Huntley Board of Trustees
My experience and knowledge as a former Huntley Village Trustee will help me continue my goals for the Huntley community. In addition I was a member of the McHenry County Groundwater Task force and participated in the formation of the guide lines for the protection of ground water. I am a member of the McHenry County Council of Governments and its two sub-committees, namely transportation and the Northwest Water Alliance, representing the village of Huntley for several years. And as a retired EPA engineer, I was responsible for approving water treatment plants and improvements all over the State of Il. This gives me valuable insight to the quality and quantity of water in aquifers in McHenry County.
It is my opinion that the following issues are top priorities for the Village of Huntley.
The revitalization of Huntley is important to the economic growth of the Huntley. I would promote the development of the newly formed TIF district .
Population growth and its impact on water supply is the next issue that needs to be a top priority.
New business and the completion of the new Centegra Hospital plus the construction of I90 Interchange will add to the need for adequate water supplies.
With new businesses coming to the Huntley and surrounding areas there will be a need for skilled and semiskilled workers
According to District 158 the number of high school graduates is expected to exceed 1000 in coming years. Some of these graduates may not go on for college degrees and would benefit from specialized training. I would encourage McHenry and Elgin colleges to set up satellites offering courses in technical fields.
It is my understanding that the property tax is comprised of several entities that includea school district 158, McHenry County College, conservation district and Huntley Village, fire, library and park district, along with Grafton Township.
The property tax levy by the Village is a minor portion of the total tax. In the fiscal years 2011-2012 the tax levy did not change. This levy is governed by Grafton Township [equalized assessed valuationand county multiplier provided by the county.
The Village board of Huntley does not have any control over those two factors. Property values during the economic downturn, have declined.
The Village of Huntley not having big businesses as a source of revenue, has to rely on property tax for the operation and governance of the Village.
In these circumstances, in my view ,the levy should be evaluated every year based on economic conditions and revenue collected in the previous year.
The Huntley Village government is made up of Village president, board of trustees and manager.
The manager preforms the administrative functions in consultation with the president and board. The board by majority vote, approves the items on the agenda and there is not much room for disagreement.
I believe the biggest accomplishment of the Huntley board was the completion of widening of Illinois route 47, which was started with the help of an intergovernmental agreement by the previous board.
This will provide easier access to the towns and villages to the northern and southern areas of McHenry County.
I believe that with my work experience as a senior environmental engineer with the EPA. I will be an resource for the Huntley Village board concerning ground water and surface water pollution .
I proposed and initiated the necessity for a five year capitol construction plan for potable water, roads and infrastructure.
I recommended and encouraged collection of surplus prescription drugs for disposal , by the village ,to reduce pollution of surface and ground water.
Family is what drives me to stay involved. I am married with two beautiful daughters and I want to make sure they grow up in a safe and quality environment. I am currently serving on the Village of Huntley Planning Commission board, as well as I am a very active volunteer within the community such as the Huntley American Legion, Trinity Lutheran Church of Huntley, Huntley Area Jaycees, Huntley Fall Fest and Christmas in the Square. Through the leadership roles that I have held within these organizations, I have gained the experience and knowledge of what it takes to get the job done. Huntley is a great place to live and I would like to continue to support our high quality standards. Given the opportunity to serve as Village Trustee, I can make a difference to keep that quality. I will work hand in hand with all residents to make positive, forward thinking decisions for the future of Huntley.
Not in any particular order, but the downtown area needs to be re-vamped and re-vitalized to bring in new businesses. The challenge will be how to make the downtown area attractive to new business opportunities, while maintaining the historical integrity of our existing structures. We need new shops, small businesses that bring visitors and residents to our downtown. Huntley is one of the oldest (pre-Civil War) historical communities in the area and we need to embrace that history while making modern adjustments. Our Square needs to be more family friendly, with better public spaces and facilities. Slight changes can make that space more resident friendly. I am not a knock-it-down-and-start-over guy, I say let\\\'s make what we have better.
