Bill Russ – Democratic Candidate for
Cook County Commissioner 16th District
Primary Election – Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Background - Experience - Issues - Goals

Bill Russ was born to a blue collar working family and raised in Cook County and resides in the Sixteenth District in Brookfield, Illinois with his wife Barbara and his teenage son Ryan who attends Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois. They are parishioners of St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield. Bill is a Trustee and Former President of the Brookfield VFW Post # 2868 Men’s Auxiliary.

As a small business owner for many years, Bill has managed employees, paid taxes, made payrolls, kept books, run marketing and customer service, and he knows well the importance of small business vitality to the health of our communities and Cook County. He is currently a licensed Real Estate Broker and Insurance Administration Consultant in the automotive field.

Bill has over fourteen years of municipal experience, far more than any of his opponents. He served as Village President of Brookfield, Illinois from 2001-2005 and as Village Trustee from 1989-1997 and from 1999-2001. He is very familiar with financial reports, municipal budgets, union negotiations, labor relations, prevailing wage rates, fair bidding processes, large infrastructure projects, liquor control issues and laws, long term planning, T.I.F. Districts and the most important of all, dealing fairly and honestly with tax-payers and residents.

Strong supporters of conservation and a healthy environment, Bill's family also cherishes the many fine aspects of life in Cook County such as the bike paths, forest preserves, canoeing in the creeks, hiking, bird watching, and cross-country skiing in the woods. Effective management of these precious natural resources will be a top priority for Bill's work on the Cook County Board. He wants to maintain them for future generations and not sell off the land to private parties. Green space is very important to him.

Cook County is one of the world's great places to live, work and raise a family but Cook County Government has become synonymous with bloated budgets and even corruption; often referred to by some as “Crook County”.

He feels the need to do a complete audit of all Cook County positions to see what positions should be civil service and what positions are not civil service. He wants to completely reform the process of how we hire employees currently. No political hiring’s as rewards or pay back for friends and relatives.

Bill believes that it is crucial to fix what is broken in Cook County, keep what is working, and commit to finding a sustainable path forward that is more efficient, effective, and nurtures opportunity for growth. Bill is a hard-working and independent reforming Democrat, with proven effective and positive bi-partisan experience in politics.

Bill’s goals on the Cook County Board would be repeal the sales tax, strive for better health care, end political favors, change the budget process, work closer with municipalities, townships, the state and labor unions. Also, work closer with the business community to retain business and try to bring new businesses to Cook County for increased revenues and jobs.

Bill will work hard to protect the fiscal and physical resources of Cook County while advancing quality of life, and to be your voice and the voice of all working families on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

2010 PRIMARY ENDORSEMENT
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Cook County Commissioner

Bill Russ - 16th District

Your Home for Good Government Since 1944
IVI–IPO
1325 S. Wabash, Suite 105
Chicago, Illinois 60605

HOW TO APPEAL YOUR HIGH PROPERTY TAX
WITHOUT PAYING AN ATTORNEY

I am aware of the tremendous burden that property taxes can be, especially in these tough economic times. And although the Assessors office does it's best to get it right, no organization is perfect. The Assessors office itself recognizes that, and has set up an appeals process. What many people do not realize, however, is that you do not need to hire an attorney to represent you if you feel that your property has been improperly taxed. The following page show you how to represent yourself in this process without paying for an Attorney. Please click here to read about process here > View PDF

The Landmark View
12-09-2009
Easy on the signs, huh?
Say what you want about Bill Russ' prospects of becoming the next Cook County commissioner for the 16th District, his complaints about campaign signs popping up all over the area for his opponent, Jeffrey Tobolski, are right on the money.

Russ is running against Tobolski as a Democrat in the February primary for the privilege of running against, we're assuming, incumbent Republican Tony Peraica. Of course, we here in Landmark Land would love to see a Russ-Peraica matchup for the local flavor it would give the race.

But Tobolski has a war chest many times the size of Russ', and judging by the number of campaign signs that have been plastered in McCook and elsewhere, it appears that Tobolski probably has the organization to get out the vote.

Regardless, that doesn't mean he should be able to flout village ordinances - in his hometown and elsewhere - in order to get that done. Tobolski signs have already been taken down in Brookfield, which has a law on the books stating that campaign signs are only allowed within 30 days of an election and only on private property.

McCook has the same law on its books, yet officials there appear to have no idea where to find it.

In a letter dated Dec. 4 from McCook's police chief answering Russ' complaint about the signs, Frank Wolfe thanked Russ for pointing out the citation in the village code, saying "the ordinance book is rather large and you helped me get right to the pages of the book that needed to be researched."

Of course, it takes about 30 seconds to find the citation on that wonderful invention called the Internet, where McCook's book of ordinances is helpfully available.

