Election 2013: Roger Shubert for Fourth Ward of Park Ridge

The following information was provided by Roger Shubert. Patch provides a platform for candidates to share their messages, and does not give endorsements. To share your message with readers for free, add it to the Local Voices section on Park Ridge Patch.

Name: Roger Shubert

Position sought: Fourth Ward Alderman of Park Ridge

Campaign contact information. Please include any or all of the following: website, email address, phone number, Facebook page, Twitter account, mailing address, etc.

Email: shubert4alderman@gmail.com

Home Phone: (847) 384-0611

Cell Phone: (224) 938-8521

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rogerdshubert

Twitter: @rogershubert

Mailing Address: 1856 Norman Blvd, Park Ridge, IL 60068

Age: 45

Family Include as much info as you like (names, ages, number of children, etc.): Wife: Amy DeGrazio, former owner of New Prospects in Park Ridge. Stepson: Joe Tonioni, 13 – attends Lincoln Middle School in the Fourth Ward. Daughter: Anita Shubert, 11 – attends public school in Wilmette. Son: Garrison Shubert, 9 – attends public school in Wilmette. Mother-in-law: Sue DeGrazio – Fourth Ward resident. Sister-in-law and brother-in-law:  Kelly and Craig Schaefer – Fourth Ward residents.

Education Include degree(s) and school(s):

BBA from University of Michigan, 1989

MBA from Northwestern University, 1997

Occupation: Director of Product Marketing at CVS Caremark, in Northbrook.

Political Party: Independent

Official name of your campaign committee (if you have one):

None

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:

None – first time candidate for office.

Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?

Professional business experience including over 20 years of strategy, marketing, and product development experience in the healthcare industry and in management/technology consulting. Also have almost 15 years of non-profit volunteer board of directors experience at the regional, statewide, and national levels for the American Cancer Society.

What would your priorities be if elected to this office?

• Fiscal responsibility when assessing city spending priorities.
• Attract appropriate small businesses to generate revenue by promoting economic development.
• Address the Uptown TIF Fund and ways to improve the financial burden on the city and on taxpayers.
• Serve as an advocate for community concerns over O’Hare expansion plans for new runways.

Why did you choose to run for alderman?

The opportunity surfaced when the current Fourth Ward alderman decided not to run again, and I have a strong interest in building a better Park Ridge community for all residents to enjoy in the future.

What are the most important issues facing Park Ridge and what would you do as alderman to address them?

The Uptown TIF Fund is a major financial issue that needs to be addressed, and I would advocate pursuing multiple courses of action recommended in the recent Kane – McKenna report if elected.  Attracting new business and creating a more business-friendly climate is also an important issue, and I would recommend acting upon a number of the ideas and proposals from the recent Economic Development Task Force report. For the O’Hare situation, gathering input from ward residents and working with surrounding communities to project a strong voice and ensure a favorable outcome for proposed new cargo runways and general use runways would be my goal in office.

What is one of the most important issues facing residents in your ward, and what would you do, if elected, to address it?

One of the most important issues in the Fourth Ward is the pending redevelopment of Centennial Pool and the resident concerns around development plans, parking and traffic issues in a highly residential neighborhood. I would push to work with the Park District Park Board (ultimate jurisdiction) to address these concerns and possibly hold additional public forums to establish a workable solution for the entire surrounding neighborhood to enjoy the new park facilities.

It has been estimated that the Uptown tax increment financing fund, or TIF, will cost the general fund approximately $1 million annually. What action would you support the city take to address the Uptown TIF debt, why?

Follow the recommendations of the Kane McKenna report and look for multiple ways to address the TIF debt, including potential restructuring of the terms, developing an action plan to target new businesses for the TIF area, work with the Park District Park board and school board to discuss the terms and timing of TIF payments to their areas, and review other solutions.

O’Hare International Airport has plans to construct a cargo facility in the northeast portion of the airport, which will increase air traffic over Park Ridge during the nighttime. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to respond to letters sent by Park Ridge regarding flight traffic sometime this year. What would you do, if elected, to represent Park Ridge residents’ interests with regard to noise pollution and expansion of airport operations?

I would gather resident input on the proposed program and work with other Park Ridge alderman and the mayor to present community concerns to the O’Hare Airport Commission and surrounding communities that are asking the FAA to conduct noise pollution studies in impacted communities.

Why would you do a better job representing Park Ridge than your opponent? Or, if you’re running unopposed, what makes you a strong candidate?

I believe it is important to continue the positive fiscal momentum in the city of Park Ridge after years of budget deficits, and I will be focused on continuing that momentum in order to continue striving for a business-friendly community environment (without new TIFs or taxpayer handouts) with public facilities and infrastructure that is safe for families and all residents to enjoy.