2017 Election: Laura Saret, Highland Park City Council

Name: Laura Saret

Age: 65

Town of residence: Highland Park

Position sought: Councilman, Unexpired Term (2-year)

Family: Larry is my husband of 43 years (we met in high school). He has an undergraduate degree in physics from Cornell University and a JD from Loyola. He is a practicing attorney at Michael Best, where his specialty is intellectual property.

I have 2 children a daughter-in-law, and 2 grandchildren. My daughter said that I should just tell you that they are "thirty-somethings." My daughter, Marla lives in Chicago and works as a senior vice president at a communications marketing firm. She has an undergraduate degree from Miami University (of Ohio) and a masters from Northwestern--Medill School of Journalism.

My son, Jeff, is an economist. He has an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Jeff met his wonderful wife, Sena, at Dartmouth. Sena is an attorney. She has an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth, a master's from the University of California, Berkeley and a JD from Northwestern University. Jeff and Sena live on Long Island in New York. They have 2 children (my grandchildren) ages 5 and 3.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: I'm the only politician in my family.

Education: EdD, Northern Illinois University (1993); MBA, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business (1975); BS and BSE, Northern Illinois University (1972). Other formal education: Master Online Teacher Certificate, Online Teaching & Learning, University of Illinois; Higher Education Leadership, American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship

Occupation: I retired in 2012 from Oakton Community College, where I taught business, management and computer technologies for 31 years. Prior to that I taught at Elmhurst College, where I helped develop their computer curriculum. Before beginning my teaching career in higher education, I had several years of business/management experience in banking and pharmaceutical industries.

For the past 2 years I have worked part-time doing online advising of several higher education doctoral students working on dissertations at Benedictine University.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Position: I was elected as Faculty President at Oakton Community College and represented 150 faculty.

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

Fiscal Stability/tax issues are the most pressing issue facing our Council. These include: uncertain financial support from Federal/State governments; unfunded mandates; trend to greater local financial support; push for government consolidation to reduce taxes; pension costs; and empty storefronts.

WE NEED TO SET SHORT- AND LONG-TERM PRIORITIES. There are things we MUST do as a municipality (such as paying our pensions and fixing our potholes) and things that would be nice to do (such as more bike trails). We need to actively seek grants to supplement tax income.

WE NEED TO CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION
We should examine how consolidation of local governments might save tax dollars without significantly reducing services. The city has been hiring more part-time employees and reducing the number of full-time employees. While this is a business strategy used to reduce costs, we need to ask ourselves if this is the direction we want to go as a city.

PENSIONS
Our first responders work every day to keep Highland Park residents safe, but pension costs are putting us in financial danger. Contributions for state-required pension plans are increasing to meet minimum funding requirements. Illinois has more than 650 pension plans, paid for by employee and municipal contributions. All of these plans are struggling with funding requirements due to a history of underfunding, increase in the number of retirees, and benefits that have grown over time. Highland Park also pays a portion of retirees’ health insurance benefits. Pensions and related benefits are constitutionally protected, so they can’t be “impaired or diminished.” Thus, paying these contributions is NOT optional for Highland Park. If pension funds don’t have enough money to pay benefits, taxpayers must bail them out.

The most recent actuarial report from the Illinois Department of Insurance, charged with regulating public pensions, indicates that Highland Park police pensions were funded at 69% and fire pensions at 49%. The state requires that pensions be funded to 90% by 2040 and created a contribution schedule requiring Highland Park to increase its contributions yearly.

Highland Park funds pensions from a combination of property tax levies and other local taxes. Our property taxes are already high, so increasing taxes is something we must avoid if possible. We need to continue to remove all “fat” from our budgets, increase sales tax revenue in the City by filling storefronts in our business districts, solve our school issues, so that property values will not decline and consolidate with other pension funds to create a larger investment pool which will provide access to a greater array of investment opportunities and reduce investment management fees. It doesn’t make sense for each municipality to manage its own funds. Raising taxes needs to be the last resort.

