Zion Minority Caucus - Opening Statement and Q&A

This evening, I participated in a Candidate Town Hall, hosted by the Zion Minority Caucus.  The evening went very well, but we only were able to get to a couple of the selection of questions that were provided to the candidates in advance.  Presented here for your information, is the text of the questions and my written responses. Starting with my Opening Statement and answer to the first question, followed by the Closing Statement and the selection of random questions, with my answers. 

I want to thank the Zion Minority Caucus for putting this event together, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

Opening Statement

Intro Question: Please briefly introduce yourself and answer the following question: If you had to select one thing in which the city of Zion needs to improve, what would it be and what is your experience to achieve your desired outcome?

Answer. Opening Statement – New Leadership (follows)

Good Evening. I want to thank our hosts for putting this event together, and my fellow candidates for participating. I’m Christopher Fischer, candidate for Commissioner and to the public I offer the experience and judgment acquired in over thirty years of professional life.  For the past sixteen years I have been employed in Human Resources at the American Medical Association, in Chicago. I have over a decade of management experience in the Private Security field, and I served in the U.S. Army as an Intelligence Analyst. This is my second campaign for the office of Commissioner, and in the two years since that election I have served the public as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, and as a member of the Steering Committee for the new Comprehensive Development Plan. Where does Zion need to improve? I’ve often said, “Even small governments make big decisions.” Government exists to provide services that we cannot accomplish as individuals.  Zion is faced with many challenges; economic, financial, environmental, and social. To meet these challenges, we need new leadership with a fresh perspective, able to respond with innovative and creative solutions. Leadership that will act as strong advocates for our interests at all levels of government. I believe that for this city to grow and prosper, we need to up our game, both locally and regionally, and work together towards making Zion a better place.  I’ve done the research. I have the drive and determination. I’m ready to get to work, for you. I look forward to your questions, and hope that this will be an informative evening for all of us.   Thank You. Closing Statement and Questions Closing Question: If elected, what are three (specific) things you plan to do for the city of Zion. Answers: We face a lot of serious issues, so picking three is just scratching the surface. Restore Fiscal Balance to the City Budget, through necessary cuts and increased alternate revenue wherever possible. We face a $1.6 million deficit and need to deal with it quickly, because this affects the public services that we rely on.  Pursue Aggressive Economic Development by obtaining Enterprise Zone status and begin to jump start growth in our local economy.  Target the acquisition of federal funding for critical infrastructure by collaborating with Winthrop Harbor and Beach Park to develop a regional water infrastructure project, and lobby our State and Federal representatives for additional grants and funding assistance.    Conclusion Governing is more than just a checklist of tasks to be done; it’s the means by which we determine the quality of our lives in this community.  It’s also about combining aspiration with action to remake the present, and to build the future we all want.  Building the future is serious business, and we need serious people do the job. I couldn’t be more serious, and I’m ready to get to work if given the honor of being your new Commissioner. I ask for your support and your vote on April 7th. Thank You. Questions If elected, what is your strategy to lower taxes for home and business owners? Answer: I have proposed that the city apply for Enterprise Zone Status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act.  This status would grant us access to special tax and regulatory incentives for businesses.  New businesses will help create the revenue needed to reduce the tax burden on homeowners.  Further, I propose that the Enterprise Zone Act be amended to include the Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility in the same criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site, and that the zone status should not expire until the spent fuel is removed from the lakefront.  I believe these proposals provide practical means towards growing our local economy while helping to reduce homeowner taxes over time, and obtaining some compensation for the detrimental impact of the nuclear storage site in our community. There are several houses and buildings that are destitute, vacant and old that needs to be cleaned or torn down. What are your plans to beautify Zion in areas that aren’t so attractive? For home properties, will you be committed to getting the health department actively involved in either, evicting these individuals or assuring they clean their property both inside and out? Answer: Enforce existing codes, firmly and fairly. The city should do what it can to help homeowners keep up their property.  The Abandoned Property Registration program I proposed two years ago has since been enacted, and is working. The greater problem are slumlords that are just taking money and damaging our community. A Rental Certification and Inspection program will help weed out the bad actors. I also proposed such a program two years ago, and we need it now. How do you plan to position the city for future economic growth, including attracting new businesses and home owners and what experience do you have to help move Zion forward economically? Answer: We need to break the current cycle of stagnation. High taxes keep new businesses away. TIF Districts can help, but I believe we need a bigger lever and that is why I propose an Enterprise Zone.  Tying the Zone to the Nuclear Storage site also provides a small measure of compensation for the burden of storing that material on our lakefront. The experience I bring to this effort is my ability to identify solutions and the actions needed to achieve them. Youth under the age of 18 make up a large majority of our city. What are your plans to create more opportunities, activities or programs that keep our youth engaged as active participants in Zion? Answer:  Commissioners also serve as Trustees for the Township, and I look forward to the opportunity to partner with Supervisor Neal to develop programs in cooperation with the School and Park Districts.  Arts and Culture programs especially, and I think we need to use new economy resources such as “Kickstarter” to raise funds to support those programs. When driving in certain neighborhoods in Zion, for example 29th and Gideon, you rarely see any campaign signs in residents’ yards. This is representative of the lack of engagement between certain parts of the city and Zion leadership. How do you plan to engage community residents in those particular neighborhoods? Answer:  This has been a concern of mine for a long time, and not just for specific parts of the community, but all of it. I even wrote about it on my blog Fischer for Zion, it’s titled A Public Hearing – An Empty House, posted on March 30, 2013. I went to a meeting at City Hall about Electric Aggregation, and I was probably the only member of the public in the audience. Since 2011 I have attended over 80 meetings of the Council, and often I can count the public attendance on one hand and have fingers left over. Self –Governance requires us as citizens to participate.  So, I plan to do what I have been doing, encouraging everyone to become involved, using every and any means I can think of. With the growing population of Zion, specifically the West side, do you support moving toward a form of government where commissioners represent specific precinct/area of town? Why or why not? Answer: The Commissioner form of government is truly outdated in many ways, so I think in the future to move to an Alderman form would be positive. To do so will require obtaining Home Rule status, either through population growth or by referendum. It is extremely apparent that in the city of Zion, the leadership does not reflect the diversity of the city. What are your plans to help diversify Zion leadership in regards to age, socioeconomic status and culture? Answer: This is another facet of the question about the lack of engagement between the public and the government.  I love the quote “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world; in fact it’s the only thing that ever has.”  There is another quote that I think applies here “Decisions are made by those who show up.”  If you want to see change, you need to go to the meetings, do the research, volunteer, and vote.  End.  And that is it. Election Day is just around the corner and I am doing everything I can to get the word out.  If you believe that Zion is ready for change, please give me your support and your vote on April 7th. Thank You.

