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Jim's Answers to Questions from Media and Organizations
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I am running for Mayor because I am completely committed to Arlington Heights, and the timing is right. Through my deep community involvements, I have been watching, listening and preparing myself for this important opportunity.
My history here dates to my youth, I have been heavily involved in volunteering, I founded my business here more than 30 years ago, and have served our Village for more than two decades on the Design Committee and as a Trustee on the Village Board. I am the most uniquely qualified candidate to carry the ball into the next chapter of leadership, because I have all the right tools – through my history, my former and current participation, my profession, and my vision for our future.
The potential for the Chicago Bears is certainly a motivating factor, as it must be handled carefully. My career as an architect working with developers uniquely equips me with the skills to help guide and steer any proposed development at the former Arlington Park property, so that it is a win-win for all parties. That doesn’t make mention of the need to keep property taxes down, while supporting any initiatives that enhance quality of life for our community members.
The potential for the Chicago Bears to come to Arlington Heights is not only one of the most serious topics for our community, but also for our entire region. If those 326 acres of land are developed properly – relating to safety, economics, traffic control and infrastructure, it will be a tremendous asset. However, if any of those important aspects are not fully vetted or properly addressed, there could be negative consequences that no one wants to live with for the next 100 years.
Through strong collaboration with all involved stakeholders, I would lead the effort to give this potentiality the proper time and attention to “get it right,” and that whatever this area becomes provides the intrinsic value that Arlington Park gave to our local and greater community. I would share, leverage and utilize my deep understanding of these necessary considerations, which I’ve gained through my 34 years as an architect, and my experiences on the Village Board and the Village Design Committee.
Arlington Heights’ finances are strong. Our Village Board has historically been conservative regarding taxes and expenditures, evidenced by the previous five years of no tax increases. The Board approved a slight 2.46% increase this year, due to cost-of-living increases that touched all areas of our economy.
Spending priorities must be on the health, safety and welfare of community members and visitors; everyone must feel safe and be able to access amenities. This includes emergency services provided by our Police and Fire departments, as well as roads, sidewalks and other vital infrastructure managed by our Public Works Department. We must continue to invest in hiring the best and brightest individuals in these areas, and throughout our entire organization. Other important investments would relate to the former Arlington Park Property.
Prior to joining the Village Board 12 years ago, and since, we have always been careful not to spend on anything frivolous or careless; we carefully vet any item to ensure it is critical and necessary. I would continue this vital practice relating to the use of public funds. I do not believe spending needs to be decreased in any area at this time.
Our underground storm sewers and other water infrastructure in many areas of town are at the end of their life expectancy – which is 100 years. The good news is the Village has a budget and plan to address this. I was in support of our budget being adjusted to properly replace these vital systems by addressing different portions on a yearly basis. Our Village Board approved this, and it will be paid for through careful fiscal planning centered around these important service delivery priorities.
Regarding our stormwater system, we’ve worked with the Arlington Heights Park District to coordinate the use of their land for underground stormwater management, to alleviate flooding in problematic areas of town. Over the last 12 years, we’ve hired engineers and underwent a massive study, then began addressing this important issue area by area from north to south. Now we are in our final phase in the central part of Arlington Heights.
This has been paid for through funds dedicated to these types of projects. Due to our stringent fiscal policies, I don’t know of any projects presently that are not vital, or that should be put on the back burner.
My leadership style is about empowerment, inclusiveness, and having people in the right places to continue to deliver the exceptional services community members have come to expect. My role would also be to listen to constituents, strengthen collaborations and guide our board to be the strongest team possible. Through my career, I am in front of many municipal boards throughout the Chicagoland area and have observed a variety of different leadership styles. I would encourage our Board to become more involved with information shared on a weekly basis from Village staff and take leadership roles that assist in our deliberations and decisions on behalf of Arlington Heights. I believe this will strengthen leadership, engagement, and cooperation, and help us to become an even more effective board for our community.
Regarding leadership of the entire organization, we have highly qualified, credentialed and experienced professional staff. My leadership style as Mayor would be to work hand in hand with our Village Manager to help guide policy decisions and not to micromanage our staff of more than 400 employees. I would always work to reach consensus when needed, with each Village Trustee having an equal vote and no strong mayor power.
I would like to find a way to keep our community as vibrant, active and wonderful through the colder months as it is in the spring and summer, and I would propose having an ice-skating rink at Harmony Park. I would love to find a way to make this happen through sponsorships and business participation to provide outside financial resources, in partnership with our park district. This would not only provide another recreation opportunity in town – but would also increase activity and customers for our local businesses. We should always be thinking about these types of new initiatives and partnerships, to continue to add to, and enhance, quality of life in Arlington Heights through amenities that benefit community members and support our businesses – who carry the lion’s share of our tax base. This initiative and others not yet thought of, can add to the vibrancy of Arlington Heights, and support the delivery of exceptional services to our community members, without the need to raise taxes.
Journal & Topics
I am 62
Fifty-three years. In 1972, my family and I moved to Arlington Heights, when I was in the 4th grade. I attended Ridge Elementary School, Thomas Middle School and graduated in 1980 from Arlington High School.
Cindy (Solum) Tinaglia and I have been married for 36 years and have four children together. Stephanie is an Arlington Heights School District 25 teacher at Olive Mary Stitt, Alexandra is a dental hygienist, Jimmy works in the construction business, and Nicholas is a Northwest Community Hospital ER Nurse and Firefighter in Wilmette. We are blessed with two grandchildren named Greyson and Jimmy (JJ).
Licensed Architect and founder of Tinaglia Architects, Inc. since 1991. Graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Iowa State University in 1985.
I have been, continue to be, and always will be fully committed, invested and involved with all things Arlington Heights. I was raised here. My wife Cindy was raised here. And we, together, chose to raise our four children in this town that we both love. Personally, my involvement began with attending our incredible public schools in 4th grade, playing local youth sports, volunteering as a youth coach (13 years) and as a Frontier Days, Inc. volunteer (8 years), and serving on a park district youth advisory committee (8 years). Professionally, I founded my business here, which has been in existence since 1991. As a public servant, I served on the Village’s Design Commission (appointed by former Mayor Arlene Mulder, 11 years) and elected as a Village Trustee for the last 12 years.
This unique combination of my experiences in Arlington Heights – personal, professional and as a public servant, demonstrates my in-depth commitment to our community. Together, they have formed the foundation for me to competently and successfully lead our community as Mayor, as it gives me what I believe to be the most unique and deeply rooted background to understand where we have been, where we are now, and where we can go, by honoring our past, present and future.
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I am uniquely qualified to lead the Village of Arlington Heights, because no other mayoral candidate has the deep roots or extensive understanding of our history, current policies, and ability toward future planning for our Village.