FILL STOREFRONTS ON CENTRAL AND IN OTHER BUSINESS DISTRICTS
If we agree with Dr. Seuss’s advice “You have to be odd to be Number 1,” we should ask: What makes us unique, and how can we position ourselves to be the shopping area of choice? We need to determine what our residents are shopping for and where they are shopping. Then we need to ascertain whether shoppers can meet their needs locally and recruit businesses that might better meet the demand. We should also educate residents about the economic value of shopping at local businesses owned by people who are not just serving strangers, but their neighbors, family, and friends who are important to them.

We need to give consumers a reason to come to our downtown and must make the downtown more family-friendly by adding playgrounds (indoor and outdoor); public restrooms; and seating areas for mingling and outdoor dining, particularly in areas not associated with any particular food vendor so that customers could carry out food from local restaurants and eat outside. Free parking that is limited to 2-3 hours is not enough time to go to a salon, dine out, or go to a movie AND shop at local retailers. Northbrook Court attracts local shoppers with its playground and free parking; we should do the same.

Our downtown area is accessible to people residing within walking or biking distance, who drive, or who take the train, but it is not accessible to many other residents. For example, there is a senior connector bus, but it does not serve the entire city. A shuttle connecting more of our residential areas with local businesses would increase customers. We should also encourage more multi-unit residential properties within the downtown area, but we need to make sure that any new construction maintains the existing character of our city.

More public events would give residents and others a reason to come downtown. Public events like concerts and art fairs already bring people downtown, but we need more frequent events. In addition to our annual art fair, we could have guest speakers, and solicit local artists, performers, students and craftspeople display their talents and wares in a public venue or through “pop-ups.” We could have a regular dining out event (perhaps coinciding with Ravinia performances) with local restaurants offering specials inside their restaurants. Bringing people downtown on a regular basis, once a week or even just once a month, serves to make consumers more aware of the amenities that exist in the downtown area.

The city already has a marketing person who could assist local businesses in creatively work together to increase business. For example, discounts and prizes for consumers who spend a certain amount in our business districts could be offered.

I often see people walking their dogs through town, yet they cannot bring their pets into restaurants or coffee shops. Walk-up windows at some establishments that serve drinks and snack food would be welcome. Cyclists along Green Bay often stop for refreshments. We should recruit other businesses that serve the needs of cyclists and pet owners.

Highland Park commercial properties are owned and managed by very few people. This lack of competition keeps rents high. We need to develop incentives to keep storefronts occupied. One idea is to provide tax relief for owners who keep their retail stores occupied and generating sales tax revenue.

We also need to create a supportive environment for business owners that includes incentives to help “level the playing field” with other commercial areas outside of HP. To the extent possible, we need to reduce taxes , permit and license fees, and streamline the development approval process. We need to make permitting and inspections less complex and more timely; provide technical assistance including market and feasibility analysis, business plan development, city regulations, advertising, and space design; provide an ombudsman to provide personal step-by-step help and who can also ensure that the process of working with the city goes as quickly and smoothly as possible; look for grants and financing opportunities to help businesses get started; and develop private development partnerships made up of local investors who might develop, own and operate a needed business.

Finally, we shouldn’t “do it alone.” Many neighborhood revitalization efforts have been supported by organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Streets Program that assists communities develop historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. We should investigate what they and other organizations can offer us in terms of expertise.

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

I am different from my opponents by my background BOTH in business and as a higher education leader.

My education includes BOTH a doctorate from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

I have significant experience and a track record of community volunteer involvement including: HP Housing Commission, Board of Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), Board of HP Volunteer Pool, co-President of Ravinia Neighbors Association, and student mentor for College Bound Opportunities.

I am a retiree, with no children still at home, and as such, I can be the full-time Councilman the residents of Highland Park deserve. I am the only candidate seeking this post who is retired. If I am elected, I will be the only person over 60 on the Council, and will bring another point of view to Council deliberations.

I have no current or potential business interests in the city or ties to city politicians like one of my opponents; I am not a one-issue candidate with only the schools and work on behalf of CARE in my community background like the other candidate.