Library Forum - Extra Q&A

After the Candidate Forum at the Zion-Benton Public Library on March 15th, there were a number questions that had been collected from the audience that weren't asked because of the time constraints. So, those questions have been provided to all the candidates and they have been asked to respond by March 23rd with their answers.  All of the questions, answers and omissions will be posted on ZBGuide.com.

Here are the questions, as provided to me, with my answers.  I encourage everyone to look at the responses by the other candidates when they are posted on ZBGuide.com.

QUESTIONNAIRE STARTS NOW - (We've removed any limitations as to the length of your responses)

1. Are you willing to live by the character traits chosen by the ZB community, be held accountable to them, and hold other elected officials to the same standard?

A. I fully support the Community of Character initiative, and the traits espoused because I already live by them in my daily life. In my experience, leading by example is the best way to get others to raise their standards.

2. Please identify 3 things you wish to accomplish in order of priority if you are elected. 

A.  The highest priority is to reestablish fiscal balance in the City Budget; currently there is a projected 1.6 million shortfall that has to be dealt with and quickly. Next is to begin the process of applying for Enterprise Zone Status, as I have proposed, in order to jump start growth in our local economy.  Equal to that is pushing for grants or alternative funds to begin serious upgrades to our infrastructure.

3. We have a huge amount of mayoral candidates. Would it have been a wise leader to meet prior to and decide who to support if it were not you that was considered "able to win"?

A. Anyone who is willing to step up and run for office should do so, and present their qualifications to the public. Let the Voters decide. Ultimately it is up to each candidate whether to continue to run in an election or bow out gracefully.   

4. If you are not the winner of this election, what plans do you have to push the agenda that you are campaigning on?

A. I will continue to serve the public as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, and as a member of the Comprehensive Development Plan Steering Committee. I also will continue to comment on public affairs through my Fischer for Zion Blog, as I have done for the past few years.

5. Did you serve in the military? If so, can you tell us about that?

A. After graduating from High School I joined the U.S. Army and trained as an Intelligence Analyst. I was stationed with the 3^rd Infantry Division, 103^rd MI Battalion in West Germany and then with the 224^th Military Battalion in Savannah Georgia.  I was also twice awarded the Army Achievement Medal for exemplary service. Most importantly I met my wife Christie (who outranked me), and we have now been married 29 years.