53 Years of Community Roots. Being the only candidate who has lived here for more than five decades, I have seen and played an integral role in Arlington Heights’ transformation from what it was, to what it is today – which is an amazing community. Growing up, I attended our public school system, played in our parks, rode my bike through the streets, enjoyed the library, worked my first job here, and witnessed the transformation of our vibrant business community. As our children grew, I shifted to volunteering in organizations that have served our community. As a business owner, I have fortunately been able to be part of the growth of our business community, which completes the circle of keeping everything I am involved in, within Arlington Heights.  Â
23 Years Village Experience and Leadership. In 2002, I was appointed to serve on the Village Design Commission where I was able to help guide the redevelopment of Arlington Heights. I was then encouraged to run for Village Trustee and elected three times. I believe this happened because of strong relationships I had and continued to grow within our community, along with my experiences and understanding of current accomplishments, policies, and events through my commitment to public service. As a member of the Village’s Board of Trustees, I was involved with the hiring of a new Village Manager, the construction of the new police station, navigating the challenging period during and post COVID-19, and the creation of Arlington Al Fresco. I was involved in helping to develop and create solutions for long-standing north and south residential flooding with grant funding assistance and through intergovernmental agreements with the Arlington Heights Park District for land usage to manage water retention. I also have had direct experiences and developed a unique understanding of the possibilities related to the closure of Arlington International Racecourse, its sale, and the potential redevelopment plans of the 326 acres at Arlington Park. This comes not only from being involved as an elected official, but also due to my career as an architect, which has taught me how to work with developers to find creative solutions to address a range of challenges that can happen, to think critically as an engineer, and to work tirelessly toward development agreements that benefit both sides, which will be an absolute necessity if the Bears choose to come to Arlington Heights. No other candidate has deep roots, understanding of our history and current policies, or the extensive public service and professional background to assist with planning for our future.
Arlington Heights has always been careful and conservative regarding our financial well-being. We have survived recessions, COVID-19 and many other historical challenges, and I expect that the same positive perspective will hold true for decades to come. I see great things ahead for 326 acres of land at our western border. Exactly what that will be, is unknown right now. However, I can assure our community members that so long as I am involved as a leader, it will be great, or it won’t be approved. Socially, we have become a more diverse community, and I believe it is important to continue to grow and meet the needs of our residents. Our senior citizens need to be taken care of and supported, so that they can stay in our community, and have opportunities to be involved in groups and activities as much as possible. This can be accomplished through establishing even deeper partnerships with our senior center, and through senior residential facilities located in our community. Our veterans need to be appreciated and respected, and they too, should be provided with a range of opportunities to be involved within the community. All our residents deserve the very best services provided by the Village for their safety, welfare and health. I believe it is a Mayor’s job to maintain the highest level of services that can be afforded to ensure that our community remains as strong and as vibrant as it is today.
53 Years of Community Roots. Being the only candidate who has lived here for more than five decades, I have seen and played an integral role in Arlington Heights’ transformation from what it was, to what it is today – which is an amazing community. Growing up, I attended our public school system, played in our parks, rode my bike through the streets, enjoyed the library, worked my first job here, and witnessed the transformation of our vibrant business community. As our children grew, I shifted to volunteering in organizations that have served our community. As a business owner, I have fortunately been able to be part of the growth of our business community, which completes the circle of keeping everything I am involved in, within Arlington Heights.  Â
23 Years Village Experience and Leadership. In 2002, I was appointed to serve on the Village Design Commission where I was able to help guide the redevelopment of Arlington Heights. I was then encouraged to run for Village Trustee and elected three times. I believe this happened because of strong relationships I had and continued to grow within our community, along with my experiences and understanding of current accomplishments, policies, and events through my commitment to public service. As a member of the Village’s Board of Trustees, I was involved with the hiring of a new Village Manager, the construction of the new police station, navigating the challenging period during and post COVID-19, and the creation of Arlington Al Fresco. I was involved in helping to develop and create solutions for long-standing north and south residential flooding with grant funding assistance and through intergovernmental agreements with the Arlington Heights Park District for land usage to manage water retention. I also have had direct experiences and developed a unique understanding of the possibilities related to the closure of Arlington International Racecourse, its sale, and the potential redevelopment plans of the 326 acres at Arlington Park. This comes not only from being involved as an elected official, but also due to my career as an architect, which has taught me how to work with developers to find creative solutions to address a range of challenges that can happen, to think critically as an engineer, and to work tirelessly toward development agreements that benefit both sides, which will be an absolute necessity if the Bears choose to come to Arlington Heights. No other candidate has deep roots, understanding of our history and current policies, or the extensive public service and professional background to assist with planning for our future.
Safety, security and taxes should always be the most important issues for any strong community. We have top notch schools, wonderful parks, a very strong library, along with the Village police, fire and public works departments who deliver vital services to residents and businesses. It is up to our leaders to maintain the current levels of safety, security and quality of life without overextending taxes on our community. We as Village Board members have held a zero percent tax levy for five years in a row, through the toughest of economic challenges, and even issued a small refund to all residents two years ago. This year, a slight 2.46% levy was determined to be necessary due to many internal economic changes and cost increases that the entire community has experienced. Over the next two years, I believe the development at Arlington Park will be the biggest challenge for all of us to navigate. I plan to face that project head on by leveraging my 35 years of experience working with developers and governmental bodies as an architect. I will encourage a design solution that maintains safety, security, and taxes for all Arlington Heights residents and businesses. There are many ways that we could potentially fall short on these objectives, but I have the vision, experience, drive and knowledge beyond anyone else running for Mayor to ensure we don’t fall short. My business is in the heart of our community, and I will make myself available any time, on any day, for meetings or discussions. I am fully committed to Arlington Heights and our future.
I admit it is a challenge for me to name only three top things that I love about Arlington Heights! That said, I will share why I have called this community home for more than five decades. First, Arlington Heights is so vibrant and filled with opportunities to get involved in a wide range of organizations, whether that be philanthropic, through yearly events, serving on Village committees or commissions, youth and park district programs, or by getting involved with recreational and entertainment options that are tremendous. Second, our schools (public and private) are extremely strong, which not only provides our young people with a strong foundation for their futures, but also attracts people to live here, while supporting the value of our properties and overall quality of life. Finally, amenities such as our parks and our award-winning library add to what makes Arlington Heights so desirable. It is very unusual for a community to have the cooperation of all taxing bodies as we do here in Arlington Heights. Our Village, park district, library and school boards all work together in order to be financially efficient, and for the betterment of Arlington Heights.Â
Things that I believe could be improved in our community; 1) Arlington Heights is so spread out, roughly eight miles long and approximately two miles wide, and it is challenging to ensure there is a “connectedness” between the three obvious commercial and residential zones – north, central and south – within our boundaries. I would like to work on forming a stronger community between these three areas as Mayor so that each part feels connected and as a vital component of the community; 2) I am disappointed that after five years of not having to raise taxes for our residents, the Village Board was forced to implement a (still modest) 2.46% tax increase to meet the growing costs of living that all of us have been experiencing. My goal as Mayor is to hold the line and working towards zero percent increases in the years ahead through careful planning, and 3) we need to do a better job of providing education to our community on how property taxes are collected, and how our businesses pay more than their fair share of taxes. As Mayor, I want to ensure this important information is shared, and to always encourage our community members to support our businesses whenever possible – because they help to ensure lower taxes on residents, contribute to the vibrance of our community, and support the delivery of services by the Village.Â
The Bear’s development is an enormous question with so many possibilities. I do hope the Bears come to Arlington Heights. I believe the commerce and taxes generated would support our tax base and the delivery of Village services, and the excitement that an NFL stadium would bring to this community would be a huge boost for us. I do think it behooves us as leaders to be extra careful with everything that matters the most in a development of this magnitude. First and foremost is public safety, the second and equally concerning is traffic and security, and the third is the economic impact on our community. The entire development must provide a winning solution for Arlington Heights in each of these categories. Anything less could produce negative consequences, and nobody wants a losing situation, including me. If it is developed, the potential for more hotels and restaurants are absolute possibilities, and I would welcome the development of a large entertainment destination complex and facility. Large attractions like stadiums and support facilities can provide even more vibrance and opportunities, but what we don’t need is another downtown to compete with our current business community in our present downtown. It is critical we protect the wonderful downtown we have built over the past three decades.