I am honest as well as an independent thinker, and HP residents can count on me to be their voice on the Council and put their interests first.

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

I am not running for a seat currently held by an incumbent.

I believe that the current Council has failed the community by being insular. One of my opponents has collected endorsements from the predecessor in this City Council seat and from other political insiders. I think this perpetrates an unfortunate pattern in this city of filling city and commission seats with hand-picked successors These seats should be filled with the best qualified and a diverse group of people. Instead of merely asking for volunteers through the Highlander, we should be actively recruiting the best people. Most people don't volunteer, but if they are asked to serve, they will step up and get involved.

I would have recommended that zoning in business districts better reflect the character of HP, and I would have encouraged the plan commission to ensure that new buildings have a better “fit” with their communities.

The current Council also failed the community in not working more closely early on with the School and Park Boards to ensure that issues, such as the failed referendum, BDR3, and the Park Avenue Beach did not become city-wide crises.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

PUBLIC SAFETY
HP has a duty to protect its residents, and much of this duty is accomplished by first responders such as police, fire and ambulance. We need to continue to ensure that our first responders are well-equipped with smart technology and trained to locate, mitigate, and prevent safety issues. We must continue to support our public safety staff and continue to look for and expand ways to do so in a cost-effective way by partnering with sister governmental bodies and other nearby municipalities. In addition, we need to build a new or update the 87-year old firehouse in Ravinia that can no longer house the equipment necessary to serve the city.

Traffic is an issue in certain parts of HP. Prior to any school closings and moving children to other schools, we need to study the impact of traffic and how best to mitigate the problems created.

Drug and alcohol abuse is rampant in our country, and we are not immune in HP. We have a federally-licensed and regulated opioid treatment program located in HP to help fight opioid and prescription medication dependence as well as addiction to other drugs and alcohol. Additional resources may become necessary as we, like other communities, continue to deal with this problem.

Cell service problems occur throughout the city. There are too many “dead” zones, posing a public safety and community concern. We need to work with the cellphone providers to improve the networks throughout the city.

PERMIT AND INSPECTION PROCESSES NEED TO BE STREAMLINED
One of the complaints I hear most frequently from residents and business-owners is that it is extremely difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to get permits for residential and business properties. We need to compare our services were other cities, study best practices and institute them in HP. Otherwise, people will choose to live elsewhere, and we will have less business development.

COMMUNITY VIBRANCY
Community vibrancy issues include: preserving community character and history; need for greater transparency and diverse community involvement; campaign costs discouraging potential candidates; planning for changing demographics; aging population creating demand for more housing, transportation, and services; accessibility, housing, jobs, and services for people with mental illness, physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities; need for additional affordable housing; and immigrant and language issues including sign language to increase accessibility to city events and services.

As of 2014, there were approximately 30 city-owned properties. More recently the city has purchased additional properties for future use. The City needs to examine its property portfolio on a regular basis to determine whether it makes sense for the community to continue to own and maintain the properties.

HP residents greatly value their history, and historic preservation has become a “hot” topic. We need to study how other communities deal with historic structures and artifacts for possible ways to maintain our history without overly burdening our residents. We should convene a citizens task force to identify the issues and recommend win-win solutions. New construction, particularly in the downtown area, has created some consternation among residents. For example, many people I have spoken to during this campaign have complained about the new building on Central west of Green Bay. The city and plan commission need to do a better job working with developers so that new buildings better “fit in” with the current character of HP.

Our community like many others is “graying,” and residents want to age in place. We need greater accessibility, housing, jobs, and services for people with mental illness, physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. I would suggest that we look at more public-private partnerships and work with local not-for-profits to explore possible solutions to provide more to meet the needs of all residents.

We need greater diversity and community involvement on our commissions and local boards to reflect the diverse backgrounds and talents of our residents.

