Bill Nicholson: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: MettawaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mettawa Village boardAge: 65Family: Married to Wendy 2 Childrend Stacy, Scott 1 Grandson Nolan Bulldog Farley Cat AngelOccupation: Managing Director; R.W. Baird Co Heads an Investment Advisory GroupEducation: Bachelor of Science Business Michigan State UniversityCivic involvement: Trustee Village of MettawaMettawa Open Lands AssociationElected offices held: Treasurer Village of Mettawa, 8 yearsTrustee Village of Mettawa 16 yearsHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Preserving the beauty and country lifestyle of Mettawa. Mettawa is a unique and special community. There are few places like it in the country. We have wonderful people, lots of open land, horse trails, and wild life. We all came here because we value those things. It is important as stewards of the land we protect and preserve this very special community. We do so by being mindful to what we have and be proactive in being aware of the threats of uncontrolled development, traffic and government. Key Issue 2 Controlling spending, cutting taxes, and limited the size of government. Nowadays, governments are out of control. They often see taxpayers as a way to advance their personal agendas. It is important that we do not lose sight of our responsibility as fiduciaries for Mettawa and the funds we collect and spend them wisely. It is critical we treat our tax dollars, not as the Board#146;s money, but as the people#146;s money. That means we must keep a tight rein on spending and seek ways to manage expenses and cut taxes at the Village level where possible, and use our position to influence decisions and the county and state as well. We must also be careful to not allow the expected influx of money from Costco to result in an attitude of #145;let#146;s spend it all because we have it,#146; because we never know what they future may bring.Key Issue 3 Is assuring we have the means and foresight to continue to take the steps necessary to protect the properties that are vulnerable to commercial risk and do it in the most expeditious manner not simply writing a big check. The Parks Recreation committee has done a great job in identifying these threats. In some cases that will be purchasing land; in others it may be more economical to secure easements and other covenants to remove the future threat of unwanted uses that mean more traffic / impact the long term Comprehensive Plan.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?First of all, I know and like the other candidates. They are neighbors and friends and I look forward to serving with two of them. People simply feel I am the most qualified candidate to be Village Trustee because of my successful experience, independence and a proven track record. I am currently a Village Trustee and from the day I moved to Mettawa, almost 25 years ago, I have served the Village; first as Treasurer (8 yrs), then as Trustee (16 yrs) and I am also currently on the Village Finance Committee. All of the other candidates combined do not have as much experience or been involved with the Village as I have during my career of public service. In fact, I cannot recall any of them attending more than just a handful of Board meetings over the past 25 years. During those years of service I was known first and foremost as looking out for the best interest of our neighbors. I was the #145;Village Watchdog,#146; and at the forefront of trying to curtail commercial development and contain the ever-growing traffic. I have also brought a businessman#146;s sensibility to our finances and was known as the most cost-conscious member of the Board. I kept a tight rein on spending and emphasized keeping taxes under control. While some candidates now advocate continuing the tax rebate we give to home owners, I was the one that originally led the effort to begin such a program. I strongly believed, and still believe, that it was the people#146;s money and if we kept it, like most governing bodies, we would find a way to spend it. With the influx of additional money coming from Costco, this principle is true now more than ever. Residents often tell me I have earned the Village#146;s respect for my hard work, extra effort and always questioning. When we were first told we were required to spend $5 Million of the Costco property proceeds on Park lands I Insisted we get additional opinions before we proceeded. What we found was we had many options that allowed us to use those proceeds much more favorably. This summer I chaired and pulled together our 50th anniversary celebration, which was the biggest celebration gathering since the Village was formed.As the #147;Village Watchdog#148;, I was and will continue to be Independent. That is important. We need independence and diversity on the Village Board, both in terms of opinion and geography. If all candidates are from one party, we lose that. In addition, while I have always served and looked out for the whole Village, I am the only trustee that lives south of Rte 60. If not reelected, there will be no trustee, for the first time in the history of the Village, representing those south of Rte. 60. That representation was very important in considering the impact of Costco onthose effected most and one of my main efforts was to protect them. Finally, we continue to need a Board that works together like our current Board . At times though, when things have gotten contentious I have been complimented for seeing both sides of issues and working to bring together opposing views and parties to form a consensus without rancor or hostility. That being said, I also am unafraid to stand firm in my beliefs despite political pressure, and have voted independently of other board members and Mayors over the years; most notably in matters of questioning certain commercial developments. By so doing we have stopped some and tended to get enhanced terms and better results for the Village on others. In the most controversial matters we were able to bring both sides together for the best interest of the Village with solutions that have helped secure Mettawa financially for years to come. In conclusion, it will be important to have someone on the Board who understands the past, but has helped lay the foundation and is ready for the future. Someone that provides perspective and insight that comes from 25 years of dealing with assaults on the Village, development, budgets, zoning, lawsuits, regulations and the host of issues that have challenged us over those years. And it just as important to have someone who has served with excellence,integrity and reliability during that time. It has been an honor and privilege to have represented Mettawa all these years and I welcome the opportunity to continue to do the best for the Village I care so much about.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Overall I support lowering taxes wherever we can but given the times we are in I believe local sales taxes are at an appropriate level.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.While it is not yet a problem, the potential for crime is what our neighbors are indicating is high on their list of concerns. There has been some recent contractor scams and other concerning activities within the Village, and the increased through traffic as a result of the new hotels and Costco is of great concern to me. Our board has begun to address this through the formation of a public safety commission. As a result, signage discouraging solicitation and neighborhood watch has been promoted to discourage such activities. We are also currently investigating additional police coverage and protection within the village. Being proactive and staying ahead of crime will be one of the best ways to ensure continued public safety. Citizen involvement will play an important role and I recommend that we continue these efforts. In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Over the years, the village has run at a surplus. People say I have played an important role in that happening. But I have been fortunate to work with some great teammates on the Board and in the Village. I have felt we can always sharpen the pencil and have been at the forefront for the past 24 years of keeping costs down and examining and requiring justification for virtually all significant expenditures before approving them. In recent years we made great strides in reducing legal and engineering expenses, which were two of our biggest budget items. I think where the next biggest threat comes is now that we will be receiving significant tax revenue from the Costco sales tax there are those who will have grandiose plans to spend it on things that will be more beneficial to the Board or just a few, and less beneficial to the residents. We will need a Watchdog now more than ever to see we don#146;t increase spending on foolish things simply because we have the money. I would much prefer we return those dollars to the homeowners or save them for the unexpected than to build shrines or increase staffs that are simply NOT needed in a small community. Where we should consider allocation of additional funds, though, is for additional police protection, traffic control and possible land protection to further restrict commercial development in Mettawa and defend our low density zoning against encroachment. What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The 50th Celebration was a success for many reasons, but people told me they really enjoyed getting together with their neighbors and meeting those that hadn#146;t met. I would like to see us set up periodic events beyond the Board meetings that would encourage Mettawans to come out, meet their neighbors, have fun and share their views in a more informal setting. We have found that every time we reach out to our neighbors we learn things that help us better guide the village.