Election 2013: James Dodge

Campaign Info

• Position Sought: Orland Park Village Board
• Website: firstorland.com
• Email:
• Phone:
• Hometown: Orland Park

Personal Info

• Family: Linda, wife; two children, one in D135
• Education: BS, Honors Program, DePaul University, University of Chicago MBA Finance and Economics
• Occupation: Nielsen, North American Lead, Retail Consulting
• Political Party Affiliation: First Orland

Candidate Questions

Why are you seeking office?

I care about Orland Park and the people that live here. We have built a great place to live. I enjoy public service and I want to see Orland Park remain a financially strong, responsive local government.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

The most important priority will be to continue to meet the special responsibility we have to being fiscally responsible and accountable to you, the village taxpayers, in an open and transparent way. We manage your tax dollars wisely; we are doing more with less and providing you with real value. We are finding new ways to listen and the input from Orland residents on our priorities.

What sets you apart from other candidates? 

We are a strong team that has been able to refund to taxpayers over $30 million in 10 of the last 12 years. We listen; we received great feedback and ideas with our Community Survey and we are expanding the ways residents can contact us via the Web. Financially, the village is in great shape and we have kept the Orland Park portion of your property tax bill low. The Village has a balanced budget; Orland Park is now in a stronger financial position than 95 % of other municipalities in Cook County and we're in the top 5% of cities in the nation.

We've earned one of the highest bond/credit ratings in the entire state -- allowing us to obtain lower interest rates and save taxpayers millions of dollars. Through purposeful planning we've been able to implement and pay for $321 million in road, neighborhood street and infrastructure improvements at no additional cost to you. This record – a record of accomplishment – is what sets us apart from other candidates. I’m also very proud of the initiative I lead that earned Orland Park the first 100% rating for transparency in the entire state from the Illinois Policy Institute.

Mayor Dan McLaughlin has spoken previously on the importance of fostering Orland Park as a retail hub. Should the village also work to diversify its tax base through other types of businesses, and what types would you suggest? Why or why not?

We completed an economic development strategy analysis that clearly indicated we need to maintain and strengthen our retail base, support the development of professional services, like doctors and other medical services and work on our I-80 Corridor. We have and we do all of those types of investment. It brings jobs and growth, in particular medical and other professional services.

One challenge we face is the very high tax burden on businesses in Cook County – the simple fact is that it often drives businesses to Will County. It’s also really important to note that businesses don't just appear out of nowhere. They want to come to Orland Park. They do exhaustive studies on an area because they want the best chance at economic success. If one looks at our record in gaining business investment - start-ups and expansions - it's clear that our planning, development strategies and sound fiscal position is on the right track.

Construction has begun on the Main Street Triangle. With units within the Ninety 7 Fifty apartment complex soon to be opened, what else should be built or established within the triangle area to ensure the extensive investment will be worthwhile?

We are actively working to bring more restaurants and other small businesses to that area. It will be a great development and our investment will pay off, on schedule. Other phases include plans for townhomes and condos.

How do you propose keeping a tighter budget that doesn’t burden taxpayers, while keeping Orland Park accessible, competitive and desirable?

We are very disciplined and cautious with the budget. When the recession hit, we made the hard choices and cut the budget to live within the reduced revenue. It’s that simple. We live within the means the taxpayers provide. We’ve kept the Orland Park portion of the property taxes low and stable for years. Our bond rating is very high and the total debt is very low compared to the total assets. It’s like owning a $400,000 house with just $16,000 left on your mortgage. Our economic development strategy is working. The sales tax revenue is healthy and growing which helps fund many things, including the rebate. New businesses of all kinds are coming to Orland Park, which is driving our growth.

Can anything else be done to help residents with costs other than the property tax rebate?

Tax refunds, rebates and abatements alone are never enough and we do as much as we can. We also brought in electrical aggregation that is saving the average Orland household well over $300 per year. It’s important to note that because of our financial strength, we simply do not use many of the taxes and fees other municipalities are forced to use. That’s important to helping our residents in every way we can. Those rebates could not be sustained for 10 of 12 years without the sound, fiscal management policies paving the way.

Those policies are successful by our being Orland smart; reducing and controlling spending, doing more with less and providing real value to taxpayers. We are proud of the fact that of every property tax dollar a homeowner pays, only 7 cents goes to the village of Orland Park. Those 7 cents pay for making our community one of the safest in the nation. It paid for $321 million in road, street and infrastructure improvements. It pays for miles upon miles of 'green' biking and walking paths and hundreds of acres of open lands. And our fiscal management policies have also made it possible to refund over $30 million to homeowners in 10 of the last 12 years

Recently the village was able to sell off part of the debt obligation for the Ninety 7 Fifty project. How else can the village work to reduce this debt?

We were very, very careful with the terms of this project. This includes many clauses to protect Orland Park's investment and give us the right to reduce the obligation as the project moves along. It’s already ahead of projections and it will pay us back on schedule.

Would you support term limits for trustees and the mayor? Why or why not?

Every four years, by law, we go to our neighbors, friends and village residents and ask for their support, for the right to hold a public office and serve. We've been pleased and proud to have earned that trust and support over the years for our record of sound fiscal management and providing policies that have maintained and enhanced the high quality of life we all enjoy.

What are your thoughts on the village’s use of TIF districts? Has the village used them effectively? Why or why not? Would you do anything differently with TIF?

Orland Park’s first TIF district was very successful. It turned the “dead mall” at 153rd and LaGrange into Orland Park Place. Mayor McLaughlin asked me to lead the project, the Board supported it and it’s now a thriving center. The Village took an active role in establishing that TIF. It was paid off early and it produced millions of additional revenue for the local school districts.

Think about the perception and reality of Orland Park before we fixed the “dead mall.” We’ve come a long way and many new developments happened, once we addressed that problem by pro-actively investing in the TIF. This careful and prudent approach plays to our strengths and produces the sales tax revenue that keeps the Orland Park portion of your property taxes lows and funds the rebates. We are very careful and very thorough with these types of projects.

Have you ever been charged with a crime? Were you convicted? If yes, please say what the charge was, and what was the case's outcome as it stands.

No.

Are there any candidates in other races you would like to endorse here?

Orland First Party.

Read about other candidates running for the Orland Park Village Board in the April 2013 election.