Village Board Election: Mark Chmura Answers Our Questions

Editor's note: Candidates for Plainfield Village Board and Plainfield School District 202 have been asked to complete questionnaires about who they are, why they're running and their positions on some of the key issues. Plainfield Patch will run them as they are received and they will be available up through the April 5 election.

These are the candidates' own words, written specifically for the benefit of those who are deciding how they will vote.

PLAINFIELD VILLAGE BOARD QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: Mark Allan Chmura

Address: 11650 Derby Lane, Plainfield

E-mail address and Web site: Mark4Plainfield@gmail.com, www.Mark4Plainfield.com

Age: 51

Marital Status: Married

Name of Spouse: Anissa

Names, ages of children: Three sons from a previous marriage.

Education:

Twelve years of Catholic primary education

Bachelor's degree, general education, Western Illinois University                        

Bachelor's degree, business management, Benedictine University

Profession and employer: Firefighter/lieutenant, City of Naperville Fire Department (1986-present)

Community (non-elected) groups of which you are a member:

Served as political action chairman, Naperville Fire Fighters Local 4302 (2005-2010); member of the Moose, Navy League and International Association of Firefighters, Local 4302

Previous and current elected political office history:

Champion Creek Homeowners Association, director at large (2010 – present); Wheatland Township precinct committeeman, Precinct 18 (2010 – present); treasurer on local union board (2005-2009)

Why are you seeking this office?

Over the past 30 years I have had the privilege of serving the community in the capacity of firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant and investigator. All of these roles allow me to utilize my skills of assessing a situation globally, narrowing in on situation specifics, deciding a course of action and leading that decision into action. Knowing that a situation can change in a blink of an eye, my ability and skills to think several steps ahead is an asset in evaluating situations and promoting the success of our community.

With the support of my family and friends, I have taken the next step in my continuing goal of serving the community: Asking the voters for the privilege of serving as their elected official. 

Why should someone choose you instead of those you are running against?

As a current municipal employee, I am on the “front lines” and see how budget cuts affect the bottom line of village services and employees. I plan on using this experience to make sure that no essential village services are altered and that the taxpayer gets the best value for their tax dollar. Budget cut votes from the dais might be easy for some, but I have the experience to see how those budget cut votes actually affect the equipment and services that the Village provides.

I also have numerous professional relationships with local and state elected officials. I plan on cultivating these relationships as a partnership for the betterment of Plainfield.

What do you see as the issues in this election?

The main answer would be the village economy. I believe that Plainfield has “weathered the storm” of recession better than most. As we move forward, there are conflicting opinions with economists on where we are at and which direction we are currently facing.  An honest, effective leader prepares for both scenarios; the good and bad.

I also feel that with that quality leadership, Plainfield can come back and prosper more quickly than most. Not only do I feel I can be part of that leadership, I look forward to taking on this challenge with the other members of the village board. 

In speaking with residents throughout Plainfield, there are a number of other concerns that they have for the village. A list of those concerns, and my positions related to those concerns are available on my campaign Web site.

What would you like to accomplish if elected to this position?

The three key components to what I would like to accomplish as a village trustee are: Continued fiscal responsibility, managed infill and development, and better government transparency.

What is your opinion of the current state of economic development in Plainfield? What should the village board’s role be in terms of encouraging economic development? Are there specific things you would like to see done?

By providing a proactive approach and partnership to the business community, I plan on keeping the commercial activity in the village vibrant, as well as promoting Plainfield as a solid investment for the future business development of our community. I will participate in honest dialog with our current business partners and discuss what industries and commercial priorities we need to emphasize.

After we have those priorities identified, a proactive plan of encouraging future partners in investing in Plainfield is the key. This is a “win-win” approach, because when one segment of a community is strong, it will make the other segments of our community strong. The end result will be jobs, revenue, increased property values, and a stable and healthy property tax base by keeping rates low. 

The issue of placing term limits on village board members was broached at a recent board meeting. Should there be a limit? Why or why not?

It is my opinion that elected officials should not have the responsibility to set or implement term limits. An ad-hoc community of elected officials, residents and the business community should be formed for the educated discussion of the pros and cons of terms and limits. Once terms and limits are decided, petitions should be circulated to put a referendum on the ballot during the next election (2012).

The VOTERS should decide the fact of their elected officials; if the majority of the voters want term limits, the votes will be cast to direct the village accordingly. If a majority of the voters do not want term limits, then it remains that the candidates seeking election (or re-election) will be determined by the original form of term limits; that being election day and the will of the voters.

The Village has a high foreclosure rate right now. Is there something the village board should be doing to help people stay in their homes? Why or why not?

Foreclosure is devastating to individual families as well as the community. One additional problem with the current foreclosure situation is the fact that many of the banks that are holding foreclosures are actually in poor financial condition themselves. This puts those banks in a situation where they “own” these foreclosures, and have no way to market them, or dispose of them quickly.

The village is in no position to help anybody facing foreclosure financially, nor do I think it should. To fund, set up, manage and decide who receives help would greatly burden an already financially strapped system. The best way for the village to help with the foreclosure situation is to improve the local economy, encourage new business and create jobs. This will help financially troubled residents to find employment, or improve their current employment situation with a better paying job. 

Do you agree with the current efforts to redevelop Plainfield’s riverfront? What is your opinion of the current plan? If you support it, do you believe village tax money should be used for it?

Part of a municipality’s responsibility is to provide a safe, secure and beautiful place for residents to live and to attract visitors to come and enjoy what it has to offer to bolster the community economy. In looking at the current Phase 1 design as provided by Hitchcock and Associates, I feel that the design meets these requirements.

My only caution to the current design is to be sure that an accurate and honest look at floodwater impact be included in the engineering portion of the design. It would be counterproductive to spend money on a beautiful riverfront, only to have to repair it often after frequent major rains.

On the question of whether tax money should be used to fund the development, in this current economic climate, I would oppose using village tax dollars. Part of my fiscal responsibility beliefs is that the village should look at “needs” and “wants,” and currently focus on the true “needs” of the community. This project is definitely a “want.” I applaud the Plainfield Riverfront Foundation’s effort to obtain monies for this project. If they were to commit their time and resources for grant monies or corporate partnerships, I would assist in any way I could.

However, I would not be in favor of village staff assisting them in these endeavors. Time and efforts of village employees should be centered on core village services. After the economy improves, I would be willing to hear discussions about partnerships, but I do not feel the village taxpayers should bear all of the brunt of the riverfront development.

Do you support the concept of creating a downtown historic district? Why or why not?

A major part of the appeal of Plainfield is its history and legacy. As it has grown, Plainfield has not lost the small town flavor that many village residents like. Most of the commercial and residential buildings in the downtown area reflect this history and appeal. It is my belief that history should be preserved; often it is a community’s history that gives it the personality that it has. The village does a fine job right now by offering the façade grant reimbursement to those who want to improve their buildings. The success of the program has yielded some great results in the downtown area.

As far as the historic district, there are many misconceptions. People fear lower property values, unreasonable restrictions on upkeep or remodeling of a building, more “red tape” from village hall, not being able to add on or tear down a building, or that it might hurt business. However, if one researches the information available, it can be seen that a historic district will benefit a given area. There are property tax incentives, and possibly government help with the improvement of a property. The best information is that this can only move forward by a vote by each recorded property owner in the proposed district. In other words, in true American fashion, the people decide!

I feel that a district would benefit the proposed area, but would not want to see a vote by the landowners until I felt that all were provided the proper information and had all their questions and concerns answered.