C.P. Hall II
Age: 65
Profession: Retired
Community / Political experience:
Brookfield Planning Commission, 1988-89
Brookfield Village Board elected 1991, re elected 1995
Brookfield Economic Revitalization Corporation, approx. 1995-2001
Brookfield Village Board, appointed 2005, elected 2007
Kiwanis Club twice President, currently Secretary Treasurer
Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, former Treasurer,
Rotary Club, former Secretary
Farmers’ Market roustabout, go-fer, information booth occupant.
Other / Professional experience:
1st Lieutenant, Infantry, U.S. Army – served with the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) in the Republic of Viet Nam, 1969.
1970 – The C. P. Hall Company, Memphis TN office Inventory control, purchasing agent & traffic manager.
1976 – transferred to IL office product manager, sales, and customer service manager.
Writing since retirement. Published articles and reviews in journals in the USA, UK, and New Zealand.
Education:
B.A. – Political Science
University of Akron
Akron, Ohio
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them: The top challenges are financial. Revenues are less than they should be and slow to arrive resulting in problems of both adequate revenues and “cash flow.” These problems must be continued to be addressed by holding down costs while maintaining basic services, responsibile personnel policies, and the search for added revenues such as grants which should be used to undertake capital projects which would otherwise be out of reach. This is a national problem. We must cope with the local consequences with the tools at hand.
Kit P. Ketchmark
Age: 47
Profession: President/General Manager of 25 year old landscape maintenance and design firm.
Community / Political experience:
Village Trustee 2001-2009
Director Brookfield Historical Society 1994- present
Little League/Babe Ruth coach, manager, sponsor
Past Co-chairman of Mainstreet Brookfield Promotion Committee
Other / Professional experience:
Led group that restored/rededicated F-86 Sabre Jet Korean War Memorial at Ehlert Park.
2009 recipient of Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award from Illinois Humanities Council.
Education:
Lincoln School, Brookfield, IL
Lyons Township High School, Lagrange, IL
University of Illinois at Chicago, Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, majoring in finance and human resource management
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them:
1) managing the effects the national economy has on Brookfield, it finances, and its overall management. This requires constant monitoring of the budget and staffing, as well as making the necessary changes to work within these confines.
2) planning for the long term infrastructure needs of our Village. Even during tough economic times, streets need to be repaired, vehicles need to be replaced, etc. Constantly seeking grant opportunities has been very successful and should be continued. Long-term financial forecasting and budgeting is required.
3) improved resident communication. Re-institute newsletter, look at social media/email angle in getting information out, institute telephone information calls as the schools use.”
Ryan Patrick Evans
Age: 29
Profession: For the past seven years I have been an educator at S.E. Gross Middle School in Brookfield. In that role I have been a social studies teacher, focusing on the topic of early American history and civics.
Community / Political experience: I currently serve the village as chairperson of the Beautification Commission. As a commissioner, I have aided in expanding the Project N.I.C.E. village cleanup event and helped lead the recent community art initiative in town. I have been a part of the commission for two years.
My profession allows me each day to work with the children of our community, involving myself in their lives, and helping to guide them to be better citizens. My hope is that they would be able to see my actions as their local trustee and that would help promote civic interest and responsibility in them. “
Other / Professional experience: I have been Vice President of the teacher’s union for the past four years, working as a liaison between staff and management in disciplinary action, chairing membership, and aiding in the negotiation of the ground-breaking teacher’s contract this past year.
The last eight years I have worked as a staff manager at NewsBag Inc., a small business in Westchester. Part of my responsibilities has been scheduling, hiring employees, inventory control, and payroll.
For six years I was a varsity football coach at Nazareth Academy.
Education: I graduated from Monmouth College, acquiring a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in history and receiving a minor in the classics. Last year, I completed my Masters in Educational Leadership from Concordia University (Chicago).
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them:
1. We all know times are tough for the country, state, and villages. Now is the time to address a major issue in this town; business attraction and retention. Although Brookfield fairs better than many surrounding communities there are still plenty of vacant storefronts. It is my belief that the village should actively aid in filling those buildings. A stronger business community leads to additional tax dollars, which leads to the expansion of village services, which attracts residents, who in turn pay property taxes and shop locally. This circular process of tax revenue should be a major focus of village hall. Allowing for a professional to aid in planning the economic revival of Brookfield’s business district is a plan that needs to be supported in the long term, not just when budgets are flush. With Ogden in a TIF for nearly the next twenty years the time has come to have someone in village hall working tirelessly to attract national retailers to our highway and community.
2. At some point each bargaining unit countrywide will have to look and see that pay schedules are outpacing revenue. New ways of negotiating pay increases is going to have to be the focus of management, board, and bargaining units. From past experience of working with negotiating, I have seen a model where each group reaches its goals. Increases are accomplished, but do not outpace growth. When I aided in the negotiation of the District 95 teacher contract, we worked towards retaining professionals and keeping competitive increases, but also were realistic about the economic climate. Aligning salary increases to the CPI instead of arbitrary numbers helped the teachers, board, and community. All parties saw benefit in the negotiated contract. Creative and fair standards should be a focus of the village in contract negotiations to come.
3. Challenging the idea of other candidates that Brookfield can repeal the 1% sales tax, which was passed by referendum by the people of the village, is an important campaign issue. By repealing this tax, which was passed as the means to fund village infrastructure improvements, it would leave bond payments and obligations unfunded ruining the village’s solvency and credit worthiness.
