Election 2013: Denise Rodd for Third Ward Alderman of Des Plaines

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Name: Denise Rodd

Position sought: Third Ward Alderman of Des Plaines

Campaign contact information. Please include any or all of the following: website, email address, phone number, Facebook page, Twitter account, mailing address, etc.

Website: www.DeniseRodd.com

Email: deniserodd3@gmail.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DeniseRoddDP

Age: 45

Family Include as much info as you like (names, ages, number of children, etc.): Husband, James Rodd, and two children.

Education Include degree(s) and school(s):

BA in Communications, minor in Political Science from DePaul University, 1991

MA in Writing, Technical Emphasis, from DePaul University, 1998

Occupation: Web editor for the American Osteopathic Association, 1998-present.

Political Party: Independent

Official name of your campaign committee (if you have one):

Citizens for Denise Rodd

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: None.

Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?

• Volunteer editor of the Ward R3PORT, the newsletter of the Third Ward in Des Plaines.
• Former Village of Lombard employee and deputy voter registrar.
• Former intern for State Senate legislative office in Chicago.

What would your priorities be if elected to this office?

1. Fiscal responsibility: Continue to pay down debt and budget for infrastructure improvements along with continuing to offer residents a zero percent tax increase from the City of Des Plaines.
2. Flooding mitigation: Support Phase II of the Storm Water Master Plan for sewer improvements that will help a dozen neighborhoods, and keep an eye on areas needing future improvement.
3. Downtown improvement: Create a responsible and consistent government that brings Des Plaines up to par with surrounding communities so that we can compete for new businesses.
4. Government transparency: Better inform residents of city council activities and decisions. As an example of being transparent, I would like to state that if I’m elected, I will not accept the health care benefit that the city traditionally offers its part-time elected officials.

What are the most important issues facing Des Plaines and what would you do as alderman to address them?

Des Plaines has a reputation of being "rough around the edges." When my husband and I were looking for a home in the area, and chose Des Plaines, our real estate agent questioned our decision and showed us a copy of a Chicago magazine article called "The Starbucks Gap." The article compared Des Plaines to Highland Park, and how it lacked basic amenities such as a coffee franchise. But we were attracted by the city's affordability, good schools, and diversity, and decided it was where we wanted to raise our family. It seemed the city was on a path to improvement.

Fourteen years later, we have two Starbucks; however, we're still fighting a reputation that has been hard to shake. I think the history of politics in Des Plaines may have had something to do with it. By electing genuine representatives of the people of Des Plaines who are for the people of Des Plaines, we can turn it around. We can strive for a consistent and accountable government that will attract residents and businesses to our city.

What is one of the most important issues facing residents in your ward, and what would you do, if elected, to address it?

What I hear from residents most often at the monthly ward meetings is about flooding. There are homes that experience sewer backups during major storms, homes that get flooded backyards and side streets, and homes that are in low elevations that take in water during severe rain events.

The infrastructure that was built to handle storm water is aging. If elected, I would make following the phase two of the Storm Water Master Plan a priority, and look forward to developing the next phase so that we can replace our aging infrastructure with a modern and efficient system.

How do you believe gaming tax revenue collected by Des Plaines should be spent? What should it be spent on?

We should be following the ordinance that states the revenue must be used for paying down debt and infrastructure improvement. With the cost of water and the delivery of water to residents going up, I would be interested in researching if some of the city’s revenue from Rivers Casino could be applied to this increase. We have to remember that the revenue is fluctuating, and will decrease when more casinos are ultimately built in the State of Illinois.

There have been a number of proposals to expand gaming in Illinois. If elected, what would you do to protect Des Plaines’ interests with respect to gaming?

I would support our lobbying efforts on Des Plaines’ behalf in Springfield. I would look towards re-negotiating our contract with the State since it was written with the understanding that we would have the final license.

The city has $58.3 million in debt in the capital improvements fund, the tax increment financing funds and the water and sewer fund. Approximately $4.4 million in the capital improvements fund will become callable in 2013. If elected, would you support refinancing this debt or paying it off immediately, and why?

While the city is collecting revenue from the most profitable casino in the state, we should look towards paying off callable debt so as not to incur future interest payments that would cost the city more in the long run.

Downtown Des Plaines has a low occupancy rate in the retail spaces in the Metropolitan Square development. If you are elected alderman, what would you do to address this?

First, the market needs to change. We're coming out of a recession that nearly vacated Metropolitan Square and that kept unoccupied storefronts empty. Second, we need to show that we have a fiscally responsible and consistent government in place that will support small businesses. Third, we need to invest in the downtown infrastructure (and the Oakton corridor as well) to make the physical landscape more attractive so that we are competitive with neighboring towns.

The Des Plaines Police Department is involved with a number of lawsuits, including, most recently, accusations that a former commander falsified records. If elected alderman, what would you do to address the litigation? What would you do to gain the public’s trust in the Des Plaines Police Department?

The police department is under the command of a new chief who is doing the hard work of making the department accountable for its actions. Unfortunately, a few bad apples have been identified; however, they have not spoiled the bunch. As a communication professional, I am interested in being transparent with the residents about the progress the police department is making in dealing with these issues. I think we also need to be highlighting the good things that the majority of the officers do every day and every night in the interest of public safety.

Why would you do a better job representing Des Plaines than your opponent?

For the last four years, I have been active in Third Ward meetings discussing neighborhood and citywide issues with residents. I am also editor of the Third Ward newsletter, and am in tune with our residents’ current hopes and concerns for the City of Des Plaines.

Having school-aged children and their grandparents nearby, who recently moved from Chicago to Des Plaines, I am in constant communication with people of all ages. I am an engaged citizen who listens, solves problems, and works earnestly towards making my community a better place.

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