The Village is going to be overwhelmed with new growth from the I90/Route 47 interchange area and north to Kreutzer Rd. I need to make sure that new growth is paid for by the developers and not the existing taxpayers. We need quality projects that help our tax base such as new restaurants, more commercial growth that creates jobs for our residents and perhaps a hotel.
Centegra will need to stay in the forefront in the minds of our board as it develops in Huntley. We need to make sure that infrastructure surrounding the hospital site maintains forward thinking decisions for all of Huntley.
I would support freezing the taxing levy. As we pull out of this down economy we have new businesses coming to Huntley. Our marketing department in the Village is very aggressive at going after new business. As a Trustee it will be my job to help them in every way possible and show support to the new businesses as they open. Our Village staff has really trimmed expenses and is a lean-operating entity. We are living within our means and without raising any taxes to homeowners or businesses.
One of my more recent wishes was to have had the utility lines buried during the widening construction of route 47. Although America, not just Huntley, was going through a tough economic time, I understand why the board made its decision to not have them buried. I look to the future in hopes that one day my children may see them in the ground, but for now I am glad the route 47 construction is complete and our businesses are starting to get back on their feet.
There are too many to list, but most recently Centegra Hospital has been one of the latest accomplishments that the Village of Huntley has secured. With a new 128 bed facility equipped with helipad and a state of the art emergency room, Centegra will be another great service Huntley will have to offer. The board will have plenty of work ahead as it helps design the final product. Some concerns from the residents as well as my own has been parking, future expansion, various road access to the facility and infrastructure upgrades. Although I welcome this project with open arms, I would like to address these concerns as well as any additional concerns that may arise during the various construction phases.
I am dedicated to Huntley. I have learned more about how the Village works as well as I have a better understanding of what our residents care about. I am able to look at the big picture from the perspective of the average taxpayer and will make good fiscal decisions. I am the one to be counted on, the family man, the stable guy looking to make good decisions for my family and yours too. I am the guy that gets the job done and the one you can count on to be there each week when the important votes need to be made.
Administrative experience dealing with lawyers, agencies, parents, politicians; involvement in Huntley via The Zoning Bd. of Appeals,V.P.of The Huntley Civilian Police Academy, V.P. of The Huntley Historical Society, member of the former Financial Advisory Committee of D158, member of Sun City Lions Club, Sun City Marketing Committee, Sun City LifeLongLearning Committee; past chair of neighborhood; takes classes at MCC; team player, problem solver, able to relate to people of all ages and can build a bridge between seniors and younger residents.
1st priority: Job growth through expansion of local commercial, retail, and business establishments as this will have a domino effect on creation of a positive economic climate which will aid choice for residents, create a revenue stream which can affect sales and real estate taxes, and improve the quality of life for Huntley’s residents.
My next priority is to show fiscal responsibility to Huntley’s tax payers by balancing budgetary needs the VOH needs to maintain its optimal performance against the reality of the economic situation in Kane & McHenry Counties.
My third priority is to effect historical preservation by compromise. Huntley is quaint and has a long and signficant history. Some of the old buildings are in disrepair. There is a need for cosmetic attractiveness and infrastructure repair in downtown Huntley so that Huntley can attract businesses, pedestrians, and be a gathering place to meet.I have ideas to memorialize the history of the buildings as well as to creatively use some of the buildings which can attract people to visit Huntley and enjoy its charm. I intend to use the collective experience of The Huntley Historical Commission and The Huntley Historical Society to create a bridge between a desire for historical preservation and a need for modernization.
I think that it would be impractical to freeze the levy until then as experts are predicting that the housing rebound could take as long as five years. There might be equipment replacement needs, software upgrade needs, unfilled VOH positions may need to be staffed so that services do not deteriorate, unexpected road and sidewalk repairs may occur, unanticipated expenses due to aging areas and TIF readiness expenses could happen, water treament and well issues could require expenditures,increased “green” initiatives could require more funding, etc. If residents want to see continued quality of services and growth in Huntley, then a tax levy may be essential at some point although it should be conservative in light of people’s financial concerns.
