Did I miss it,  or in the volumes of literature that was mailed and distributed door to door was there a discussion of the real issues facing the Village of Schiller Park ?

What are the issues and what are the politicians proposed solutions ?

The lack of a political debate, whether in debate format, literature  or via door to door discussion has done a great disservice to the residents of the Village of Schiller Park.

Since this election cycle has not defined the issues or the solutions;  let’s examine on the eve of the election what we should have been deciding upon, NOT politicians trashing of each other !

Street Repaving

No one has clearing talked about the critical issues with infrastructure, starting with the repaving of streets.    The Mayor and Board in a united effort unanimously adopted a .05 per gallon for gasoline tax for which now they are trashing each other.   They have indicated that they are going to use some of the money to  eliminate a deficiency in the police and fire pension funds which need $50 million dollars and use some of  the money to repave the Village streets (costs approaching $20 million dollars).   Yet did anybody mention that the tax will only raise about $450,000 per year ?     Do the math it does not add up !  What is the solution ?    Do we as taxpayers keep facing steeper and steeper costs each year, no real solution ?  Just eyewash ?  In the last 25 years where is the short range and long range plan for the street program ?

Deteriorating Sewer and Water Infrastructure

Most of the current sewer and water infrastructure is more than 50 years old with some in excess of 90 years old.    To properly upgrade and replace the necessary infrastructure could run as high as $65 million dollars.   What type of surcharge on the consumer in Schiller Park will be necessary to complete these upgrades in a reasonable period of time to avoid future service interruptions ?    What are the long range and short range goals ? No one can answer that question.

Obsolete Police Station 

When the Schiller Park Police Station was occupied in 1967, it was already obsolete.   Yet the department has continued to function for 50 years in a crowded and inefficient facility.    When will the politicians recognize that this community has to not only have the facility to provide services to the residents, but operate next to the World’s busiest airport and the third largest city in the United States.   Where do we find the funding for a new police station (Costing approximately $12,000,000) ?     What are the positions of the candidates on supporting the law enforcement to protect our residents ?

Sexton Landfill

What are the positions of the political adversaries in the cleaning up of the 22 acre polluted landfill and how do they envision its future contribution to the economic health of the Village of Schiller Park ?    No one put forward a plan or ideas to address this 60 year problem.

Billboards

What are the positions of the politicians to the erection of billboards on the eastside of the Tri State Tollroad ?     What are their positions on the proliferation of the electronic billboards ?    No statements and no answers.    Someones response is to put a referendum on the ballot, clearly we know the community opposes the expansion of the billboards from the public meetings and petitions.   We need to hear from the politicians not keep putting it on the residents.

Proliferation of Parking Lots

Neither side can deny culpability for inviting in and expanding the parking lots in Schiller Park.    Now everyone is running from what the door was opened to when the first  parking lot anchored the Mannheim Road Gateway TIF.  What are the positions of the candidates and how do they propose that this runaway train be stopped ?

Ornamental Lighting

Schiller Park is a metropolitan community, not a rural community.     So why do we continue to provide unengineered street lighting sporadically through the town on wooden poles ?  With the growth in technology, the politicians should be able to propose a plan using the latest technology to provide an engineered solution for the Village and its residents.     The looks of the Village would be greatly enhanced with proper ornamental street lighting as well as the safety for all residents.

Priority Employment

Where is the effort by the politicians to give priority to employ qualified residents with the Village instead of employing non residents.   No politician of any differing political persuasion proposed an ordinance or resolution to provide priority in employment to qualified residents.   The voters should demand that their tax dollars go first to employ residents.

Intergovernmental CoOperation with Surrounding Towns for Economic Development 

What are the politician’s positions on cooperation with Rosemont, Franklin Park, and Bensenville  for the attracting and mutually working to recruit and retain business in the region ?    What type of models would they be willing to approve to attract and retain business.   For example, shared sales tax revenue ?

Term Limits

What are the positions of the politicians on adopting an ordinance to impose term limits on local government elected positions ?    Why has not any of them introduced for consideration by the Village Board such an ordinance ?  Would the candidates support term limits ?

Nepotism

So what is the position of the politicians on the hiring of relatives for government employment in Schiller Park ?    If they chose to chastise one elected official for such conduct, where or when has an ordinance been proposed to eliminate or limit such employment options  ?   Would the candidates support a ban on nepotism ?

Contracting of Services

No one discussed the current privatized or contracted services, nor did anyone talk about how such expansion could save taxpayer’s money.     What are the positions of the candidates on the privatizing of governmental services ?

Consolidation of Government Services

What are the positions of the candidates on considering of the consolidation of services to safe the taxpayers’ money.    What services could they consider to be reviewed to consolidate ?  Currently, per Illinois law,  Schiller Park is consolidating their 911 services with Norridge and Harwood Heights, with the 911 center being relocated from our police station to the Harwood Heights police station.  What other police services for example should be consolidated ?   For example the police lockup and processing, should it be regionalized ?    What do the candidates feel about the consolidation of the police department lock up ?    Consolidation is trending in government nationally, what are the positions of the candidates as to how far it would benefit the taxpayers of Schiller Park ?

Adult Use District 

No adult use district could be established close to any residential area without Board approval, furthermore there are standards that bar such usages from near residents and homes, so what are the candidates positions on changing the current usage?

So where is the realistic discussion to discuss the realistic solution ?   Which political party has a plan ?      Or is this just Illinois political