VOTE - TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2003
ROBERT "BOB" BRANDT
FOR WOODRIDGE TRUSTEE
To introduce myself - I am an attorney in a small estate planning law firm. I have been a candidate for local office in each of the last two elections. I have applied for citizen positions on the various Boards and Commissions in Woodridge nine times over the past five years. I recently founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to help charities in the Woodridge area.
Village of Woodridge - The Village consists of approximately 30,000 residents. There are 10,000 housing units in Woodridge - 4,700 single family homes and 5,300 multi-family units (condominiums, townhomes and apartments). Woodridge revenues are projected to be $28,031,915 next year and expenditures are projected to be $31,497,165 (a $3.5 milllion deficit).
Job Description of a Trustee - The Woodridge Village Board consists of one Mayor and six Trustees, all of whom are elected at-large for overlapping terms of four years. There are five Trustee positions up for election in April.
The powers of the Board are strictly legislative i.e. the Trustees approve ordinances and adopt resolutions (the Mayor does not vote except to break a tie). There is a professional full-time Administrator who handles the day-to-day responsibilities of running the Village.
The Board meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The typical meeting lasts around 30 minutes (click here to view meeting minutes) although the January 9, 2003 meeting, for example, was 5 minutes long.
The Mayor and Trustee positions are considered part-time (most of them have a separate full-time job). The Mayor is paid $7,200 a year and each Trustee is paid $3,600 a year (they gave themselves a 50% pay raise in 2000).
My Campaign Mission Statement - If elected, I promise to bring a new era of local government to Woodridge. An era where elected officials are responsive to the concerns of everyday, average citizens, not developers and special interests. Village Hall will no longer be a "members-only" club for the privileged few - all residents will get a seat at the table.
We can make our elected officials more responsive by establishing wards in Woodridge where Trustees would be elected from their own neighborhoods, rather than at-large like they are now. We can avoid entrenched politicians by instituting term limits.
We can improve the image of Woodridge by not building any more apartment buildings or dense multifamily high rises and taking aggressive steps to tear down apartment buildings that consistently violate our ordinances.
We can make our local taxes more efficient by re-evaluating them every year and not automatically renewing them unless they are deemed necessary.
We can bring more revenue to the Village by re-instituting Administrative Adjudication for violations of local laws, codes and ordinances.
We can make Woodridge safer for our children by banning assault weapons and requiring all other firearms to have trigger locks.
We can get more residents involved in local government by discontinuing the practice of automatically renewing citizen positions on the various Boards and Commissions and adding non-voting positions for our young people.
We can make going out to eat and socializing in Woodridge more enjoyable and healthier by prohibiting smoking in all restaurants and bars.
We can improve the quality of life in Woodridge by preserving green space and not building a gas station / strip mall on every corner.
We can attract and retain more families by building a multi-use recreation center for children / young adults / adults / seniors in cooperation with the Woodridge Park District.
It's time for fresh, new, accessible, responsive, independent leadership on the Village Board who will put residents first. (you can vote for multiple Trustees but I suggest you only vote for one - your ballot will still count!).
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April 1, 2003 - Election Update - according to official results, I have been elected as Trustee! Thank you for all of your support. I look forward to serving you as Trustee for the next four years.
March 26, 2003 - I'm running for Trustee because I want to make positive changes in Woodridge (see my Campaign Promises page). Our Trustees need to do more than just fulfill the minimum technical requirements of the job i.e. show up every other Thursday, rubberstamp a couple of administrative items, collect their paychecks, and go home. We need Trustees who see the big picture and who aren't afraid to pursue big ideas. It's time to expect more from our Trustees. The residents of Woodridge deserve better.
March 25, 2003 - Here's an example of how the incumbent Trustees put the interests of a developer and $$$ over the interests of Woodridge residents. They over-ruled the citizen Plan Commission and ignored the pleas of hundreds of residents and re-zoned the Northeast corner of Boughton & Woodward from 47 single family homes to almost 200 multi-family units. That gave the developer - Gallagher & Henry - over $24 million more in profit, and the surrounding neighborhood gets more traffic, more pollution, more noise, more overcrowding - generally a lower quality of life (click here for details). I would have rejected the development. I will always put the interests of Woodridge residents first.
