Meet Your Candidates: Robert Tucker, Oak Park Village Trustee

Robert Tucker, 44, is vying to win his first seat on the Oak Park Board of Trustees, six trustees and the village president responsible for shaping the village’s public and fiscal policies. This is his first run for public office.

Members of the board of trustees serve four-year terms. This year, three seats are up for election. Tucker is running with and as part of the slate of the Citizens for Accountable Leadership Party, a group backed by the Village Manager Association, Oak Park’s principal candidate slating organization.

and Lewis Carmichael are running as independents.

Tucker is the corporate general counsel and chief risk officer for the Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. He has served on Oak Park’s Community Design Commission for more than 12 years and is currently in his second, three-year term as its chair. Tucker has lived in Oak Park for 16 years, is married and has two sons.

Patch: What is your vision for Oak Park?

Robert Tucker: My wife and I moved to Oak Park 16 years ago seeking a beautiful, thriving and diverse community, and we never have been disappointed.  I have a vision of Oak Park continuing to move forward, and I want to accomplish that with strict fiscal discipline, responsible and strategic development and an open, transparent and responsive government.

I want to preserve the unique beauty of Oak Park’s buildings, trees and neighborhoods.  Oak Park has a certain special charm and character that draws people to it, and we must never lose sight of this.  Oak Park needs thriving business districts not only in downtown Oak Park but in our other business districts as well.  Oak Park must be viewed as a community that is friendly to businesses, supporting and working closely with those that already have invested here and attracting new businesses to our Village.

Finally, I want Oak Park to remain the wonderfully diverse community that it is.  Oak Park’s rich diversity -- including racial, income and generational diversity-- was a major factor that brought me and my wife to Oak Park.  However, I worry that the tax burden in Oak Park is becoming too large and could seriously impact this diversity by driving residents from our Village.  Achieving real intergovernmental cooperation and expanding the tax base through strategic development are very important, and Oak Park also needs to hold the line on its share of our property taxes.

What would you accomplish during your first two years on the board?  Please be specific.

I would like to see immediate and real movement on intergovernmental cooperation in Oak Park.  As discussed above, the tax burden in Oak Park is becoming too large and ultimately could drive residents from our Village.  All of our taxing bodies need to work together in innovative ways to save tax dollars for all Oak Parkers.  The Village of Oak Park should be taking the lead on intergovernmental cooperation.  We need to share and consolidate services and costs where possible.  We should be looking at new ways to consolidate resources, including equipment, buildings, employees and other assets.  Moreover, cooperative procurement among our taxing bodies can help aggregate purchasing power in many areas, ultimately achieving discounted prices and reductions in administrative expenses and staff time.

I also would like to push for increased use of technology at Village Hall.  Oak Park is filled with bright, innovative residents, and we need to tap into that valuable resource when addressing issues of better technology.  Increased access to services on the internet could make Oak Park friendlier to residents and businesses.  Wherever possible, I would like to see permitting processes being done via the Internet, where one could not only complete and submit paperwork on-line but also follow the status of matters on-line.

One of the board’s priorities has been transparency in village government and trustees often say that the village is open and transparent. In the wake of the Attorney General’s ruling that the VOP violated the Open Meetings Act, how can Oak Park live up to that priority? Please be specific.

Transparency in Village government is essential.  While everybody agrees that taking certain matters into executive (closed) session is appropriate and required, the fact that something is capable of being discussed in executive session does not mean that is must be discussed in executive session.  We need to err on the side of greater disclosure.  The Attorney General’s ruling has taught Oak Park that it can do better, and the violations noted by the Attorney General must be fixed quickly.  On a related matter, the Village government also must be careful about how much business is addressed on its consent agenda.  If a matter involves controversy or citizens want to speak to a certain matter, then that matter should not be on a consent agenda.  Nobody wants Board meetings to last past midnight, but running the fastest possible Board meeting should not be the goal either.

Give specifics on how the village can be more financially effective and efficient. How would you ensure that the village is spending its money wisely?

The Village should carefully and constantly examine its budget, always asking tough questions regarding the need for expenditures and looking for ways to minimize costs.  I have a great deal of experience working with large, complex budgets, and I would bring this experience to the Board table if I am lucky enough to be elected as a Trustee.  Effective practices in business and government should be employed at Village Hall to ensure that Oak Park is getting the most out of its citizens’ tax dollars.