As Mayor, I will stand ready to work directly with the Chicago Bears, and alongside with the Village Manager, our entire Village Board, critical staff members and outside professional consultants, in order to secure the very best designs and development across the entire 326 acres of the former Arlington Park. My responsibility would be to ensure our community benefits from this immense possibility. I will meet, discuss, offer suggestions, and ultimately encourage excellent work from all the professionals who would be involved with this potential project. I will do this by utilizing my professional background and understanding of working on large developments. I would tap into my business acumen and architectural creativity, in addition to my historical knowledge and leadership skills to support the very best solutions. Or I will help to steer poor quality and ill-fated concepts out of town. We need and deserve the best outcome for Arlington Heights through this potential development opportunity with the Bears.
I believe the world knows Arlington Heights is open for business, and I am an advocate for something wonderful to happen on this site. The Bears own the property and until they either decide to come to town, or sell the property, it is entirely up to them. If they sell, another team could accept this great opportunity and continue to work towards a solution that meets similar expectations. If the Bears do not relocate, we need to be careful not to develop the site just for the sake of developing it, but instead work toward one that would truly benefit our community. This property could contain other types of entertainment destinations that have yet to be explored. As it sits today, the property is generating $800K more in property taxes per year than before the Bears purchased it. The development, whatever it may be, must be thoughtfully contemplated, and done “right.” It must benefit and protect the community of Arlington Heights in terms of taxes, job opportunities, crime, safety and traffic, and our current and vibrant downtown.  Â
The Village Board and Village professional management are fiscally very careful to ensure money is not wasted on anything that is not necessary or needed. As Mayor, I will continue that culture of the highest level of efficiency and encourage the reduction or removal of expenses to the Village that do not meet the threshold of absolute necessity. Additionally, I would support a public information campaign by the Village to reinforce the importance of supporting our local business community, because every dollar spent here in Arington Heights at a local business – goes back to support services provided by Village and our overall tax base to help prevent future tax increases.
There are unfortunate safety issues in certain areas of town, but our police department works very hard to keep a watchful eye on these properties for crime prevention and deterrence. The Village does take the lead on working directly with property ownership or management to identify any safety and security issues, so that they can be addressed head on, and those efforts will expand with the goal of continual improvement. Our current Village board and staff are jointly evaluating and reviewing a proposed rental inspection program. In this proposed program, life safety and security aspects would be evaluated by building inspectors, so that repairs or corrections can be made in a reasonable manner.
I believe we have come a long way over the last several years to encourage more diversity throughout Arlington Heights. As a community member presently, and as our next Mayor, I will continue to be welcoming and accepting to all, because a diverse community provides richer experiences for connections and understanding of different cultures, religions, ideas and ways to view life. I encourage all our community members to do the same. Regarding actions by the Village, the Village Board hired a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant a few years ago to take a look at our level of diversity; we now continue to cast as wide a net as possible to attract people of all backgrounds to fill open positions. We need to give everyone an equal opportunity to be considered for employment by our Village and choose the most qualified person that will best serve our community. We are not all the same and we should always remember that we are a Village of good neighbors. Â
As far as improving barriers to non-English speaking residents, I believe we take many steps to communicate. These include the Village subscribing to a language service for translations if needed, having a list of Village employees who are bilingual in roughly 30 languages to help translate, and translating Village communication materials in different languages. I think this is something we need to continue to pay attention to so that we can reach as many residents as possible through Village communications.
Since 1954, Arlington Heights has operated under the “council-manager” format of government. This format provides the maximum amount of citizen participation, as the citizens elect the Village Board to govern, and the Board collectively hires the Village Manager to carry out the decisions of the Board. The Village of Arlington Heights has survived extremely well with a Mayor and Village Board of Trustee format, for decades. We have had very strong and competent Village managers, tasked with managing a workforce of more than 400 employees and a community with nearly 75,000 residents. This is not a job you just walk into and do; the Mayor does not need to be in a full-time job or have a full-time salary. Our Village Board and Mayor are charged with making policy and directing the Village Manager and Village staff to implement these policies.Â
I do not believe a change in this system is necessary for any reason. In fact, I am convinced that it requires a very specific set of skills to manage a Village of our size, and that is what our current Village Manager and previous managers have done very professionally over the years. Every community like ours searches far and wide to find a Manager who is qualified and has the appropriate professional background and experience to competently and professionally perform this very big job. It would be nearly impossible to have a local election of qualified candidates for this type of commitment, and who understand how to manage and lead a community. I believe a mayoral full-time position within Village Hall would be a terrible mistake, and cause chaos amongst leadership internally, as well as throughout the Village departments. I remain committed to being available any day, at any time, for advice on policy or procedures, but not to micromanage daily Village operations. The position of Mayor is to keep the governance exactly as it is and continue the great work that has been done for decades.    Â
I am at the end of my third Trustee term of 12 years, and due to my proven commitment, background, range of experiences and involvement, I believe I am the most competent candidate for Mayor. I will always work for the betterment of all things Arlington Heights – because I remain fully committed to this great community as I have been for decades. I humbly ask for your support and vote for Mayor on April 1st.