March 24, 2003 - Unlike the incumbent Trustees, I am not bought and paid for by Mayor William F. Murphy's "Continue the Progress" campaign committee. That is the campaign fund that is paying for the re-election campaigns of all five incumbent candidates. That is why you see all five of them together on their campaign literature, yard signs, etc, They seem to be more responsible to each other, rather then to the residents of Woodridge. I am not controlled by, nor do I answer to, anyone except the residents of Woodridge.
March 23, 2003 - Four of the top contributors to the incumbent Trustees' campaign committee since January have received over $130,000 in business with the Village of Woodridge over the past two years. Click here for their financial report. Money talks? Votes are louder! Speak your peace on April 1st!
March 22, 2003 - Despite the fact that the Village is running a $3.5 million deficit this year, the incumbent Trustees are set to receive a 50% pay raise if they win on April 1st. I believe public service should be based on volunteerism, not personal enrichment. The Trustees should tighten their belts, just like the rest of the staff at Village Hall is doing, and disclaim their raise.
March 20, 2003 - The incumbent Trustees need to explain why they ignore questions, comments, inquiries, etc. from residents. I've sent maybe a half dozen letters to them over the past 5 years and I've never received a response from the incumbent Trustees. I've heard the same thing from other residents also. Responding to constituents is the #1 responsibility of our elected officials. We need to know that they are listening to us. If elected, I will respond to every resident who contacts me, period..
March 19, 2003 - If you can believe it, the incumbent Trustees have never won a contested election. Half of them have been appointed by the Mayor and when they've run for re-election, they were unopposed. Nothing is more disappointing then going into the voting booth and there's no choice on the ballot. There is finally a choice on the ballot.
March 18, 2003 - The League of Women Voters held a Candidates Forum tonight at Woodridge Village Hall and none of the incumbent Trustees showed up. But should we be surprised? The one thing that Mayor Murphy's candidates are good at doing is ducking public debates. His Park District candidates refused to debate me in 2001 so it shouldn't come as a surprise that his Trustee candidates refused to debate me this year. Their refusal to engage in a public forum is inexcusable. Click here for my speech at the forum, click here for my handout materials.
March 9, 2003 - The topic of a multi-purpose recreational center has come up at the last several Annual Town Meetings, especially when it comes to providing a Youth Center for young people. But when asked who would pay for such a facility, the incumbent Trustees and the Mayor "pass the buck" to the Park District, despite the fact that the Park District is already taxing us 30% more then the Village. Click here for a newspaper article. Click here for an email I sent to Park District Director Frankland. I won't pass the buck. I agree with Woodridge residents that a multi-purpose recreational facility is good for Woodridge and I want the Village, with its diverse tax base, to help pay for it.
March 6, 2003 - One of the themes of the incumbent Trustees' campaign is "vote for experience." But has the experience with the current Trustee been a good experience? They've added over 1,000 more apartments and multi-family units to Woodridge; they gave themselves a 50% raise despite a $3.5 million deficit this year; they put the profit of developers above the quality of life interests of residents; they ignore inquiries from residents; they treat Village Hall like a members-only club; they say one thing, then they do another. The residents of Woodridge deserve a better experience than what the incumbent Trustees have been giving us.
March 5, 2003 - In a recent newspaper ad, the incumbent Trustees listed their "key goals:" (1) maintain a safe community, (2) continue tax rate reduction, (3) stimulate local businesses, (4) enhance community image and appeal, and (5) increase employment opportunities. What do they think, that I want a more dangerous community? To raise the tax rate? To stifle local businesses? To degrade community image? To decrease employment opportunities? Those are generic, "no-brainer" issues. I have some very specific issues that I hope they will address (click here for a survey) and I hope they will debate me on those issues. (by the way, those goals were made by residents at the October 2001 Annual Meeting - click here for a listing on the Village's website.)
February 24, 2003 - Mayor Murphy has now appointed half of the Village Board (due to Trustee resignations). Voting records show that his latest appointee - Pamela Beavers - didn't vote in the local election in 2001 or 1999. If she isn't interested enough in Woodridge to even vote, how interested do you think she'll be in representing you on the Village Board? And what was Mayor Murphy's reason for appointing such an apathetic Trustee?