4. A flood plan must be developed for the Village of Brookfield. Let’s face it the flooding isn’t going away and it is an issue we will deal in the years to come. Living on Prairie, very near to Salt Creek, I have sandbagged my neighbor’s homes and tried desperately to protect their belongings and residences. However, the village response could have been better. In emergencies it is the duty of government to aid. Management should be in office when these disasters are occurring in the village they work for, it is an obligation of the position. These are some solutions to aid the resident’s concerns I have heard during my campaign:
A. A communication tool that is widely known to the population of Brookfield to update them on a consistent basis as situations change.
B. A community action group formed who will aid other citizens in need of assistance.
C. Premade sandbags that can be palletized, left at DPW headquarters and rapidly deployed to the affected area.
D. Management and board working together and with outside organizations to look into long term solutions to the flooding, or working with the area that continues to be affected to see if their homes are viable living structures with the frequency of flooding.
These may seem like small ideas but together they address some of the concerns felt by residents during the last flooding event.
5. As Brookfield grows its reserve funds once gain after large infrastructure improvements it will be important to continue finding additional grant opportunities at the township, state and federal level which would provide new revenue without raising taxes. If Brookfield is to continue to grow and improve streets, parks, and services the money must be there and grants have aided greatly in that in the last five years.
6. A project of personal importance and belief for me is community art. Working on this project has been a joy and it shows me that together dedicated residents and government officials can create greatness. As trustee I would do everything in my power to help this initiative succeed. I do believe that it has the ability to do things such as; instill pride in the community, draw community groups together, attract tourists and new residents alike, and bring consumers into our town.
Wilfred Brennan
Age: 69
Profession: Retired
Community / Political experience:
Scout Master, Little League Manager, Brookfield Village Trustee, Liasion to Public Works, Zoning Board of Appeals and Finance
Other / Professional experience:
Chief Electrician for the Merchandise Mart Properties, Member of the Executive Board of Local 134, IBEW, Business Representative LOCAL 134 IBEW, Instructor at Washburne Trade School, Instructor at West Side Technical Institute
Education:
graduated High school 1959, graduated Washburne Trade school 1963, Attended Governors State Univ. Chicago State Univ., U.of I. Obtained Teachers Certificate for Chicago Public System in 1980.
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them: The current Village Board has made many serious financial mistakes, primarily due to not exploring the ramifications of their actions. Too much faith has been given to the Village Management’s decisions The Village Board must ask questions and direct the management.
The mistakes of the past are behind us, but we must learn from them so as not to repeat them. Finger pointing will get us nowhere at this juncture, but a conscientious, transparent firm approach has to be taken to keep the Village within budget.”
Bill Russ
Age: 56
Profession: Insurance Administration Consultant and Licensed Real Estate Broker
Community / Political experience: An extensive record of governmental service to the Village of Brookfield, Illinois, former Village President from 2001 to 2005, also served as Village Trustee from 1989-1997 and from 1999-2001, Village President Pro-Tem and Finance Chairman from 1995-1997, Village Clerk Pro-Tem from 1989-1995, Former Chairman of the Local Board of Improvements, Former Chairman of Economic Development, Former Liaison to Water and Public Safety Committees, Former Liaison to the West Central Municipal Conference and Liquor Commissioner of the Village of Brookfield. Past president of the Illinois Small Business Association from 1993-1999, member of the Cook County Economic Development Commission from 1994 to 2002.
Other / Professional experience: I was born to a blue collar working family and raised in Cook County and reside in Brookfield, Illinois for the past 30 years with my wife Barbara and his son Ryan who attends Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois. We are parishioners of St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield. I am currently a Trustee and Former President of the Brookfield VFW Post # 2868 Men’s Auxiliary.
I was a small business owner for many years, I have managed employees, paid taxes, made payrolls, kept books, run marketing and customer service, and I know the importance of small business vitality to the health of our community.
Education: Attended City College in Chicago, Real Estate Education Courses over the last 12 years. Over 250 Credit Hours.
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them:
Use common sense to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability
of your tax dollars. Hold the line on taxes & use taxpayer dollars more wisely.
Real efforts to market Brookfield and bring in new businesses, also
work hard to keep the businesses that we now have from leaving!
To develop a working partnership with Brookfield Zoo to actively
market our business districts.
Open, honest, transparent and accountable Government …
A Village Board responsive to the needs of the people.
Bring back all the community events that bring UNITY to our
community. Develop recreational and community programs
that appeal to all ages.
Realistic programs for Street, Alley and Sewer Repairs
Douglas Tremper
Age: 52
Profession: The last 10 years I have worked for a major travel company in Lombard, Illinois. I was also a small business owner for almost 20 years and I know how hard it is to run a small business and make a dollar.
Community / Political experience: I am a newcomer to politics, but have many fresh new ideas and I am a 7 year resident of Brookfield.
Other / Professional experience: I am a member of the Brookfield VFW Post # 2868 Men’s Auxiliary.
Education: Graduated Proviso East H.S. and attended Triton College.
List the top challenges facing this board and how you would address them: I have been walking the streets for months; talking and listening to people, about their frustrations with village government. We need to entice new business into town by first lowering the sales tax and by making new incentives to attract business because the T.I.F. District is not working! What about having some village events that can bring in a little revenue, like a variation of Brookfest or just a Taste? We need to make Ogden Ave. more attractive for businesses to come in and create a few parking lots for people to park, while shopping.