Downtown Arlington Heights Business Alliance
My family moved to Arlington Hights from the City of Chicago when I was in the fourth grade. I attended our public schools, enjoyed youth sports, frequented our wonderful public library with friends, and biked through our downtown as a youngster. After graduating from Arlington High School in 1980, I went to Iowa State University where I received a degree in Architecture with a goal of moving back to Arlington Heights to raise a family with my wife Cindy, who was also raised here. Together, we raised our four children in this great community, and during their childhood, I was extremely involved in youth coaching for travel soccer and served on the park district’s advisory board, both as a member and chairman (for nearly two decades). Looking back, this is the time in my life where I began to establish deep-rooted relationships with so many community members that fortunately, continue to this day. I started my business here in 1991 which continues to be in operation right on Northwest Highway. I was appointed by former Mayor Arlene Mulder to the Village’s Design Commission due to my professional background to help guide new developments, and to ensure the look and feel of anything new coming to Arlington Heights “fit in” with our identity. I was honored to serve in this role for 11 years, and at the end of that tenure, I was encouraged by several community leaders of whom I had, and have, great respect for – to run for Village Trustee. I chose to run, was successful, and am now serving in my third term.
As I look back over the last five decades of my life, I realize I am completely and utterly devoted to Arlington Heights and its future. I have through so many experiences and involvements over the years, built and developed the needed perspective to lead this community – and this is why the I seek to become our next Mayor. I see moving into this important leadership role as the next progression of the experiences I have had in my devotion to Arlington Heights up until now. I have been involved and dedicated through choosing to live and raise a family here, volunteering, running a business here, and serving our Village in appointed and elected positions. I have gained what I believe is the strongest and most unique viewpoint on how our Village “runs” and how I can serve it in the role of Mayor. When it comes to that looming question related to the Chicago Bears, I am the one individual out of all of whom are running for Mayor, who completely understands and works every day in the world of big developments as an architect. I know what developers want, and I also recognize the decisive steps we must take as a Village; to protect what we have relating to retail and commercial offerings – which are integral parts of our beautiful, bustling business community. We must be careful to ensure that any potential development doesn’t create competition or damage our deep foundation that has been built up over the last 30 years.
From a financial development standpoint, the Bears potentially coming to Arlington Heights is certainly one, but not one without professional and strategic solutions to address it. We need to be careful as a Village to take the appropriate steps so that the economics of this possibility are always favorable for Arlington Heights
From a social perspective, I believe our community is welcoming to all and has become a gathering place for people of different cultures, races, religions and all walks of life. A recent example is the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast where people from all backgrounds united to attend, including individuals from a range of businesses and organizations with many different backgrounds regardless of the religious or cultural affiliations. Nearly 270 people showed up, which demonstrates how diverse we really are. I want Arlington Heights to continue to be a place where people want to live, work and play as we move forward. I will support any initiative that achieves the overarching goal of continual inclusiveness.
If the Bears do not choose to come here, there are many other amazing possibilities for those 326 acres – which is massive! It is important to note that the redevelopment of this property whatever it becomes, must be managed very carefully; we need to consider the effects on our public safety, and the economics so that it does not detract from the business community we already have – and that it supports and adds to the number of people (residents and visitors) who come to Arlington Heights for goods and services. Other vital considerations relate to traffic control so that our community is not inundated with visitors we are unable to manage, and having the appropriate infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, water/sewer, etc.) in place to support any project.
Options for this property could include other types of entertainment destinations that have yet to be explored, including a large concert venue, or an entertainment destination complex and conference facility with hotels – or even another professional sports team. The property today with nothing on it is generating more than $800k in property taxes (which is considerably more than was previously generated by Arlington Park) so we can be careful, decisive and deliberate in what happens there next, so that it benefits and protects our community related to taxes, job opportunities, crime, safety and traffic, and supports our current and vibrant downtown as well as other retail and commercial areas. We do not need another downtown area to compete with our current business community. It is critical we protect the wonderful downtown that has been built over the past three decades.
The best way we can keep our residential property taxes low is to continue to encourage the growth of the businesses located within Arlington Heights, and to be a place that is open for new businesses that can serve our community and enhance offerings to residents and visitors. The more we shop, dine and support our local businesses, the stronger our tax base becomes – which makes us less reliant on property taxes to continue to deliver the high level of police, fire, public works and administrative services our residents expect to receive from the Village. While this year we did have a modest increase of 2.46% in our tax levy, due to cost-of-living increases felt by all of us, over the previous five years we have had no tax levy increases. As Mayor, I will continue to strive toward no increases and support any additional programs or campaigns that reinforce the “shop local” message to encourage our community members to help grow our tax base while supporting our businesses.
We have unfortunately had issues with crime, and with an isolated group of property owners and managers on the south end of town. Our excellent Police Department is keenly aware of this situation, as is our Village Board, and we are working on initiatives to address and improve these issues. Our officers keep a watchful eye on this area with regular patrols to help with crime prevention and deterrence, and our efforts as a Village Board will be increasing through consideration of a proposal to work directly with property owners and managers in this area. One example of this effort is a proposed rental inspection program, where any health, life or safety issues can be identified by our building inspectors to ensure repairs are addressed, and that these properties are maintained at above satisfactory levels.
My first idea is to create an additional destination that attracts residents and visitors to our downtown; it is to install an ice skating rink in Harmony Park. This could cover the colder months and after ice skating, would draw people to eat and shop in our downtown. So that the cost would not affect property taxes or the Village’s budget, we would need to establish partnerships, such as with the Arlington Heights Park District in this case, as well as sponsors – which could include our businesses. We could make it a glycol ice rink (as long as it is 50 degrees or less it can continue to chill the ice) which could ensure it is a desirable entertainment destination for up to four months out of the year, separate from Alfresco. This idea can be replicated with other types of attractions that are strategically placed throughout the downtown – all the result of partnerships that would also support our businesses and help to increase activity and customers, while adding new and desirable entertainment and recreation opportunities.
Arlington Heights is in a very strong, financially solid position where the changes to the national administration should have very little impact on our ability to govern or operate, as we continue to provide the high level of services that we’ve all come to expect. I would not want to change any policies or make any changes in service levels. We are a home-rule government entity, and a non-partisan group of nine elected public professionals. Our staff of more than 400 employees understand and agree that services for our residents are our top priority – that is our culture and the policy that our Village Board has created. Our Village staff members are excellent at following these standards by carrying the ball forward to execute services to the community.
Due to my profession, and my deep connections in the community, there have been times – though extremely seldom – that there have been conflicts, but none that have been considerable or that have affected solid decision making for the benefit of our community.
In the 12 years I have been on the board, my architecture firm logged 563 projects in Arlington Heights – and of those, only five had to be reviewed by the Village. In each case, I recused myself, meaning I was involved in no communication with Trustees or decisions regarding these projects to ensure there was not even the appearance of any impropriety. These instances represent less than 1% of the votes we were involved with as a Village Board. Similarly, I am a very involved resident, business owner and volunteer in town, and I have an enormously wide group of friendships and relationships that have grown over the more than five decades I have lived here. In instances where individuals that I have close relationships with have had to come before the Village Board with any petitions, I have again chosen to recuse myself. An example of this is my sister who also owns a business in town, when she appealed for a liquor license. In all, there were 19 of those instances over the 12 years I have served, while I voted on nearly 800 important, legal, financial, and other petitions. These instances represent 2% of my activity as a Village Trustee. I would continue this appropriate practice if elected as our next Mayor and leave those votes to our highly competent, eight other elected officials.