6. Are you in favor of term limits?

A. There already are term limits, they are called elections.  If you think someone should be voted out of office, get off the couch, run for office yourself, or support a good candidate, because that is what a participatory democracy is all about.

7. What distinguishes you from the other candidates? What experience and knowledge do you bring that sets you apart?

A. I offer the experience and judgment acquired in over thirty years of professional life. For the past sixteen years I have been employed within Human Resources at the American Medical Association.  I also have over a decade of management experience in the Private Security field, and I am a U.S. Army veteran where I served as an Intelligence Analyst.  I also currently serve as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, which provides water for Zion, Winthrop Harbor and the State Park. I have a deep interest in the areas of government and public policy, and I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to the issues facing the city.

8. What is your agenda? Why are you running for office?

A. Over the past several years I became more aware of the importance of our local government in our lives. With this awareness came a feeling that I had a duty to serve the public in some capacity.  After a great deal of thought and research, I decided that my skills and abilities would best serve the public on the City Council. I have now lived in Zion longer than anywhere else in my life, it has become my home and I want to help make it a better place to live.

9. Speak from your heart and plainly tell us your vision for Zion.

A. I want to see a revitalized city that is progressive, prosperous, and growing. I believe it requires new leadership that is able to tackle the many challenges we face in order to achieve that vision.

10. How will you improve communication between the city, its departments, and the community?

A. By being open to communication through as many means as possible.  The internet and social media offer a multitude of channels for communication and interaction.

11. What do you know about the 20 year plan for Zion and how have you been involved?

A.  I proposed a New Comprehensive Development Plan as part of my campaign platform over two years ago after I discovered that the existing plan had not been updated since it was passed in 1992.

I proposed that the city obtain a technical grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, to create a new plan.  Wisely, the city did so, and I currently serve as a member of the Steering Committee. Information about the plan is available at Plan4Zion.com   As Commissioner, I will see that this plan is enacted, and not put on a shelf.

12. Where do you see this city five years from now?

A. I would hope that with a more active and engaged city government at the helm, we would start seeing improvements in, economic development, improved public services, and a lowering of property taxes on homeowners.

13. With a possible $1.2 million loss of state funding, what do you propose to do regarding the next Zion fiscal year?

A. A 50% reduction in the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) would be devastating for the city. Such a loss would most likely result in severe cuts in services, impacting public safety and health.  As noted above the city already is facing a shortfall of $1.6 million, effective budgeting and aggressively seeking alternative revenue can be brought to bear on that issue, but I would lobby forcefully against a cut in the LGDF, as will every municipality where those funds are used to support essential services.

14. What businesses or industries do you plan to bring to Zion?

A. Businesses look for locations where they can operate and generate a profit. The goal of the city government should be to create conditions that attract businesses to locate here. 

I have proposed that the city to apply for Enterprise Zone status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act.  Once granted, Zion would then have access to the taxing and regulatory tools necessary to help establish new businesses here and build long-term growth in our local economy.

Additionally, I propose that the City lobby our State Legislature for certain amendments to the Enterprise Zone Act, in consideration of our unique status as a host community for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Installation, which will be located on the site of the former Zion Nuclear Power Station.  I propose amending the Qualifications for Enterprise Zones to include long-term nuclear material storage in the same criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site.  I also propose amending the zone duration standards in the Act by granting Zion an automatic renewal of the Enterprise Zone status, until the spent fuel is moved to a permanent site by the federal government.  These amendments would be moderate first steps towards compensating for the detrimental effect of the nuclear storage site on the future development of Zion’s Lakefront.

15. What are you going to do about the abandoned properties in Zion and the property owners who do not maintain their property?

A. In my first campaign I proposed the creation of an Abandoned Property registration program. That program has since been enacted, and is reported to be working well in identifying the parties responsible for these properties and holding them accountable for their maintenance.

16. What opportunities do you see for building the Sheridan Road Corridor?

A. Plan4Zion has a number of suggestions for the area, including bringing in more integrated residential/retail establishments that would appeal to younger professionals and to retirees looking to downscale from a single family home. Angled parking and other traffic improvements will help make the downtown area more accessible for pedestrians and shoppers.

17. What are your thoughts about strip malls, and what would you do about vacancies?

A. Strip malls have their place, but I would prefer to see an emphasis on building shopping and entertainment centers that fulfill the goals of being environmentally friendly, and aesthetically pleasing as outlined in the new development plan.  Obviously, vacant storefronts are best filled with new businesses, but I would like to see a program, possibly in cooperation with the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce to utilize empty spaces for pop-up art exhibitions or other events. It also could help the owner of the space advertise it to attract new occupants.