I cannot take issue with any of the board’s decisions as the mayor and trustees are financially conservative, visionaries, and creative problem solvers. I am slightly concerned about the rumors that the Village purchase of the Sawyer-Kelley Mill on Main Street may lead to its demolition so that a small parking lot can be erected on its site. This would be a loss of another historically significant building; however, perhaps the TIF plans will take into consideration many of the vocal concerns expressed by long-time Huntley residents about the future of this building.
The TIF plans coming to fruition which will take into account the ideas and goals expressed by a core group of residents who participated in a Downtown Revitalization Plan which began in 2009 seems to be the most significant accomplishment this year. I participated in those brain-storming meetings and was excited about the interest in creating a downtown which would draw residents and visitors to our famous square.
I have the diversity of experience in Huntley in multiple facets of governance and am connected to what takes place;therefore, I can help to ensure that we continue to have an outstanding quality of life living here. I can bridge the gap between the seniors who live in Sun City and those seniors who do not as well as bridge the gap between seniors and the younger residents. I want to partner with the Huntley Chamber of Commerce, the local banks, factories, and companies, the VOH officials who are hired to bring new businesses to town, Kane and McHenry Counties, the three townships in the area, and local service organizations. I have the time to serve my community as I am now retired.
What experiences do you have that make you a good candidate for office?
I have been a Trustee for the past 6 years. I have learned a lot from the Village staff which I feel has made me a better trustee. In addition to this experience my involvement with the various groups in the Village like the Huntley Little League and St Mary’s Church allows me to talk to other people and get their point of view on the issues at hand.
Being with them allows me to get a feeling of what the rest of the Village residents want done.
First and foremost I want to continue working on our transportation issues in the Village.
This year the I90/Rt. 47 interchange will be completed. Rt.47 has been widened.
Our next step is to complete the Kreutzer Road extension from Rt. 47 to Main St. This is an important roadway as it would allow for a bypass around the Village and ease congestion during peak travel times for both the residents and for the school busses.
Second on my list is to bring public transportation to Huntley. We experienced a disappointment with the Amtrak route going through a different town. However, we still are working with Metra to get the train to come to Huntley and beyond. While that process is still in the planning stages, we need to work on some type of connector route via bus from Huntley to the train station in Elgin. At least this would allow for less traffic to be on the road.
Thirdly I want to see the Village continue with creating bike paths and sidewalks to all parts of the Village. The walkability of the town would be inviting to people to visit our town.
I would and I have supported the same tax levy for the past three budget years. It’s important for local governments to be fiscally responsible in these hard times. Holding the line on the tax levy allows the residents some relief at least from the Village’s share of the taxes.
Soon after I was elected to the Village board an ordinance was brought forth to repeal the residential sprinklers requirement. I voted against the repeal because I felt we need to work with the developers to provide a more reasonable product. The issues that prompted the repeal just needed to be addressed with the builders.
I disagreed with the majority of the Board and voted against the repeal. Repealing the ordinance was not going to resolve the issues that some residents were having at the time..
The completion of the Rte. 47 widening, the start of the I90/Rte. 47 interchange and the establishment of the downtown TIF area
I feel that I having six years of experience behind me as well as other qualities that I have makes me qualified to earn another term as trustee. I feel that when I vote on items that I the people in mind. This has been demonstrated by my two different votes against an additional electricity tax that was proposed by one of the other trustees. I felt that adding another tax to the already over taxed residents was not in their best interest. Also I have been involved with various levels of government over the years. I have worked for a Chicago alderman and a state Senator.
Prior to being a trustee I served on the Village planning commission for 2 ½ years.
I feel that all of this experience makes me the best candidate for the job.
