Toby Shaw: City Council Candidate
Toby Shaw (Photo by The Elginite).
The questionnaire below was completed by city council candidate Toby Shaw. Mr. Shaw will be a candidate in the city council primary election on February 26th.
Name:
Toby Shaw
Seat for which you are running:
2 year city council
Can you tell us a bit about your background, both personally and professionally?
I graduated from Judson College in 1999 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computers Science. My education prepared me for a career of continued learning in the areas of technology, business, and leadership. I currently manage a team of nine Oracle database administrators with in the IT organization at US Cellular in Bensenville, IL.
I am married and have four children. We are active members in our local church, Vineyard Church of Elgin. I was born and raised on a family farm in Baraboo Wisconsin where I learned the importance of hard work, saving, investing, and living within your means.
Why are you running for Elgin City Council?
I am running to bring down to earth practical leadership to the city council. I believe city council needs more business experience and I am running to fill that gap. As I talk to residents I continually hear how concerned they are about their taxes and fees rising year after year. I am running to represent the taxpayer and fight on their behalf.
What do you view as the major issues facing Elgin in the next few years?
Unemployment: Elgin’s unemployment continues to lead that of our neighbors. With a five year average of over 11% we lead our neighbors. Our residents need jobs and thus the city needs to support its existing businesses to grow and entice new businesses to call Elgin home.
Storm Water/Sewer Separation: This issue is large, complex and expensive. We need an approach that balances the speed in which we address this issue with the impact to our overall budget. We need to prioritize our spending to ensure that we give this issue the funding it deserves.
Hemmens: In the next few years a decision will need to be made as to what to do with this facility. As it stands, it is currently a rental facility for the city but loses over 800K annually.
Technology Infrastructure: The city is currently falling behind in keeping up with the rapidly changing world of technology. As a city we need to embrace technology where it makes sense to server our residents more efficiently.
Are you generally in agreement with decisions the city council has made in the past few years? Please describe any measures with which you particularly agreed or disagreed.
Overall I am not in agreement with the decisions the city council has made over the last few years.
After serving on the Elgin Budget Task Force in 2011 I was keenly aware of the budget struggles that were facing us. As I followed the 2012 budget creation process I was dismayed to watch as additional fees and taxes were looked to as the solution while residents were fighting to make ends meet at home.
I am deeply concerned at how we continue to spend money while leaving other priorities unfunded. The issue of storm water run-off and sewer separation is one issue that could have been addressed years ago with all of the river boat proceeds. Now the council is looking to residents for more money rather than prioritizing the need to be met with the current revenue levels.
If elected, what do you expect to accomplish during your time on the council?
Taxation: I will vote against the rain tax and work to cut spending in other areas to fund necessary capital projects.
Accountability: Four of our largest facilities are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in operations. I am committed to identifying what the root causes of these losses are and work to reduce or eliminate them. To be clear, it is not my intention to close these facilities. It is my intention to reduce the burden to resident’s year in and year out.
Transparency: Our current taxation and fee structure make it challenging for residents to know how much they are paying to the city overall. I will work to make it possible for residents to gain this information either on their water bill or on-line.
From a crowded field of candidates, why should voters choose you to represent them on the city council?
Issues: My stance on taxation, priorities, and jobs is what residents are clamoring for. They believe in my message and they trust that I will follow through on what I have said.
Results: Changing Elgin requires effectively engaging your fellow council members. I am a candidate that will be able to work with others to get results.
What’s the best way for voters to find out more about your campaign?
Web: http://www.votetobyshaw.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/votetobyshaw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/votetobyshaw
E-mail: votetobyshaw@gmail.com
Phone: 224.325.5217
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At least there is some substance here compared to the last 2. Not much b.s. here.
There’s a lot to like about Shaw. I liked the cut of him last time around.
Still I’ve got a vague, bad vibe about him. (Maybe that NENA feeling??)
His push for technology is also a concern. Around the country there are cities who have tried to connect up the town with bandwidth and they have ended in an expensive mess. Maybe he just wants to upgrade city hall. I can’t really tell from his questionnaire. If it’s some sort of city utility plan to provide Internet, I’m against it.
One Vote - Thank you for taking an interest and responding to my profile.
I am not sure how to remediate your bad vibe about myself no matter what the cause. I think we will just have to meet some time for me to dispel that one. You can call me at 224.325.5217, seek me out at one of the upcoming forums, or touch base with me after a city council meeting.
Let me clarify regarding my statement on “Technology Infrastructure”.
What I do NOT mean: I am not in favor of a city wide WIFI system administered by the city. It is not a core service for the city and private industry is doing great at providing this service. I am not in favor of spending money on technology if it does not have a clear goal and is tied to some efficiency gain that will save residents tax dollars.
