Paul Brancky: Candidate For Glenview Trustee

GLENVIEW, IL — Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Glenview Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Six candidates are vying for four four-year trustee seats on the Glenview Village Board on Election Day. They are Paul Brancky, Gina DeBoni, Tim Doron, Sheri Latash, Adam Sidoti and Cathy Wilson. Current trustees John Hinkamp, Karim Khoja, Mike Jenny and Deborah Karton are not running for reelection. Jenny is running unopposed for Village President with current President Jim Patterson also choosing not to run for reelection.

DeBoni, Doron and Sidoti are running on behalf of the Unite Glenview party. Brancky, Latash and Wilson are running on behalf of the Glenview Next party.

Glenview Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Paul Brancky

Age (as of Election Day)

65

Town/City of Residence

Glenview

Office Sought

Village board or city council

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race)

Glenview Next

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Loyola University of Chicago; B.S. and M.B.A.

Occupation

Food Industry Sales & Marketing Executive: 34 years at Kraft Foods; 5 years Business Development Consultant at Tibersoft a software and analytics supplier to the food industry.

Campaign website

GlenviewNext.org

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our Board is the lack of transparency and openness in the way it engages with residents, especially for controversial matters. Board Meeting agendas and key documents are often posted with minimum notice. Voluminous staff reports take hours comprehend. Financial details are often missing, incomplete or misleading. Public comments are one-way and limited to the end of meetings. Residents are left frustrated and angry. Eventually they give up, contributing to a culture of apathy. Opportunities for public engagement and collaboration are lost.
Glenview municipal government needs to be more transparent and open to encourage more residents to participate. It will improve the accountability of our elected officials. Transparency is more than a lack of deception, following the open meeting act, or fulfilling FOI requests. Our Village government needs to consider transparency in everything it does.
There are several actions we can take right now to improve transparency: 1) At Board meetings, for important decisions, I will advocate for more Trustee discussion in public session versus Executive session. 2) I will ask that all Staff presentations for public meetings be posted at the same time as staff reports in accordance with the open meetings act. 3) I will hold staff accountable to all facts and numbers included in presentations. 4) I will ask that matters presented by the public occur at the beginning of meetings, not the end. 5) I will ask that all public comments be read into the record. 6) I will insist on holding dedicated public meetings for controversial matters to fully explain Board decisions. 7) I will hold staff accountable for resident engagement early in development projects well before commission review and approvals. 8) I will request that public meetings be conducted in Zoom Meeting format so that residents will be able to see who is participating. (Meetings are currently in Zoom Webinar format with no participant visibility.) 9) I will ask for a third party consultant to audit current practices and provide recommendations for improving transparency.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I do support the Black Lives Matter movement. As a Village, we need to continuously evaluate how we hire and train our police officers, so this never happens in Glenview.
Black Lives Matter is an important social issue we all need to address. The demonstrations after George Floyd and Jacob Blake's deaths made clear that our country still has a lot of work to do. I participated in two Black Lives Matter events organized in Glenview this summer and was impressed by the peaceful turnout and support.

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

I come from a corporate culture that valued racial diversity and inclusion. I share those values. The Village Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program is a good idea. Some neighboring communities, such as Arlington Heights, have done inclusion audits. I am interested to understand what they learned and how we could apply it to Glenview. This is an opportunity to encourage more civic engagement in Glenview.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

I believe in science and protecting my neighbor. Wearing a mask is one way to help our community get back to normal. I’m in favor of a mask mandate based on science. Limiting the operation of non-essential business has been difficult for many. I am in favor of following current opening guidelines to help us get through the pandemic as soon as possible.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

Vaccine distribution has been challenging. This is an opportunity to coordinate with other jurisdictions. Glenview needs to continue participating in the Glenview – Northbrook Coronavirus Task Force and to do everything it can to get residents vaccinated.