After being directed to the citation, however, the chief wrote to Russ that no one's ever enforced the code as far as he knows.

Now, we don't know what elections are like in McCook, but typically campaign signs are a touchy issue where there are contested races, which is why those pesky campaign sign laws were written in the first place.

Tobolski's signs have been visible within McCook, where Tobolski is mayor and where his father was mayor before him, for months. As a local political candidate, you'd think Tobolski would know about campaign sign laws.

A spokesman for the Tobolski campaign told the Landmark that the village attorney - who serves at the pleasure of the village board of which Tobolski is the top dog - said it was fine to put up the signs. Nice.

Meanwhile, the police chief is doing an all-out research project on the matter, according to the letter he wrote to Russ. When done, he'll "channel my recommendations through the proper chain of command." That chain, we're guessing, includes his boss, the mayor, the candidate.

Well, at least we would hope other towns with sign ordinances will enforce them, to keep campaign-weary voters from having to endure these political advertisements any longer than they have to.

The Landmark News
12-09-2009
Russ to Tobolski: Your signs are illegal

By BOB UPHUES
Editor
A Brookfield resident running in the February 2010 Democratic primary for commissioner in Cook County's 16th District is crying foul over his opponent's campaign signs, which he says are being displayed illegally.

Bill Russ, former Brookfield village president and trustee, has sent formal letters of complaint to the McCook chief of police and to the McCook village board, stating that signs for his opponent Jeffrey Tobolski are being displayed in violation of that town's own sign ordinance.

Tobolski is the mayor of McCook.

"Mr. Tobolski has 4-foot-by-4 foot political signs all over the village of McCook that have been displayed on the public utility poles and public parkways since September of this year," Russ wrote to Police Chief Frank Wolfe on Nov. 27.

Russ supplied Wolfe with a copy of McCook's sign ordinance, found on the village's own Web site, stating that such signs can only be displayed within 30 days of an election and only on private property.

Tobolski has been on a campaign sign placement spree of late. According to campaign spokesman Kevin Fanning, about 1,000 Tobolski signs have been placed within the district, which includes several west and southwest suburban communities, including Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside. And another batch of signs has been ordered, Fanning said.
Fanning said the Tobolski campaign got the green light to place the signs in McCook by that village's attorney. Meanwhile, McCook's police chief sent a letter to Russ in response to the complaint, stating that in his 32 years as a police officer in the village, he had "seen many elections come and go. ... Not one time do I recall ever having to enforce this ancient sign code from 1965."

Russ was particularly irked at a handful of signs placed on light poles and utility poles along Ogden Avenue in Brookfield, in violation of Brookfield's sign laws. Assistant Village Manager Keith Sbiral said that as soon as he noticed the signs, he had public works employees take them down.

"We've notified [Tobolski's] office of our 30-day rule," Sbiral said. "And you can't put signs on any public property in Brookfield ever, including utility poles."

As for the signs on ComEd utility poles whether in McCook or elsewhere, they're strictly forbidden, according to spokesman Peter Pedraza.

"ComEd poles are ComEd property and non-ComEd signage should not be posted on utility poles," said Pedraza, who added that at no time does the company grant permission to political candidates to post signs to the poles.

Area resident donates his time to VFW and is rewarded

Bill Russ at Veterans Park in Brookfield. Bill was recently named Senior Vice Commander and received a Recognition and Appreciation award at the Brookfield VFW's 75th anniversary. 9-11-08

By Janice Hoppe, Brookfield Suburban Life – Sept. 12, 2008

Former village president Bill Russ recently was elected senior vice commander of the Men’s Auxiliary at the VFW Post 2868.

Russ became a member of the men’s auxiliary about 10 years ago to give something back to the veterans who fought for the country. Russ never served in the military, but was able to join the auxiliary through his father’s military service in World War II and Korea.

“It’s my obligation as an American to pay them back for what they did,” Russ said. “I feel I owe the post and the veterans for preserving freedom.”

At the 75th anniversary picnic Sept. 7, Russ was given the a recognition and appreciation award for his support and involvement in the VFW.

“I still have it in my car and showing people around town,” Russ said.

Russ said he was given the award because he continues to support and do the “little things” for veterans. He said if families needed food, he was there to help them, along with giving money to those in need to pay for their mortgage or other life necessities.

“It is like a family with the veterans,” Russ said. “It is all about helping people.”

VFW Commander Dave Kivi said many awards and certificates were given out that night to people and businesses that have supported the VFW through the years.

“A lot (of awards) were given out because of all the years these people have supported us financially, manpower and coming up with ideas,” Kivi said.

“LET’S NEVER FORGET AND ALWAYS REMEMBER OUR TRUE HEROES”

Never Forget 9-11 Pictures