2011 Election Issues: George R. Sims, Orland Park Public Library Candidate

Eight candidates are vying for three seats in this year’s board of trustees race. Incumbent candidate offered his thoughts on energy efficiency, keeping a steady flow of people coming to the library and sharing the tax burden with other Orland residents.

What is the biggest problem(s) facing the library? How do you propose to solve it (them)?

The biggest problem facing the Orland Park Public Library and all local government agencies is reducing costs and keeping the tax burden as low as possible on the village residents while still providing the level of service residents have come to expect. The current board, myself included, is always looking for ways to cut expenses and make the Library more efficient. The library's share of residents' tax bills is relatively small and we try to maximize its impact. This year we have taken numerous steps to decrease expenses including renegotiating supplier contracts and increasing employee health care contributions and introducing energy efficiency measures.

How do you propose constructing a budget that doesn’t burden taxpayers, while keeping the library competitive and desirable?

As a member of the current board and finance committee member, I have always been keenly aware of the budgeting process. Every year we spend hours refining that budget and whittling away expenses to keep the tax burden as low as possible. Remember, all the Library Board Trustees are Orland Park taxpayers as well. We feel the same pinch every Orland Park resident feels. We are not exempt from taxes. I work in health care. Haven't had a raise in four years. Have had my benefits drastically cut and in some cases completely eliminated. So I know how even a small increase in taxes can affect any household. The current board has always approved a balanced budget and maintained an adequate surplus to operate the Library as an asset to the community.

How do you propose bringing talented artists and authors to the library, upping the number of library cardholders and bringing those members through the doors?

Orland Park has an admirable rate of Library Card holders, more than 74%. To me this demonstrates how much the residents of Orland Park value the Library. The Library has a dynamic calendar of events every month featuring artists, authors, musicians, films and numerous other presentations. The staff does a marvelous job of providing interesting speakers and traveling exhibits. The Orland Park Library has been host to several national traveling exhibits demonstrating the national reputation our Library enjoys thanks to its dedicated and award-winning employees. More than 500,000 people walked through the doors of the Orland Park Library last year. We must be doing something right!

Some say the state’s financial woes threaten Orland Library’s system of exchanging books with other libraries. What is your understanding of this issue, and how should Orland Library prepare in the event it needs fund its own delivery of books?

Fiscal issues concerning delivery of books with other libraries--This issue has come about solely through the loss of state funding for the organization that was responsible for inter library transfers. It is a constantly changing situation that we are currently monitoring and our Library Director is involved in on a daily basis. All options are being explored at this time while we wait to see if and how the State may continue funding.

The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center performed a study on the library this summer and determined its energy consumption was higher than average. The study offered several recommendations to curb consumption. Which recommendations do you support? Are there any other ways you propose cutting back on energy?

Concerning the energy audit--I voted for the energy audit. I support all efforts to conserve energy and lower operating costs. Several of the recommendations of the audit are already being implemented-using lower wattage and more energy efficient light bulbs as an example. I support all the recommendations that show a quick pay back for any investment made in improving our energy consumption. The Library has an active "green" program that I have been supportive of from its inception.