Finally, due to my profession, there could be a belief that my firm would try to be involved in the development of the former Arlington Park, whether that is the Bears coming here or another potential development. Whatever happens on this property, my firm will not ever be involved in any work. This is a vow I make and one I will follow through on. However, I will leverage, share and utilize my 34 years of experience working with a wide range of developments for the benefit and best interests of our community. I want to be at the table to help guide future development, and to ensure whatever happens on this property is absolutely wonderful for our community and a win-win for all.
We have such a long and narrow municipality, roughly two miles wide and eight miles long, and I believe that can create a feeling of isolation among the residents and businesses who live further north and south while the central business district enjoys generally strong activity from residents and visitors. If I could, I would want to shorten the distance between the two extreme edges of our community. I would also start programs and activities that would feed into those areas (such as Arlington Alfresco and my proposed ice skating rink), and fortunately, that type of initiative has begun – with the approval of an indoor facility near Rand and Arlington Heights Road that will have indoor go cart racing, trampolines and other recreation facilities – called Urban Air. This would be their second facility and will be in the north end at Arlington Plaza (30 W. Rand Road). The Village granted a special use permit for this recreational facility at the February 3 Village Board meeting. As a Village, we need to be open to more of these types of businesses that can strengthen and attract both residents and visitors to the north and south bookends of town.
At this moment, I would propose no changes in procedures or policies – my platform is to continue to maintain the same strong quality of life and amenities our community enjoys, through the same type of guidance our previous mayors have provided. My business is located less than a mile from our Village Hall, so I will have the ability to make myself available for any instance when I am needed.
As is proposed by other candidates, I do not believe a full-time Mayor is needed, necessary or appropriate. As a Village Board, we are nine officials that are elected to guide policy and manage the hiring of one individual – a highly experienced and professionally credentialled Village Manager. It is this person’s job to implement all policy decisions made by our elected board – this Council Manager form of government has served our community extremely well for more than three decades. Anything more than a part-time mayor who is not professionally qualified or has the experience to lead a community of our size – would lead to micromanaging that would have the real potential to negatively impact our daily operations. Those operations have proven to be extremely successful over a long period of time, and are driven by the professionals who are hired to manage and work for our amazing Village.
Downtown Arlington Heights Business Association Candidate Forum
I’d like to thank the Downtown Arlington Heights Business Association for hosting
this event, along with everyone here who is taking an active interest in learning
about all of us who seek to lead Arlington Heights as our next Mayor. I’d also like
to thank the other two candidates here for their interest in serving in this very
important leadership role.
I’m a home-grown guy – I’ve spent virtually my entire life here in Arlington
Heights, I did go away to college but came back with my wife Cindy – who was
also raised here – and here is where we chose to raise our four children. I had a
dream like so many in this room to start a business and there was no question I
would have it be here in the town that I love and am deeply committed to.
When our kids were young, I was heavily involved in volunteering through youth
soccer coaching and serving on a park district advisory board, along with more
years volunteering for Frontier Days. These experiences helped me to
understand how much I love this community, and as a result, created deep
connections.
About 24 years ago, former Mayor Arlene Mulder appointed me to the Village’s
Design Commission, and I served there by utilizing my professional background
as an architect to help guide future developments related to design – to ensure
their look and feel would fit with our community’s identity. It was an excellent
learning experience for 11 years. Then, I was strongly encouraged by more than
a dozen local leaders to run for Trustee, and I am now serving in my third term.
Being a Village Trustee has been a truly enlightening 12-year experience and
one where I have learned a tremendous amount about how this Village runs. So
now, I take this rich history and background, deep community involvements and a
true desire to leverage my professional expertise for the benefit of our community
by running to become our next Mayor. I am 100% committed to Arlington heights
and to the betterment of this community as its next leader. I have a unique and
unmatched balance of understanding our past, serving in our present and I am in
possession of the experiences and expertise to lead our community into the
future.
The two top priorities are ensuring our public safety remains top notch, and that
our taxes stay as low as possible.
For public safety, we need to have our police and fire professionals fully
equipped with the latest technology and tools in crime, and fire prevention,
respectively. We also need to provide ongoing training for them in dealing with
mental health incidents in town, due to growth in the south, central and north
parts of town, and for the west side of town at the former racetrack once a
development comes there. Mental health has been one of the bigger issues as of
late and vital training on it includes de-escalation techniques for all of our first
responders to know how to appropriately deal with residents who are mentally or
emotionally challenged – so that they can help to defuse any potential incidents
anywhere in town. We also have a shortage of people seeking to join the law
enforcement profession, so we must remain competitive and attractive to those
who choose to serve and protect us.
How do we maintain all the services the Village provides without raising property
taxes? This happens by encouraging growth in our sales and property tax base
through supporting our commercial and retail partners, many of which are in this
room and are members of the DAHBA. As a Village, we must be united in
emphasizing that supporting all our business by shopping and dining in Arlington
Heights whenever possible is crucial to keeping our taxes low – this helps to
keep our proverbial engine going. As Mayor, I would reinvigorate and establish
important education campaigns about the true impacts of supporting our local
businesses and why it matters so much to all of us; to keep our businesses
thriving, our business community vibrant, and to keep our taxes as low as
possible.
Business interactions with Village departments do need to improve. We need to
put people at the head of the table who understand the challenges that business
owner face in simply starting a business. I understand what it means to invest
your life savings in your passion to make it a business. Our current processes
can be time-consuming and costly – and we must work to change that.
Right now, requirements for new businesses include drawings, plans, and
specifications, all before the approval process – and this can come at a cost of
tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. We need to break it up into two
separate processes – first, we could award a preliminary approval, where a
business gets a green light that what they are proposing is worth doing and
viable under our current guidelines. This step should have limited requirements
and information needed, and should have directional procedures coming from it
on how to gain final approval – it would be a roadmap to help them. It should
state and make good on the promise that if you take care of these next several
steps– you can gain approval.
I also would propose that each proposed new building permit requestor be
assigned a Village trustee who would work as their advocate – a guide to help
“carry the ball” and to be a liaison between them and the Village Board, to give
valid projects the support needed to gain ultimate approval.
We first need to keep what we have now protected in all cases. We do not need
another Arlington Heights west through any proposed development at Arlington
Park. We need to ensure that whatever happens over there is complimentary –
meaning sisterly or brotherly to our current downtown area and that it supports
our vibrant businesses that have built our downtown into what it is today.
We do need to look at growth on the east side of Dunton, between the railroad
track and Sigwalt, and between Dunton and Arlington Heights Road. That entire
area is untapped; the 1-story shopping centers with parking lots, and two very
large 2-story banks are out of date and need to be reflective of the area built over
the last 30 years in what is known as the Arlington Alfresco area – both in
building and design to maintain our unique character. The east side of town is
very similar to what used to be on the west side of Dunton.