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

I bring more than 40 years of business management experience to the table. At Kraft Foods, I spent 34 years in a succession of sales and marketing management positions with increasing responsibilities. During the past five years, I have been a technical consultant for a software company providing data-driven solutions helping top food manufacturers improve their business results.
My business career has taught me critical skills that I will apply to municipal government. At Kraft, I learned how to collaborate with others and lead cross-functional teams. Living through countless reorganizations, mergers, plant closings, etc., I know how to manage change by communicating honestly, respectfully, and transparently. Throughout my career, I demonstrated how to drive revenue and how to manage costs. In my current role, I know how to leverage technology to improve productivity.
The most important skill I have learned in my business career is always to put the customer first. If elected as a village trustee, I will treat all Glenview residents as my customers and expect others, including staff, to do the same.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Our current Board still needs to fully address the many transparency concerns voiced by residents. We have a right to know what our government is doing. Transparency promotes accountability and public trust, which I think is currently lacking. We must do a better job explaining things to our residents in a way they can more easily understand.
Some Board members have failed to listen to residents. Publicly dismissing petitions opposing Bess Hardware and Willow & Pfingsten development or describing public opposition as "noise" is not helpful.
Our elected officials need to do a better of job of managing change. Bess Development, Willow & Pfingsten, and Fire Station #13 are examples of how change can disrupt our community. We need a better process to work through our differences and come together as a community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

There are two other key elements to our campaign platform, Development and Engagement.
Development is necessary to grow our tax base. A resilient tax base requires a healthy mix of residential, retail, and commercial businesses to be sustainable. We believe an Economic Development commission will provide focus to keep us on track. Development also touches on the need to include residents as stakeholders for projects impacting their neighborhoods. Engaging residents early has to be embedded in the Village’s Plan Development process.
Glenview has a vast resource of talented people who could enhance our community. We have to educate residents about the potential for civic engagement and provide opportunities make participation easier. For example, commissions related to Arts & Culture, Sustainability and Community Relations with flexible time commitments could be a good start.

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

About ten years ago, I became aware of local government when several Glenview neighbors and I struggled for help with repetitive severe flooding of our homes. I helped organize neighbors' efforts that resulted in funding to remove 18 of the most flood-prone homes in Glenview. Through this effort, I learned how to effectively collaborate with residents, Village management, MWRD, state and local elected officials to make this happen. It was a big deal that significantly impacted the lives of several people. It was local government at its finest. Village staff and our elected state representatives, in particular, made us feel they were working for us.

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

A more open and transparent local government. A development process that is truly inclusive of resident feedback and treats them as stakeholders. An Economic Development Commission that supports business development and drives sustainable growth for our local Glenview economy. Three to five small steps to revitalize downtown Glenview. More public engagement.

Why should voters trust you?

Running for Village Trustee is not a launching pad for me to do something else. I am running because I want to improve our Village government, provide a choice for voters, and create a path for others to follow. I have no other political ambition.

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

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?
My parents taught me never to spend more than I make, so I’m inclined to be fiscally conservative. Public money should only be spent with complete transparency. That includes auditing public investment results to understand the return on public investment (ROI) and to hold ourselves accountable for our decisions. This information needs to be easily accessible to residents. I am also wary of large public investments in private development projects that can become unsustainable.

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

No

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Since I was a little kid my dad used to tell me to “Steal all you can with your eyes and your ears.” Early on in life I didn’t really understand what he meant. Later in life I realized I had a knack for learning from others and seeking out “best practices”. So I guess my dad’s advice sunk in. I’m glad it did.

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

I’m always looking for best practices.
There’s a book I’m reading called “Small Towns: A Bottom-Up Approach To Rebuild American Prosperity.” Their approach is to build economic prosperity through small incremental steps. It begins by visiting people where they live and work to see where they struggle. You then take the smallest next step to solve one problem. Repeat the process. For example, one of the things I’ve noticed recently is that more people are walking outside during the pandemic. One small step to enhance walkability is to pay close attention to clearing the snow and ice from high traffic sidewalks and pedestrian intersections. You then move on to the next small thing.
I also like the ideas of Chris Gibbons, who wrote a book called “Economic Gardening.” He believes the best way to build long-term economic prosperity is to bring dollars into your community from the outside.
I believe we can benefit from this kind of thinking.