What I do mean: I am interested in utilizing technology to provide efficient services to the residents of Elgin. I am supportive of the 311 project that is currently underway. If administered correctly this project should reduce the time it takes to get things completed by the city and prevent request from falling through the cracks. I am in favor of keeping our city staff up to date with computers and software programs that allow them to do their jobs effectively.
Overall my goal as a council member will be to bring down-to-earth practical leadership in the area of technology.
Mr. Shaw,
Thank you for the clarification on technology.
And most of all, thank you for your public response.
Toby Shaw has my vote.
In addition to Toby’s questionnaire answers above, you can listen his recent radio interview on WRMN 1410AM “Left, Right and You.”
Listen here.
Hello Drew. Thanks for posting the link to Toby’s interview on “Left Right and You”. The interview was pretty good and pointed out Toby’s good grasp of Elgin’s situation in regards to taxing and spending.
Toby’s points on the City’s move to revenue diversification were totally correct. The taxpayers have lost visibility to what they really pay to the City in taxes because of revenue diversification. That lack of tax transparency has allowed the City go around bragging that they have lowered property taxes, when in reality all the other new taxes cost more than the greatly publicized drop in property taxes.
(Unfortunately, it didn’t seem as though the radio hosts were fully aware of the fact that the drop in property tax was less than the total of all the new taxes and fees. As I told the council last fall, and again last week, my 2012 property taxes PAID TO ELGIN went down exactly $90. But if you add my natural gas tax, electrical tax, leaf fee, garbage tax, they cost me $209.02 in 2012. That is a net tax increase of $119.02, which was a bit over 12%!) Very few Elginites seem to know that, showing that as Toby pointed out in his interview, that revenue diversification has in fact worked against transparency in our city government.
In the interview, they also highlighted the fact that Toby has been a regular attendee at council meetings ever since he lost his council bid two years ago. So Toby knows very well what is going on and the games that are played in City Hall.
THE most important thing though, is that Toby is clearly on the side of the taxpayers and he knows that many are simply burdened past the breaking point and that they need relief, NOT MORE TAXES. The fact that he has stuck around and been engaged with the system for the last two years, and has waged a professional grade campaign show that he is dedicated to winning. And based on my conversations with Toby, he is dedicated to winning, because he is dedicated to serving!
Good interview Toby. I hope you do well in the primary! Chuck
Shepherd Or Hireling?
http://libertyfellowshipmt.com/News/tabid/56/ID/62/Shepherd-Or-Hireling.aspx
Join or Die
http://libertyfellowshipmt.com/News/tabid/56/ID/61/Join-Or-Die.aspx
Great Job Toby!!!!
Congrats Toby!!!!!! You did a great job we look forward to a successful finish. You deserve an applause here’s a couple of claps for ya C U soon. Thanks for standing up for the taxpayers
Congratulations Toby! You did a great job, and I know you will not let up until final victory is yours! Chuck
Toby,
It was a pleasure for my wife and I to throw our support to you as we knew you were the best prepared candidate having served on the budget task force and attending so many council meetings the last two years.
You did the hard work of knocking on so may doors.
You having a family with a spouse and four children you truly understand the burden of taxes on us all with our limited budgets.
Congratulations and looking forward to the general election.
Just want to say congratulations to Toby for his victory yesterday. Job well done, now on to the finals April 9! To all of the other candidates, I say thanks for running and trying to make our city even better.
Thank you all for your support and braving the snow on Tuesday. Our work is not yet done. There are still 40 more days to ensure that my message of lower taxes and sensible spending gets out to Elgin residents. Thank you again, Toby
I saw Chuck at the public house last week, he suggested I review the material in here as it’s been a while. The place was packed for a week night. Toby, you deserve to be where your at! Your research of issues and determination to study all aspects has brought you to this point. Your direction and focus also was apparent during your radio interview. I’m not speaking now of your beliefs or how your votes will come out if elected, but your ability to achieve a level that was not part of you 2 years ago. Enjoy the rewards you deserve and worked for.
I feel very confident that Toby Shaw will be an advocate for the average over taxed Elgin tax payer if elected to this council.
Please consider voting for Toby Shaw for the two year council position.
Please vote for Councilman John Prigge, Terry Gavin, and Cody Holt for the four year positions.
Together I feel they will all be advocates for the average, overburdened tax payers of Elgin.
Thank you
Toby makes me so proud to be white.
Why?
Troll alert.
Only Michelle Obama would be dumb enough to make a comment like that. I think “Mary” is trying to stir things up.
Agreed
Triple agreement! A totally obvious attempt to smear Toby. One would think we are doing the “Limbo Rock”,,, how low can you go????????????? Chuck
Interesting how the truth comes out…your site is racist and bigoted!!!!