What do we need there? Redevelopment of all that land – we need a hotel,
another parking garage, and “over road” pedestrian bridges that connect one
block to the next block, like the bridge across the street for Dunton Tower, that
will create easier connections in the downtown area. We do want to be careful
where a parking garage goes; it would need to be in the downtown district just
like the Vail parking garage.
We also need to ensure that we expand upon the success of Arlington Alfresco
and create other destinations at different times of the year. An idea I have for the
downtown area is to install an ice skating rink at Harmony Park, that would draw
residents and visitors to patronize businesses in the downtown, and our greater
business community, over the winter months. There are solutions regarding
skating rinks that could enable that to be active for more than a few months if the
temperatures are below 50 degrees. This could be achieved through
sponsorships and partnerships, including with the Arlington Heights Park District.
Our underground utilities, stormwater, sanitary and drinking water systems are
approaching 100 years of age and we must be ready and mindful that there is a
cost in replacing all of this. It costs $4.5 million dollars a year to keep up with it
and it’s roughly a $450 million cost to replace all of it, and we are hitting life
expectancy for these vital systems. A recent example happened in a very old part
of town, Rec Park, where the VFW lost all sanitary service due to shifting in the
freeze and thaw of our underground systems. Fortunately, they were able to
bring in several portable bathrooms during their breakfast fundraiser, but that of
course is not a viable long-term solution.
One of the next big areas in need will be on Euclid to install new water mains and
service lines along Euclid – and to replace lead service lines – we are doing
those two things at once to repair and replace infrastructure, and our Village staff
is being very careful to strategically plan out the highest need areas first and
methodically move through town over an extended period of time. This way, we
are not making huge expenditures all at once but instead doing this repair and
replacement in phases so that we can make progress over time by prioritizing
higher need areas first.
As Mayor, I will be one vote of nine and that means I am like all other trustees.
However, I will be a strong leader and always work toward finding consensus.
Property and sales taxes are the engines that drive our community and enable us
to provide top notch services, so we must be open to new ways for our
businesses to remain strong and provide opportunities for new businesses to
enter the community – and these could include video gaming and the expansion
of dispensaries.
Our commercial property owners pay two times more than our residential
property taxpayers, and if we want things to remain as they are, we need to
remain competitive. Car dealerships, furniture stores and dispensaries generate
the highest sales taxes for any community, and right now, our neighbors on all
sides are passing us up on tax generation. I was in favor of the first dispensary
called Verilife and voted to give it a one-year conditional approval, and people
were worried about safety and traffic. Not a single police incident or community
concern happened there, and they are generating as much sales tax as a car
dealership for our community. We need to take a similar approach by considering
limited approval for video gaming in certain locations, and thoughtful expansion
regarding dispensaries.
I am the only candidate for Mayor that has experienced both sides of this
question. We as a community try very hard to make Arlington Heights inclusive
and welcoming, but there are costs related to this. The state of Illinois mandates
that 10% of the housing stock be at, or below certain costs and we have
exceeded that by approximately double – meaning we are now at about 20%.
The question becomes who picks up the tab on that? For example, if you have a
residential building with 10% of the units offered at a discounted rate, the other
90% of the units will pay the higher amount to make up for that discount.
In addition, I want us to do all we can to help keep our seniors stay here in
Arlington Heights, because too often they are being taxed out of their homes. We
need to make sure our seniors are aware of programs to help them, including the
senior freeze, facilitated through Wheeling Township which can help them save
money on property taxes. This program freezes the equalized assessed value of
a senior's primary residence which can result in savings if their income is below a
certain threshold. Also, there is a program called the Older Adult Home
Modification Program, offered through a group called North West Housing
Partnership, which is funded 100% through HUD and helps seniors stay in their
homes by making modifications such as ramps and grab bars, along with a
sliding scale handyman program to help them with projects that could otherwise
be unaffordable to them.
Lastly, the Village has a housing fund that gathers funds from developers – and I
would propose to utilize this fund in a smart and efficient way for our seniors to
hopefully stay in town as long as they can.
What I want you to remember is just one thing – if you want a Mayor who is truly
dug in, dedicated and plugged into everything Arlington Heights, I am your
candidate. My deep community involvements that began when I was youngster
after moving here in the 4 th grade have grown and evolved over the years. By
default, I have many deep connections, friends and relationships around this
great community, as well as running a business here for quite some time. This
deep involvement has been construed by others as “conflicting” – but I say it’s
the result of being highly engaged and involved – I believe that based on my
history here, my philanthropic and public service to this community, I am the only
candidate for Mayor who understands the full impact of what it takes to lead
Arlington Heights into the future. I will not only be at the table – I will be a highly
competent leader at the table who has the deepest understanding of the past, the
most engaged experiences in volunteering and serving, and the most competent
vision of where we need to go. I humbly ask for your vote on April 1st.
Firefighters Local 3105 Union
I am completely dedicated to Arlington Heights, and I believe strongly I am the most qualified candidate to lead our community into the future – which are the core reasons why I am running for Mayor. My wife Cindy and I raised our four children in this wonderful community, and I got involved early on when they were young through volunteering for more than a decade with the park district as a soccer coach and by serving on the soccer advisory board as a member, and president. I volunteered for Frontier Days for many years where I continued to make deep community connections and was then appointed by former Mayor Arlene Mulder to serve on the Village’s Design Commission, where I served for 11 years. I was then encouraged to run for Village Trustee, and I have served on the Village Board for 12 years. By living here for more than 50 years, and through all these experiences, I have developed a deep love, and understanding of our Village’s history and what makes Arlington Heights a premier place to live, work and raise a family. I feel an obligation to ensure our community continues to grow stronger and even more vibrant than it is today, and I will do this by leveraging my years of involvement in this great community.
I also want to help guide future development, including the potential of the Chicago Bears coming here. My profession as an architect provides me with a unique advantage in understanding of large developments and gives me the skills and expertise to make sure the Village’s interests are always represented and protected. If this project moves forward, my goal is that it will be a true benefit to all; a win-win.
I am keenly aware of how important the role of Mayor is; over the years and through my involvements, I have watched and learned how this community runs. When Mayor Tom Hayes decided not to run again, I did feel a calling to serve in this very important leadership role. I have the background and the vision, as well as the public and private professional experiences, to be the strongest leader of our community as our next Mayor.
I have had a considerable amount of exposure to our fire service, including living through a massive house fire where I saw firsthand the incredible work our first responders must do in such a circumstance. My career as an architect provides me with a specific understanding of fire protection systems for all structures, such as sprinkler systems and construction techniques to make buildings more fire resistant, as well as electronics to be used in managing any fire emergency. My son Nick went to school to become an ER nurse at Northwest Community Hospital/Healthcare and is now training at the academy to be a firefighter for the Village of Wilmette Fire Department, so this profession has now touched our family and I couldn’t be more proud. For the last 12 years, I have voted in favor of, and in support of, our first responders in every possible way, including the very important fifth ambulance purchase and its deployment (sooner than later). I am 100% fully devoted to our fire service.