SUSTAINABILITY
I believe that all of us need to work together to ensure that we leave our planet in better shape for our children and grandchildren. With EPA funds being cut at the national level, regulations removed, and chaos in our state, it is going to become more and more important for those of us in local government to make the right decisions to make that happen. Highland Park has been in the forefront of sustainability efforts, and I would like to see that continue and grow.

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

I would be successful if we can maintain fiscal stability by getting a handle on our pension costs; fill store fronts to increase tax revenue, work more closely with Park and School Boards; increase development, while at the same time maintaining the history and character of Highland Park; and involve more people in city governance.

Please share with voters a story about wisdom gained from a mistake you made in your life or career.

Although I had earned an MBA and had several years of work experience prior to having a family, I didn't go back to school for my doctorate until my children were in middle school and I was working full-time. While I wouldn't call it a mistake to further my formal education, and I believe it set a good example for my children, as well as creating a great bonding experience for my husband and children, it was extremely difficult to work full-time, take care of a family, and be a student in a demanding doctoral program. I wish that I had gotten my doctorate before having a family and working full-time (I'd have fewer grey hairs if I had made that choice). I strongly encouraged my children to get their formal education before beginning work or starting a family (and they actually took my advice).

Why should voters trust you?

Voters can trust me because I have a history of being honest and transparent with those I represent. The way people behave in the past is a good indicator of how they will behave in the future. If readers will look at the letters of support and endorsement on LauraSaret.com--including those from Oakton Community College's Board with whom I negotiation as well as those from colleagues that I worked closely with--they will see that people I have worked with praise me for being honest, transparent, and having integrity.

Share a quote that defines your philosophy:

This quote is from Eleanor Roosevelt:

"Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love others."

What questions should be asked of current government employees accountable to your board?

Are you serving the community to the best of your ability?

What have you done today to make a resident's life better?

What can we all do as employees and as a City Council to make Highland Park a better place to live, work, raise a family, and retire?

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)?

I am a fiscal conservative. I believe that we should treat taxpayer dollars as we would treat our own dollars and understand that not everyone in the community can afford to live here if taxes continue to increase.

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

In addition to teaching business, management, and computer technology courses at Oakton, I was: department chair of the computer technologies department, president of the faculty Association (IEA/NEA)--I represented 150 faculty to the College's Board of Trustees, the administration, and other non-faculty groups and I successfully led faculty through four interest-based contract negotiations for more than a decade; created the Teaching/Learning Center and coordinated professional development at Oakton Community College; co-chaired the strategic planning committee; and was the assessment coordinator.

I am very proud of my work at Oakton Community College. My most important job as faculty president was to help develop interest-based solutions to problems. That was done by bringing people with divergent opinions together to try to solve problems in a way that nobody “lost.” I believe that people can disagree without being disagreeable, and that is how I will represent Highland Park on the Council. During my tenure as faculty president, 100% of the faculty joined our association because they trusted me to always tell the truth and represent their interests.

I am on the Housing Commission in Highland Park and served on the Human Services Task Force. I serve on the Boards of Community Partners for Affordable Housing and the Volunteer Pool; am a neighbor-to-neighbor leader; co-president of the Ravinia Neighbors Association; serve as a College Bound Opportunities mentor to a Highland Park High School student, a first-generation college student, who will be going to college in the fall; and am President of the Oakton Community College Annuitants Association, a chapter of the State University Annuitants Association.

I served on the Illinois Board of Higher Education Task Force to set an agenda for higher education in Illinois, the Illinois Board of Higher Education Task Force for Teacher Accreditation, and as an Executive Committee Member of the Illinois Community College Faculty Association, an advisory committee to the Illinois Community College Board.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

My dad always told me to do the best I could, and if I did my best, he would always be proud. I believe I made him proud.

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

I love talking to residents and encourage them to reach out to me. They can trust me to be honest, open, and candid in conversations. They can always reach me by phone or email: FriendsOfLauraSaret@gmail.com, and we can set up a time to meet face-to-face. There is extensive information about me and my positions on my website, and I encourage voters to go to the website to learn more. Contact information including my phone number are available on the website.

More via Laura Saret's campaign website

Photo submitted by Laura Saret