Meet Your Candidates: Village Trustee Hopeful Doug Rathe

Doug Rathe has served on the Wilmette Library Board since 1999, and is its current vice president. Rathe, who holds a law degree from Loyola University, has previously served as an Illinois Assistant Attorney General and chief of the Environmental Crimes Bureau.

Rathe told Patch that he would "work to have Wilmette become an environmental leader, by making eco-friendly purchases, including indoor and outdoor Village lighting and fuel efficient cars and trucks."

Board members serve four-year terms. Three seats are open this year, and six candidates are running—Rathe, , , , and Julie Wolf.

Check out what Rathe has to say about pensions and the village's budget below.

How would you assess the state of the village’s budget?

Doug Rathe: Wilmette’s budget, like many municipalities around the country, is facing difficulties.  The latest available figures show that Wilmette raised $2.3 million less in revenue than anticipated.  Despite the lower revenue, the Village has been able to maintain the current level of services. The Village Staff accomplished this by reducing the hours of some employees, outsourcing certain services and entering into joint agreements with other municipalities to provide services.  An example of outsourcing was plumbing inspections.  An example of a joint agreement was where Wilmette and Glenview entered into a joint tree-trimming contract.

If expenses need to be reduced, exactly what would you cut?

Rathe: In order to cut expenses, the Village needs to continue to explore outsourcing of certain services. For example, the work of the Corporation Counsel was outsourced to a private law firm at a savings of nearly $42,000.00. Another means of cutting expenses, is not filling vacancies in various Village departments when they occur.

While the Village has not reached a point where finances are in serious trouble, should such a situation arise, I would consider asking village employees to work reduced hours. I would do my best to prevent any layoffs of current employees.  However, I would oppose any cuts in “core” services that include police and fire protection, waste collection and street repairs.  

If more revenue needs to be raised, exactly what would you propose?

Rathe: The property tax accounts for 37 percent of the Village budget.  I would strongly oppose any significant increase to the Village’s share of the property tax.  Because the sales tax only accounts for 13 percent of the revenue, I would work with the President of the Board, the other trustees and Village Staff to finds ways to encourage retails stores and restaurants to locate in Wilmette. I would also try to make it easier to do business in Wilmette, perhaps by suggesting the creation of a Village Business “Ombudsman” who would be the point of contact for merchants who need help from the Village to get what they need to run successful businesses.

I would like to enter into more municipal agreements such as the one the Village has with Northbrook. Under this agreement Northbrook will pay $20,000 annually for Wilmette to undertake food inspection services. A further valuable resource is Lake Michigan water. Within limits, the Village can raise additional revenue by selling water to more municipalities.

If Wilmette truly was in need of additional revenues, it makes sense that fees be increased for the payment of various services, including refuse charges, licenses, permits, real estate transfer taxes and miscellaneous sources of revenue. Any increase in fees would have been weighed carefully.

What, if anything, does the village need to do to adequately fund police and fire pensions?

Rathe: Wilmette is covered by three defined benefit pension plans that cover the municipal employees. One fund covers police officers, the second covers firefighters and the third covers other municipal employees. Wilmette is responsible for funding the police and fire pension funds. The third fund, covering other employees, is a paid on a statewide basis. However, because laws enacted by the General Assembly in Springfield govern the benefits, there is nothing Wilmette can do to reduce retirement benefits. 

A recently enacted state law creates a two-tier system for pension payments.  New employees hired after January 1, 2011 will receive lower payouts at retirement.  For the moment, the Village Staff believes that Wilmette will not be overwhelmed by payments to the police and fire pension funds.  Also, as investments start generating more “normal” returns, this will further ease the village’s financial burden.

What ideas do you have to make the Master Plan a reality? How will you push forward economic development of the village center?

Rathe: At this moment, the Village Center Master Plan represents a policy statement by the Village Board as to the direction it would like to see the Village take. For the plan to move forward, there will have to be numerous meetings of the Zoning Board, working with Village Staff, to consider amendments to the zoning ordinance that will be necessary to implement the Master Plan.  This will be a lengthy process.

Further, the Master Plan depends on private developers who have to believe that the Wilmette residential, retail and commercial market can justify development on a larger scale. 

On Feb. 8, the Board voted to purchase of the “Ford” property, which would be part of the Master Plan site, and end the lawsuit brought by the current owner of the property.  It will take awhile to sort out the implications of the Village becoming the owner of this property.

Wilmette has a long history of low-density, low height buildings. The Master Plan allows for the possibility of buildings that are four or more stories in height. Most residents prefer the current low-density approach to zoning. Before I would be comfortable with allowing buildings to rise to four or five stories, I would have to be certain that there is general support among the residents for such development and there is a market for such buildings.

If the state of Illinois succeeds in re-establishing the capital bill, would you support video gaming in this village?

Rathe: No.  

Briefly tell us what, in your background or education, has prepared you to make a contribution on this board. Can you offer an expertise that would be a resource to other board members?

Rathe: Based on my community service as well as my employment and educational background, I believe I am qualified to serve as a Trustee on the Wilmette Village Board.   My qualifications are:

•      1999 - 2011:  The voters of Wilmette have elected me three times to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Wilmette Public Library. I am currently the Vice-President;
•     2003 to Present:  Private practice with a concentration of representing indigent federal defendants as part of the Federal Defender Program;
•     1988 - 2003:  Illinois Assistant Attorney General; from 1995 to 2003 I was the chief of the Environmental Crimes Bureau and was responsible for prosecuting polluters throughout the State of Illinois; 
•     1976 - 1986:  Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney - during my ten years in the Office, I received assignments in the Special Prosecution Bureau; the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau and Civil Actions Bureau.
•     1975 - Law school degree from Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, IL
•     1972 - Degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

I believe my background as attorney and my experience as a member of the Wilmette Library Board will be an important resource to the other board members.

How would you assess the public services the village offers residents, including police, fire, trash pickup, snow removal, responsiveness of village hall, etc.? What needs to be improved? Are residents getting adequate value for their tax dollar?

Rathe: Wilmette provides an extremely high level of services to its residents.  Besides having an excellent police and fire department, an example of the high level of service provided by the Village is snow removal. After the blizzard that occurred on Feb. 23, all of the streets of the Village were plowed very quickly. The Wilmette snow removal efforts can be readily compared to those of the surrounding communities and the City of Chicago. So, in short, residents are getting adequate value for their tax dollar. 

If elected by the voters, I will try to determine, what if anything, residents believe that the Village can do better.

What else would you like voters to now about your positions on issues or point of view?

Rathe: If elected to be one of the Village Trustees, I would make the following my priorities:

• Address, the short and long term financial health of the Village; 
• Protect core services including police and fire protection, waste collection and street maintenance and improvements;
• Work with Wilmette business owners to make it easier to do business in the Village;
• Work to have Wilmette become an environmental leader, by making eco-friendly purchases, including indoor and outdoor Village lighting and fuel efficient cars and trucks; and
• Before the Master Plan becomes a reality, make certain there is support from the residents and there is a market for such development