When Oak Park is making investments of its money (on a streetscape, on parking, etc.), it must know what the expected return on its investment will be.  Similarly, when spending money of services, the Village must establish benchmarks for what it expects to accomplish and monitor the progress to make sure that the benchmarks are being achieved.  Moreover, careful oversight and control of our tax dollars should always be taking place, in economic good times and bad times.

There are several areas in Oak Park that are ripe for development: the former Colt Building site, on Lake Street just east of Harlem Avenue; and Oak Park Avenue and Madison Street; Lake Street and Forest Avenue could soon follow. And there are other sites, too, that aren’t being developed, like the former Volvo site on Madison. What’s holding back the development?

The economy is the major factor holding back development at this point (in Oak Park and across the nation).  Lenders remain hesitant to lend.  Nevertheless, Oak Park should be positioning itself for the economic recovery, looking for new ways to attract and keep businesses in Oak Park.  Additionally, the Village needs be able to move quickly when strategic and responsible development opportunities present themselves.

What should Oak Park be doing to attract and retain business? Is it being aggressive enough? Be specific.

Oak Park needs to be more aggressive in retaining and attracting businesses.  Ray Johnson, Adam Salzman and I have been meeting in the past two months with a wide range of many local business owners (some have been in Oak Park less that a year and some have been here for over 30 years -- and many others in between) to hear what Oak Park can do to make the Village a better place to conduct business.

I want Oak Park's commercial districts to thrive with a diverse mix of businesses catering to those in Oak Park and attracting people from outside our borders.  I would like to see the Village work closely with the Oak Park Development Corporation and others to ensure that our businesses are receiving the necessary assistance they need to thrive.  We can't assume that we know what all their needs are.  Instead, we need to engage the business community constantly to learn exactly how they would like the Village to help.  I also would like to see a more unified marketing message coming from all the entities promoting Oak Park to the Chicagoland area, and the Village should be helping to lead that effort.

The Village's interactions with business owners needs to positive, and I think progress is being made in this area.  Unfortunately, Oak Park has to overcome a reputation of not always being business friendly, and overcoming a negative reputation takes time and hard work.  Oak Park has so much to offer businesses, but we need to get the message out.  We need to be known as a business friendly community that can help business owners (new and old) cut through any red tape and get things done.  Trustees can and should be spokespeople for the Village across Chicagoland, letting everybody know all that Oak Park has to offer the business community.

How would you vote on the Comcast project and what would be your reasons for your vote?

I have attended the last four Plan Commission meetings related to the Comcast building proposal.  I wanted to hear all sides first hand, and I was impressed with the arguments made by those both for and against the development.  Those living near the proposed development have real and specific concerns that need to be taken quite seriously.

I have professional experience in the area of affordable housing, and I know many of the elements of what does and does not make for a good development like this.  Oak Park deserves a very good development.

This matter will appear before the new Village Board, and if I’m lucky enough to be elected in April, I will be voting on this.  The Plan Commission recently asked its attorney to draft the commission’s findings of fact, and the Plan Commission also has proposed approximately 20 conditions on the development.

Fully examining the final findings of fact and the conditions will be crucial, and I do not want to prejudge anything that will be coming before the Board.  I have a great deal of respect for all who serve on Oak Park volunteer commissions.  I don’t think those on either side of this issue would like me to prejudge this matter without first hearing directly from them and their thoughts on the findings of fact and conditions.  The decision making process on this proposal must remain open, and the Board must consider the comments and testimony of those appearing before the Board.  I am approaching this with an open mind.

However, having heard the testimony before the Plan Commission, I want to note a few things at this time that sound promising about the proposed development and a few things that cause me concern.  On the plus side:  an empty, ugly, vacant building on Madison will be transformed into an attractive building; certain preferences will and should be given to people who live and work in Oak Park; a real need exists for this type of housing for low wage earners like paralegals, paramedics, young teachers, etc.; and the development will contain certain units specifically designed for those with disabilities.

However, concerns remain, and some of my biggest concerns were well articulated at the Plan Commission meetings by those opposed to the development.  Those concerns include but are not limited to:  parking (my experience is that it will be an issue for a development of this size); constant on-site management of the building; the overall density of the building; and the ability to get the proposed retail space occupied (the size of the space, parking, etc. will make this a real challenge).

If elected, I look forward to examining this issue in great detail and listening to the continued thoughtful and respectful debate surrounding this proposal.