Nikos Tsonis: 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: WheelingWebsite: http://Dems4LowerTaxes.comOffice sought: Wheeling Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 44Family: SingleOccupation: AttorneyEducation: JD and MBACivic involvement: Hellenic American Leadership CouncilElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Reduce property taxes to the extent possible.Key Issue 2 Eliminate unnecessary spending to maximize services. (?Budgeting for Results?)Key Issue 3 To make the Township more transparent and accountable to taxpayers.Questions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.1. Incumbents have shown a lack of respect for taxpayers by accumulating an excessive cash reserve during a time when taxpayers are struggling. These reserves are nearly 200% of the annual operating budget of Wheeling Township. We should strive to responsibly lower this reserve by lowering the property taxes of residents to whatever extent possible. 2. We should reduce unnecessary spending and consolidate function where possible. There are several ways this may be done: a. Possibly eliminate the Highway Department. This will consolidate Township government by transferring highway duties to the Township Board. b. Reduce the salaries and benefits of elected officials so that they are proportionate to the hours required to fulfill their responsibilities. c. Reduce the administrative costs involved in fulfilling services to residents where possible. The Township does not have a huge budget given the number of its residents, but that does not mean there should be waste in delivery of services. That is simply not acceptable as a matter of principle. These necessary changes are less likely to be done by the incumbents. A fresh perspective is needed. 3. We should improve the transparency of Wheeling Township and make it more accountable. We can update meeting minutes in a timely manner and communicate better regarding upcoming events. We can also better communicate to taxpayers the tax exemptions available to them in order to help make sure NOBODY is overpaying their fair share of property taxes. As a property tax attorney, this issue is dear to my heart. Finally, there is room to improve communication with residents in general through better use of the internet a low cost way of fulfilling our obligations.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?There are still important functions that Wheeling Township does serve these functions tend to be the providing of services that are not easily provided by individual towns. For example, helping seniors travel within Wheeling Township cannot be done by one town because residents often travel through several towns to get to their destination. (It would be cumbersome for towns to coordinate among each other for this function). Similarly, it would be wasteful for individual towns to have their own individual food pantry. Moreover, the indigent, seniors and veterans are vulnerable residents. We shouldn't rely on each town to provide the safety net they need but should instead pool resources through the Township for economies of scale.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?Townships should focus on 1. Delivering certain services to seniors, veterans, the disabled and those in need; 2. Communicating with residents about all issues relating to their property taxes; 3. Serve as a clearinghouse for residents and township-area to find vital resources and programs that are already available to them such as work placement assistance, economic incentives and more.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?1. Eliminate the Township Highway Commission. This may not result in immediate savings but it will consolidate layers of government. 2. Reduce salaries of elected officials to be in line with their hours worked. 3. Reduce the overhead costs of providing services as much as feasible. 4. Reduce and eliminate unneeded spending such as for Township Hall beautification projects like new bushes, etc. All budgetary line items should be judged against the value they bring in fulfilling the Township's core missions of direct, local services to residents such as those in need, the disabled, veterans, and seniors.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?I am a property tax attorney, so I have a great background for understanding property taxes and communicating to taxpayers how their taxes are calculated. I also understand how to communicate to taxpayers their options for keeping their property taxes as low as possible by taking advantage of the exemptions available to them. I have an M.B.A. and run my own law practice, so I have an appreciation of how to make organizations run efficiently. I look forward to applying my experience and education to help Wheeling Township maximize services on a tighter budget.