February 15, 2003 - I sent a short one-page survey to the three incumbent Trustees. Click here to see the survey. It literally took me less than one minute to fill it out. These are the same Trustees who didn't respond to the survey that I sent them back in 1999 - we'll see if they respond this time.
Robert "Bob" Brandt - click here to see my completed survey
Gina Cunningham - no response
Chester T. Szerlag - no response
Mary Ann Frank - no response
February 13, 2003 - The Electoral Board rejected the petition challenges and reinstated all five incumbent candidates to the ballot. Click here for a newspaper article, click here for the official decision. Hardly a surprise, since the chairman of the Electoral Board was Mayor Bill Murphy, who is also the Treasurer of the campaign committee that is supporting and financing the re-election campaigns for those same five incumbent candidates. Click here for info. Politics as usual. The challenger has 10 days to appeal the decision to an impartial, non-biased judge in an actual court.
UPDATE: The DuPage County States Attorney's office will not be pursuing Official Misconduct charges against Mayor Murphy for his "bad judgment."
February 10, 2003 - I sent a letter to the League of Women Voters volunteering myself and the other candidates to a debate or public forum. Click here for a copy of my letter.
UPDATE: The LVW had a Candiate's Forum on March 18th at 8:30 pm at Woodridge Village Hall. Click here to see a copy of the invitation sent to all the candidates. Click here for a report on the evening.
January 30, 2003 - I received an e-mail today from the Village Clerk with the official ballot order but she also mentioned that the five incumbent candidates have been challenged (not by me). I remember when my petitions were challenged back in 1999 - click here for details - and I was kicked off the ballot. I believe that elections should be decided on the merits of the candidates, not on the technicalities of their petition papers. Click here for a newspaper article. Stay tuned for details.
January 21, 2003 - On the very last day to file - the incumbent Trustees filed their nomination papers with the Village Clerk. There will be five candidates for three positions for on the April 1, 2003 ballot for Woodridge Trustee - four-year term. Although you can vote for up to three Trustees, I suggest you only vote for one - your vote will still count and won't be diluted by your other votes.
January 16, 2003 - Click here for a Woodridge Business Directory published by the Village. This is an idea similar to one I proposed back in November 2000 (click here for my email). I encourage everyone to shop in Woodridge because for every $1 you spend in Woodridge, $.01 goes to the Village in sales tax. That doesn't sound like much but it will add up to around $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2002-2003. SHOP WOODRIDGE!
January 13, 2003 - I filed my nomination petitions for Woodridge Trustee at 8:00 this morning. I will be the first candidate on the ballot for Woodridge Trustee (four-year term). I presume the other candidates (including the incumbents) will file their papers before the deadline on January 21, 2003.
December 12, 2002 - More than nine months after Trustee Ray Byrne announced he was resigning from the Village Board, Mayor Murphy appointed Plan Commissioner Pamela Beavers to replace Byrne. Murphy has now appointed half of the current Trustees (Beavers, Stukas, and Szerlag). According to a newspaper article, Beavers did not return phone call when asked to comment. Unfortunately, non-responsiveness is typical of Woodridge Trustees - I have never received a response from any of the Trustees over the past five years.
December 5, 2002 - While I was gathering signatures for my nomination petitions, two residents asked me for help with some issues they were having with the Village. I am tracking those issues on my Resident Inquiry Tracking System page. This is
where I will track all requests, complaints, etc. that I receive from Woodridge residents until they are resolved.
November 19, 2002 - I've listed many of my ideas and proposals on my campaign promises page - what ideas do you have for Woodridge? I spoke to a Woodridge resident last night and he gave me several ideas that I will be adding to my agenda. Please contact me and let me know what you want for Woodridge in general, or specifically for your neighborhood, etc.
November 17, 2002 - I have obtained more than enough signatures to get on the ballot for Woodridge Trustee for the April 1, 2003 election. There will be no repeat of my 1999 Campaign for Woodridge Trustee when I was removed from the ballot on technicalities. Thank you to all the Woodridge residents who signed my petitions, thus ensuring a choice for Trustee on April 1, 2003.