18. How do you propose to entice taxpayers to move to and/or do business in Zion?

A. By doing all that is possible to make the city an attractive, safe place to live and work.

19. What do you plan to do to reduce taxes? How firm are you on lowering the tax burden on home and business owners in Zion?

A. I covered that in my answer to question 14. Economic development is crucial to reducing the tax burden on homeowners; the Enterprise Zone can help us do that.

20. What will you do to make our city safe?

A. As a community, we need to take more responsibility as citizens to maintain the common welfare. Our police and fire professionals are here to help in an emergency, but we bear some responsibility too.  I talk about this in more depth in my video commentary on Public Safety is a Community Value. It can be found on my website www.fischerforzion.com, or at ZBGuide.com.  I intend to continue supporting community building efforts such as BridgeBuilders in cooperation with the Zion Police Department.

21. How will you address transportation needs to help people take advantage of (Wal-mart) jobs in surrounding communities?

A. I do know that there have been discussions about expanding Pace bus routes in Zion and through the surrounding area. Some of those suggestions are in the new development plan. We need to work with Pace to start bringing these changes about.

22. Do you think the make-up of the police department accurately represents the population of Zion?

A. I do not know, but if I happen to take on the role of Commissioner for Public Safety, that will be an issue to look into.

23. Regarding law suits around the Ball Field, what are you going to do to settle? Why are the persons involved not prosecuted?

A. I do not know the current status of the various legal challenges between the City and Grand Slam Sports LLC, so I can’t give a factual answer to that question, or the follow up question. 

24. Please speak to your viewpoint of a unified school district and its impact on taxes.

A. As a taxpayer, my thought is that if an expanded or unified district improves student performance and finds ways to reduce costs through consolidation of services and purchasing, then that would be great.  But, based on the conclusions of the Local Government Consolidation Commission ((20 ILCS 3987/) Local Government Consolidation Commission Act of 2011) in it’s report; often the combining of local governments and districts result in little or no reduction in costs, and should be treated on a case by case basis dependent on local needs.

25. What are your plans to improve the schools in Zion? How can you insure that each child receives a quality education?

A. Other than the city working to provide good public services and a safe environment, I think this question is more suited to the candidates for the School Board. It really doesn’t fall into the purview of the City Council.

26. How long have you lived in Zion, and based on that answer, how does that make you qualified to be mayor?

A. Obviously, I am not running for Mayor, but I would like to address the question of length of residency, with my own question.  How long is long enough?  Good people with good qualities come from everywhere. To set an arbitrary time limit for whether someone is qualified to do a job or not, and you lose a tremendous wealth of education and experience obtained in other places that could be of great benefit to the city. 

27. How long have you lived in Zion, and based on that answer, how does that make you qualified to be mayor?

A. See answers to 26 above, same question.

28. How has your experience prepared you to effectively serve as Mayor?

A. I will be glad to answer that if or when I ever run for Mayor.

29. Use this space to address anything else you'd like to say to the Zion voters.

A. See my closing thoughts in 31 below.

30. Question for ALL Commissioner Candidates Only: In that you also become Zion Township Trustees, with a $million plus annual budget, would you consider dissolving the township government and giving its responsibilities (and budget) to the city?

A. My answer to question 24 covers this issue too. I would have to see that there are real cost savings or efficiencies to be realized from dissolving the Township, without compromising the services provided before considering such a proposal.

31. Anything else you'd like to say can be said here.

I’ve often said, “Even small governments make big decisions.” Government exists to provide services that we cannot accomplish as individuals.  Zion is faced with many challenges; economic, financial, environmental, and social.  To meet these challenges, we need leadership with a fresh perspective, able to respond with innovative and creative solutions. Leadership that will act as strong advocates for our interests at all levels of government.  As I said in my first video commentary, “This isn’t small town stuff, this is big league stuff.”  For this city to grow and prosper, we need to up our game, play above our level, and work together towards that goal.  I’ve done the research. I have the drive and determination. I’m ready to get to work, for you.

I ask for your support and your vote on April 7^th, Thank You.

Candidate Forum - Opening and Closing Statements

Ready for the Candidate's Forum!

As a service to the public who were not able to attend the Candidate Forum today at the Zion-Benton Public Library, I would like to share with you the prepared text of my Opening and Closing Statements.  The entire forum will be available for viewing on our local cable access channel, and on ZBGuide.com.

