To introduce ourselves, we are Ray Johnson, Adam Salzman and Bob Tucker. Together, as the Citizens for Accountable Leadership slate, we seek election to the three open trustee seats on the Oak Park village board. The election is April 5 and early voting begins March 14. You will find our names in the first three positions on your ballot.
We pledge to you accountable, responsible leadership emphasizing fiscal discipline. Visit www.voteCAL.com to read our specific proposals for reducing spending while maintaining the level of services that Oak Parkers have come to expect.
Platforms and pledges require qualified people to implement them. Each of us has the experience and skills to get the job done:
Ray Johnson has served as a village trustee since 2003, and the community for more than 20 years, including current membership on the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association board. He is a program manager in HSBC’s Community Investment Department, and has 28 years of experience with HSBC in budget, finance, personnel and management. As trustee, he is liaison to the plan, historic preservation, transportation and universal access citizen commissions. Ray is distinguished, not only by his extensive experience in municipal government and finance, but also by the fact that thousands of Oak Parkers know Ray and recognize him for his responsiveness, attention to resident concerns and his tireless passion for improving our village.
Adam Salzman is an attorney, specializing in pension and benefits issues, both areas that the village board will be grappling with over the next four years. He began his career in the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office representing abused minors and adults with disabilities. He currently chairs Oak Park’s Universal Access Commission, which serves residents with disabilities. As commission chairman, he has expanded the commission’s outreach program by holding meetings in facilities where Oak Parkers with disabilities already reside. Adam lives in northeast Oak Park with his wife, Jill, and their two young daughters.
Bob Tucker is the corporate general counsel and chief risk officer for Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, an organization dedicated to affordable housing and improving neighborhoods. Bob has extensive experience working with complex budgets, and in the areas of municipal finance, housing and development. These are critical issues to Oak Park now, and they will be for years to come. He currently chairs the village’s community design commission. Bob and his wife, Vicki, have lived in Oak Park for 16 years, and have two sons, Spencer (OPRF) and Bennett (Longfellow).
Experience matters. In this era of shrinking federal, state and local budgets, the next village board will have to hit the ground running, with little time for on-the-job training. Our slate has a combined record of service in Oak Park that touches on major issues that the next village board will face. We respectfully ask for your vote on April 5.
Ray Johnson, Adam Salzman and Bob Tucker are running as the Citizens for Accountable Leadership slate of candidates in the April 5 election. They’re competing for three open spots on the Oak Park village board, along with independents Lewis Carmichael and Lynn Kessen.