Stephen Fabbri: Grayslake Park District Board Candidate

Name: Stephen Fabbri

Age: 52

Family: Married, two grown children

Education: Master's degree

Occupation: Assistant Director - 19th Judicial Circuit Court

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: Park Commissioner since 2000

Other community involvement: Member St.Gilbert's Church, Past President Grayslake Youth Baseball Association, IHSA Baseball and Basketball Official, Grayslake Management Committee

Position sought: Commissioner

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Why are you running?

I wish to continue service to the residents of the district, which includes Grayslake and part of Hainesville by ensuring responsible government and good stewardship of the district's many assets and services.

In what ways would the Grayslake Park District benefit from your service?

I will continue work with my fellow commissioners and district staff to strive for excellence in our service delivery and care of our open space and natural assets. Proper stewardship of our natural assets, I believe, is such a major responsibility for a Park Commissioner, as these assets (parks, ponds, wetlands, open space and lakes) will be here for perpetuity and we have the responsibility to tend to them not just for our use, but for the use of generations to come. We must also continue to deliver services and programs that meet the expectations of our constituents, but also helps bring our community together. Strategic planning is also a major interest of mine as it helps us build for the future in an incremental way that is guided by the desires and expectations of our community. We are currently conducting a Community Survey that will be so valuable in determining just what those expectations are. Of course, all of our services must come from responsible financial management and not a burdensome strain on the taxpayers.

What is the biggest challenge the district faces and what should be done to address it?

I touched upon this previously, we will be challenged with providing excellent services; yet not overwhelm the tax payers when they are already paying so much in property taxes for our schools and other government services. Hopefully, the economy turns around robustly soon, but until then we should pursue money through other sources instead of on backs of the Grayslake and Hainseville taxpayers. Continued efforts should be utilized to pursue grants. Since I've been on the boards, we've received approximately $1.7 million in grant money and we have more applications outstanding for improvements to Jones Island and Alleghany Park.

What do you think the district does well?

Our service delivery by very committed staff is simply outstanding. They have a very limited budget, yet they do so much with so little.

What should be some of the district's priorities over the next several years?

I will have a better idea of what that is when our community survey is completed. I would rather hear from our residents about what our priorities should be. This is what I believe is responsible government.

What else would you like voters to know?

Grayslake is a beautiful place to live and I hope I can contribute any little way I can to keep it that way for us and future generations.