Opening Statement

Good Afternoon. I want to thank Carol Dolin and the Zion Benton Public Library for putting this event together, and my fellow candidates for participating.  An educated public is the lifeblood of a Democracy, and hopefully this forum will help everyone make an informed choice at the voting booth.   New Leadership I’m Christopher Fischer, and to the public I offer the experience and judgment acquired in over thirty years of professional life.  For the past sixteen years I have been employed within Human Resources at the American Medical Association, in Chicago. I have over a decade of management experience in the Private Security field, and I served in the U.S. Army as an Intelligence Analyst. My wife and I moved to Zion twenty years ago, and over the past several years I became more aware of the importance of our local government in our lives. With this awareness came a feeling that I had a duty to serve the public in some capacity.  After doing a lot of research, I decided that my skills and abilities would best serve the public on the City Council. So, I ran in my first election ever two years ago for the office of Commissioner. Since that election I have been given opportunities to serve the public as a Trustee on the Board of the Lake County Public Water District, and as a member of the Steering Committee for the new Comprehensive Development Plan. Some of the policy proposals that I made in that election have since been taken up by the City Council, and I would like to update you on their status. First, the aforementioned Comprehensive Development Plan was part of my campaign platform after I discovered that the existing plan had not been updated since it was passed in 1992. I proposed that the city obtain a technical grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to create a new plan.  Wisely, the city did so, and now Plan4Zion is underway.  As Commissioner, I will see that this plan is enacted, and not put on a shelf. Second, I proposed the creation of an Abandoned Property registration program. That program has since been enacted, and is reported to be working well in identifying the parties responsible for these properties and holding them accountable for their maintenance. Third, I proposed a Rental Licensing and Inspection program to hold landlords and property management companies accountable. To ensure that the tenants are not living in sub-standard or dangerous conditions.  Also, to weed out the negligent owners, and slumlords damaging our community.  I give credit to Commissioner Hill for bringing such a proposal to the Council earlier this month. Hopefully, it will be adopted and implemented in the near future, because in my opinion it has been needed for a very long time. Now, I bring those proposals up, not to pat myself on the back but to illustrate a quality that I believe I can offer the public, the ability to recognize a need and propose a solution that is realistic and practical. With that in mind. To address the critical issues of high property taxes and the need for economic development I have proposed that the city apply for Enterprise Zone Status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act.  This status would grant us access to special tax and regulatory incentives for businesses.  New businesses will help create the revenue needed to reduce the tax burden on homeowners.  Further, I propose that the Enterprise Zone Act be amended to include the Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility in the same criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site, and that the zone status should not expire until the spent fuel is removed from the lakefront.  I believe these proposals provide practical means towards growing our local economy while helping to reduce homeowner taxes over time, and obtaining some compensation for the detrimental impact of the nuclear storage site in our community. I’ve often said, “Even small governments make big decisions.” Government exists to provide services that we cannot accomplish as individuals.  Zion is faced with many challenges; economic, financial, environmental, and social.  To meet these challenges, we need leadership with a fresh perspective, able to respond with innovative and creative solutions. Leadership that will act as strong advocates for our interests at all levels of government.  As I said in my first video commentary, “This isn’t small town stuff, this is big league stuff.”  For this city to grow and prosper, we need to up our game, play above our level, and work together towards that goal.  I’ve done the research. I have the drive and determination. I’m ready to get to work, for you. I look forward to your questions, and hope that this will be an informative afternoon for all of us. Thank You. (Note that in the actual delivery, I ran short of time and had to drop the last two paragraphs. Live and learn.) Closing Statement First I would like to thank our hosts and my fellow candidates for participating today. Hopefully we are all the better for doing so. This election at its heart is a job interview, but I think it’s much more. Beyond education, experience, and tenure there is another quality we look for in our leadership.  Vision. Vision is the great driver of progress. Without vision: Experience becomes nostalgia. Education becomes outdated. Without vision, complacency slowly smothers us, until, everything, just, stops. The families that founded this City just over a century ago were drawn here by a vision. They and those that followed put their hands, hearts, and minds to the great task of making that vision a reality. They were building the future. We stand on the foundations that they laid, and now it is our turn to continue the work that can never be completed. Because the future is always just out of reach, just over the horizon. This election is all about the future. The people we elect will make decisions that will determine the future of Zion for the next twenty years. It’s a serious business, building the future, and we need serious people to carry it out. I couldn’t be more serious. Today, I have shared some of my vision for that future with you.  If you share that vision I ask for your support, and your vote. Thank You.