As Mayor, my cell phone and my door will always be open to encourage ongoing dialogue between my office and our Fire Department. I want to know areas where growth is needed, and if anything may be lacking for our first responders to successfully perform their important role within our community. There will always be a seat at my table to discuss health, safety and welfare through the exemplary services provided by our firefighter/paramedics.
Thank you for all the things that you do. I know that much of it may go unnoticed, but all of it is extremely important in serving our community members. There should be no reductions in the services provided by our Fire Department – I believe our first responders are the absolute best and we need to keep it that way. I would rely heavily on leadership for the Department as well as the Union, to provide perspectives on any needs, and guide the Village so we can understand, support and react for the benefit of the Department and our community.
Village Administration and our elected board need to regularly stay in touch with the Fire Department to be made aware of any new needs relating to proposed future developments. Through doing this, the Village can properly support and manage whatever is needed. Regarding the 326-acre former Arlington Park potential development, I would expect our Village Board be prepared to approve and fully fund a new fire/police station to be built on that site – including a helipad for any emergency evacuation due to it being such a potentially high-density area, with a flight for life. Through my professional experience, I know that any costs associated with these additions or upgrades would be incorporated into the development agreement, and not affect the Fire Department’s existing budget or our taxpayers.
Our Fire Department must have a dominant seat at the table to ensure that anything proposed at the former racetrack will not hinder the currently expert services that are provided to the community. If/when a development happens on this property, it needs to be protected just as every other part of the Arlington Heights community is, currently.
I want to maintain the high levels we are currently at; I can’t imagine a resident or business owner in town thinking otherwise. We need to attract the best and brightest and provide the best  and latest equipment available. To do this, we must continue to be competitive, and I have no desire to ever lower the current standards.
Our Finance Director recommended this exact policy a few years ago, and I voted 100% in support of this – to use surplus funds to pay forward fire and police pension funds. This policy helps to protect the future of fire/EMS service professionals while also lowering our future risk and obligations to pension funding. I would always work toward the same fiscally responsible behavior.
Patch
Jim Tinaglia
Non- Partisan
None other than my son who is a Fireman in Wilmette
Bachelors of Arts in Architecture – Iowa State University 1985
Architect & Business Owner since 1991 (34 years)
Appointed Design Commissioner by Mayor Arlene Mulder for 11 years; Elected Village Trustee for 12 years (3 terms)
The redevelopment of 326 acres of prime real estate, previously known as Arlington International Racecourse, currently owned by the Chicago Bears Football Club. I intend to use all of my professional skills as an architect to help steer the dialog and decision making toward a win-win development solution that will benefit and support our entire community and surrounding area. As Mayor, I intend to be at the table offering advice and suggestions in order to avoid potential missteps toward safety, economics, traffic, and infrastructure. If these goals are achieved, we can expect a wonderful redevelopment for all to enjoy and benefit from.
I am a lifelong resident of Arlington Heights since 4th grade (more than 50 years), I am an Arlington Heights business owner for the past 34 years, I have been a community volunteer and appointed Design Commissioner for several decades, and most currently I am an elected Village Trustee for the past 12 years (3 terms). I have the expertise, skill set and experience to work with developers, as I have professionally for the last 34 years. No other candidate can match these qualifications. Â
Arlington Heights has been blessed to have two of the finest Mayors for the past 34 years, in Arlene Mulder and Tom Hayes. I am honored to be endorsed by Tom Hayes and 11 other elected past and present Trustees in my campaign to be the next Mayor.
The two top priorities are ensuring our public safety remains top notch, and that our taxes stay as low as possible.
For public safety, we need to have our police and fire professionals fully equipped with the latest technology and tools in crime, and fire prevention, respectively. We also need to provide ongoing training for them in dealing with mental health incidents in town, due to growth in the south, central and north parts of town, and for the west side of town at the former racetrack once a development comes there. Mental health has been one of the bigger issues as of late and vital training on it includes de-escalation techniques for all of our first responders to know how to appropriately deal with residents who are mentally or emotionally challenged – so that they can help to defuse any potential incidents anywhere in town. We also have a shortage of people seeking to join the law enforcement profession, so we must remain competitive and attractive to those who choose to serve and protect us.
How do we maintain all the services the Village provides without raising property taxes? This happens by encouraging growth in our sales and property tax base through supporting our commercial and retail partners. As a Village, we must be united in emphasizing that supporting all our business by shopping and dining in Arlington Heights whenever possible is crucial to keeping our taxes low – this helps to keep our proverbial engine going. As Mayor, I would reinvigorate and establish important education campaigns about the true impacts of supporting our local businesses and why it matters so much to all of us; to keep our businesses thriving, our business community vibrant, and to keep our taxes as low as possible.
Over the past 5 decades, I have been heavily involved in all things Arlington Heights. My professional career, owning an architectural design firm for 34 years, has positioned me perfectly to step up and lead difficult conversations with any developer for any project in town. For the past 12 years specifically, I have been unwavering in my focus and commitment toward promoting and voting in favor of projects, developments, and financial matters that have come before our Village Board. I recognize good fiscal responsibility in all cases, and I have been willing to support new ideas that might be less clear to others. For example, I was one of very few that supported the first dispensary in our community, and it has proven to become a wonderful tax generator, similar to a car dealership, without any negative community impact.
I’m a home-grown guy – I’ve spent virtually my entire life here in Arlington Heights, I did go away to college but came back with my wife Cindy – who was also raised here – and here is where we chose to raise our four children. I had a dream to start a business and there was no question I would have it be here in the town that I love and am deeply committed to.
When our kids were young, I was heavily involved in volunteering through youth soccer coaching and serving on a park district advisory board, along with several more years volunteering for Frontier Days. These experiences helped me to understand how much I love this community, and as a result, created deep connections.
About 24 years ago, former Mayor Arlene Mulder appointed me to the Village’s Design Commission, and I served there by utilizing my professional background as an architect to help guide future developments related to design – to ensure their look and feel would fit with our community’s identity. It was an excellent learning experience for 11 years. Then, I was strongly encouraged by more than a dozen local leaders to run for Trustee, and I am now serving in my third term.
Being a Village Trustee has been a truly enlightening 12-year experience and one where I have learned a tremendous amount about how this Village runs. So now, I take this rich history and background, deep community involvements and a true desire to leverage my professional expertise for the benefit of our community by running to become our next Mayor. I am 100% committed to Arlington heights and to the betterment of this community as its next leader. I have a unique and unmatched balance of understanding our past, serving in our present and I am in possession of the experiences and expertise to lead our community into the future.Â
For all of these reasons and all of my history, I can stand firm and be trusted to step up and lead our community in the most professional and responsible manner.
