raising real estate taxes.
Also, I would expect to see, at the end of my term, that we still have a AAA bond rating, that we are maintaining our green initiative plans and promises and that I have been able to assist residents with any problems that they bring to me.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I am fiscally conservative. To that end, I believe in a balanced budget using taxpayer dollars for the safety and welfare of the residents. It is important to continually be cognizant of the fact that the real estate taxes that we assess are coming from the pockets of the residents.

Do you support the Illinois assault weapons ban, and would you support a local assault weapons ban in this community?

I strongly support the Illinois assault weapons ban. In point of fact, the Deerfield Village Board adopted a similar ban before Illinois did which I strongly supported. I will continue to advocate for and support the strongest assault weapons ban as possible.

Do you support Black Lives Matter, and do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality? If not, what specifically should be done to do so?

I strongly support Black Lives Matter as I believe in equality for all human beings regardless of color, ethnicity or gender.

Do you support the SAFE-T Act? Why or why not?

I support the SAFE-T act because the bail system as it now stands is discriminating. People who have been arrested and can not pay bail are put in jail while those who can pay bail are free to resume their daily life. The SAFE-T act will use other non-discriminatory ways to make sure that an offender will appear in court.

What are your thoughts on the crime rate in your community, and what more can be done to combat crime — especially violent crime — in town?

Deerfield, in general, has been a low crime area. Violent crime is very rare and has been virtually non-existent in the past few years. The police force is top notch which is evidenced by their having earned accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies. They have earned this coveted accreditation by fulfilling best practices as related to life, health and safety procedures. The Deerfield police department is one of the very few departments in the Country to have earned this distinction.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development?

I believe that the Village Board and staff have encouraged both commercial and residential development. On the commercial side, for both new and existing businesses, we have made available sales tax sharing agreements which benefit both the Village and the businesses. On the residential side, the Village has been pro-active in assisting with new developments. Recently, some of these developments have unfortunately been put on hold because of the high cost of materials which today make the developments unprofitable, even with Village incentives.

When it comes to development, what are some key areas for improvement or additions you feel are most wanted by residents? What will need to be done to make this happen?

Residents desire new restaurants, entertainment and other service businesses. This will be accomplished with two new TIF (taxpayer increment financing) districts which will make financing available to attract these new businesses to Deerfield.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

none

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice shared with me was to be fair, transparent and honest in all of my dealings. I believe that I have followed this advice throughout my life.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I love Deerfield! My wife, Janie, and I have raised our three children here. My kids have all attended Deerfield public schools and all have undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan. Our oldest daughter also has a DDS from the University of Michigan, our son has an MD from the University of Illinois, and our youngest daughter has a JD from Harvard Law School.