October 17, 2002 - It's been three months since Ray Byrne resigned as Trustee but his position is still vacant (see July 5, 2002 entry). I sent a letter to the Mayor and Trustees asking again to be appointed as Trustee for the remainder of his term. Click here to see a copy of my letter. If you would like to email Mayor Murphy and the Village Board in support of my appointment, please click here. Thank you!
September 9, 2002 - You can see my undergraduate and graduate education information on my EDUCATION page. You can see my work experience on my RESUME page. Since my first child was born in 2000, I re-arranged my work schedule so I could work from home as much as possible.
September 1, 2002 - I am what you call an "active citizen" - I like to keep an eye on things at Village Hall. You can see what issues I've been involved in on my ISSUES page (including the Boughton & Woodward development fiasco). You can see the items that I've tracked on my TRACKING pages. If elected as Trustee, I will continue to look out for your best interests at Village Hall.
August 31, 2002 - I want to take this opportunity to say how great the full-time, professional staff has been at Village Hall. They have always been responsive to my questions and concerns. Thank you to the members of the Public Works Department, Police Department, Planning Department, and Building & Zoning Department. I will bring that same caring and responsive manner as a new elected Trustee on the Village Board.
August 28, 2002 - A neighbor called me one morning to tell me that several ducklings had fallen into the sewer in the street and the mama duck was frantically trying to get them out. Why did the neighbor call me? Because she knew I was available and would be responsive to her concerns. I called the Woodridge Public Works Department and they sent a crew out and within 10 minutes all the ducklings were free, much to the delight of my daughter. I've been helping out neighbors like that for years and I look forward to doing the same for all residents of Woodridge as a Trustee.
August 27, 2002 - I wrote a letter to Mayor Murphy and each Woodridge Trustee asking for their assistance in helping local charities through my foundation. Click here to see a copy of my letter. However, not one of them responded. This group of Trustees is not responsive at all.
July 5, 2002 - One of the current Trustees (up for scheduled re-election in 2005) is resigning effective the end of July. I wrote a letter to Mayor Murphy and the Village Board asking them to appoint me to fill that vacancy until the special election for that position in April 2003. If I am appointed, I will donate my salary until April 1, 2003 to my charitable foundation. If you would like to email Mayor Murphy and the Village Board in support of my appointment, please click here. Thank you!
June 20, 2002 - Am I being shut out of Woodridge government? I volunteered for a citizen position on the Police Board of Commissioners in 2000; the Police Pension Board in 2000 and 2001; the Plan Commission in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002; and the remainder of two resigning Trustees terms in 2002; and I was rejected each time by the Village Board and Mayor Murphy. I ran for Woodridge Trustee in 1999 and Trustee Murphy and Mayor Murphy were on the decision board that removed me from the ballot on technicalities. I ran for Woodridge Park District Commissioner in 2001 and Mayor Murphy actively campaigned against me. I've been trying to serve my community ever since moving to Woodridge in 1997 and I've been rejected by the Village Board and Mayor Murphy each and every time. Please email the Village Board to ask them "why?"
June 6, 2002 - The three other candidates for Trustee (in fact, all the Trustees and Mayor) are financed by the "Continue the Progress" campaign committee whose Treasurer is Mayor Bill Murphy. Their 06-30-01 disclosure report revealed campaign contributions from a construction company that built the new Allstate building in Waterfall Glen; from an engineering firm that does business with Woodridge; from a developer that does business in Woodridge; and from a construction company that built 518 apartments in Woodridge. Money talks? Votes are louder! Speak your peace on April 1, 2003.
April 25, 2002 - In honor of National Volunteer Week, I sent a letter of appreciation to all the volunteer members of the Board of Police Commissioners, Enery and Environment Commission, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Business Development Task Force, and Quality Community Task Force. Click here to see a copy of my letter.
April 15, 2002 - In honor of tax day, click here to see charts of the tax revenue collected by Woodridge over the past ten years. As you can see, property taxes are only a small part of the equation.
March 28, 2002 - Due to the resignation of one of the current Trustees, Mayor Murphy appointed the vice-president of a local development / construction company to serve the remainder of the resigning Trustee's term. The appointed Trustee will be up for election in the April 1, 2003 election for a two-year term.
January 1, 2002 - I intend to run for election to the office of Woodridge Trustee in the April 1, 2003 election. If you are interested in helping me with my campaign, please contact me.