Clearly, the greatest challenge that I believe we all will face during the next four years is the careful redevelopment of the Arlington International Racecourse property. If it can be done as a true win-win for the developer, and our residents and businesses, then I will look back on my term as Mayor as a success. My professional and political career has prepared me extremely well to lead the discussions exactly in this manner.
However, there are four very critical issues that must be addressed in conjunction with one another, and those are safety, economics, traffic control and infrastructure. If those 326 acres of land are developed in accordance with respect to all of those, it will be a tremendous asset. Being able to look at these issues takes individuals who understand the world of development, and we need those people on the Village’s side of all discussions and negotiations. I would bring that expertise to the table through my 34 years working as an architect and working with developers.
We need to have extremely strong collaboration with all involved stakeholders. I would share, leverage and utilize my deep understanding of these necessary considerations, which I’ve gained through my profession, as well as my experiences on the Village Board and the Village Design Committee to lead those discussions so that we have a full menu of options. The goal is to come to a final development that will be a true benefit to our community – and one that does not compete with, or detract from, our current downtown. We must strive to make it a win-win and I would be honored to competently lead in that effort.
We have a great new opportunity to relook at everything because of so much change that is happening with our staff, including our finance director, as well as our elected officials. That said, we as a Village Board went for five years prior to this year, and did not increase our levy, which is a testament to how our Village watches our spending to ensure we are investing in only what is needed – so as not to put any additional burdens on already high tax bills. We did increase our levy this year by 2.46% due to rising costs which all of us have experienced – we increased only what we needed to, so we could ensure that services provided by the Village remained at their current high levels.
I was on the Village Board with Trustee Scaletta and Trustee Farwell when we worked hard to change our yearly budget to match the yearly taxing season, so we could be working with real numbers to budget correctly and be more accurate in computing our budgetary needs. We work off of this more accurate system today, and it has served us well. We have these real-world costs and with this information we are now available to use it at the appropriate time for budgeting. As far as areas to cut spending, I don’t believe funds are wasted on anything frivolous and I do not believe there is anywhere we can cut without having to reduce our level of services.
We are blessed to have a top-notch Police Department and Fire Department, let by Chief Pecora and Chief Harris, respectively. In order to have any chance at being a great community with thriving residents and businesses, we must always maintain the highest level of service toward public safety. Arlington Heights has always made this a priority, and I will continue to encourage the best candidates, the best equipment, the best training, and the best customer service from all of our first responders. It is interesting to note that we keep a close eye on statistics for all areas of public safety. Two very important findings that I can share are that since 1974, traffic accidents have been reduced by 22%, and general crime has been reduced by 342% during the same period. This is clearly due to the vigilance and professionalism of our law-and-order professionals, and the programs that they promote on a daily basis.
Business interactions with Village departments could be improved. It would be helpful to put people at the head of the table who understand the challenges that business owners face in simply starting a business. I understand what it means to invest your life savings in your passion to make it a business. Our current processes can be time-consuming and costly – and we work harder to change that.
Right now, requirements for new businesses include very detailed drawings, plans, and specifications, all before the approval process – and this can come at a cost of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. I would propose that we break it up into two separate processes – first, we could award a preliminary approval, where a business gets a green light that what they are proposing is worth doing and viable under our current guidelines. This step should have limited requirements and information needed, and should have directional procedures coming from it on how to gain final approval – it would be a roadmap to help them. It should state and make good on the promise that if you take care of these next several steps– you can gain final approval.Â
I also would propose that each potential new entitlement requestor be assigned a Village trustee who would work as their advocate – a guide to help “carry the ball” and to be a liaison between them and the Village Board, to give valid projects the support needed to gain ultimate approval.
We first need to keep what we have now protected in all cases. We do not need another Arlington Heights west through any proposed development at Arlington Park. We need to ensure that whatever happens on those 326 acres is complimentary – meaning sisterly or brotherly to our current downtown area, and that it supports our vibrant businesses that have built our downtown into what it is today.
We also need to look at growth on the east side of Dunton, between the railroad track and Sigwalt, and between Dunton and Arlington Heights Road. That entire area is untapped; the 1-story shopping centers with parking lots, and two very large 2-story banks are out of date and need to be reflective of the area built over the last 30 years in what is known as the Arlington Alfresco area – both in building and design to maintain our unique progressive character. The east side of town is very similar to what used to be on the west side of Dunton.
What do we need there? Redevelopment of all that land – we need a hotel, another parking garage, and “over road” pedestrian bridges that connect one block to the next block, like the bridge across the street for Dunton Tower, that will create easier connections in the downtown area. We do want to be careful where a parking garage goes; it would need to be in the downtown district just like the Vail parking garage.
We also need to ensure that we expand upon the success of Arlington Alfresco and create other destinations at different times of the year. An exciting idea that I have discussed several times for the downtown area is to install a seasonal ice-skating rink at Harmony Park, that would draw residents and visitors to patronize businesses in the downtown, and our greater business community, over the winter months. There are solutions regarding skating rinks that could enable that to be active for more than a few months if the temperatures are below 50 degrees. This could be achieved through sponsorships and partnerships, including with the Arlington Heights Park District.
None.
Get involved. This means not being fearful of rolling up your sleeves and using the tools that you have acquired through past experiences, and sharing your knowledge with others that may benefit from that.  I have done this over the past several decades by volunteering with youth sports, and local committees like Frontier Days. I have used my professional skills by leveraging my architectural background toward an appointed committee called the Design Commission, initiated by Mayor Arlene Mulder. Lastly, I have taken the challenge of seeking public office as an elected Village Trustee for 3 terms, and I am currently asking for the community’s support in my bid for Mayor of Arlington Heights.
If you want a mayor who is truly dug in, dedicated and plugged into everything Arlington Heights, I am your candidate. My deep community involvements that began when I was youngster after moving here in the 4th grade have grown and evolved over the years. By default, I have many deep connections, friends and relationships around this great community, as well as running a business here for quite some time. This deep involvement has been construed by some as “conflicting” – but I say it’s the result of being highly engaged and involved – I believe that based on my history here, my philanthropic and public service to this community, I am the only candidate for Mayor who understands the full impact of what it takes to lead Arlington Heights into the future. I will not only be at the table – I will be a highly competent leader at the table who has the deepest understanding of the past, the most engaged experiences in volunteering and serving in the present, and the clearest vision of where we need to go in the future.
Being a Village Trustee has been a truly enlightening 12-year experience and one where I have learned a tremendous amount about how this Village runs. So now, I take this rich history and background, deep community involvements and a true desire to leverage my professional expertise for the benefit of our community by running to become our next Mayor. I am 100% committed to Arlington Heights, and to the betterment of this community as its next leader. I have a unique and unmatched balance of understanding our past, serving in our present and I am in possession of the experiences and expertise to lead our community into the future. I humbly ask for your vote on or before April 1st.Â
