Steve Wiedmeyer: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: Pingree GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Pingree Grove Village President Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Wife- Denise Step daughter- TaylorOccupation: Owner of Steve Wiedmeyer Landscape ServicesEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Trustee- Village of Pingree Grove since 1996Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Being the longest sitting Trustee, I have served under several different Village Presidents. I have observed many different styles of leadership during this time. Over the years there have been difficult situations and struggles. I have seen both unified boards and divided ones. I have watched Pingree Grove grow from 120 people to close to 5000 today. I am proud to have been a part of this growth and look forward to being a part of the future. I have run my own business for the past 30+ years. I am faced with many of the same challenges that occur in the village. I regularly work side by side with my employees, I deal with equipment issues daily, I have a loyal customer base that I work with, and I have to work within our budget to ensure we'll stay in business for many years. Going forward, I feel I can use all of this knowledge to be the best Leader of the Village and the Board of Trustees.How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services that people want?The condition of Pingree Grove's budget for the past few years has been balanced! It is always our goal to repeat this every year. As a board working with our staff, we strive to look at every line and ask questions where needed. Another goal is always to maintain service levels that the community has grown accustomed to. By closely monitoring all of our departments including our SSAs, we have been able to meet our service levels. As growth continues and service requirements change, we will continue to work with staff to meet the requirements.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Our budget, like many communities today, has been trimmed and trimmed and trimmed again. Our staff understands the importance of passing a balanced every year and they all work extremely hard to help us achieve this. We will continue to work with staff and question things as needed. Moving forward, we realize that all of our departments will need additional funding, employees and equipment, and we will strive to solve each and every issue as they arise.Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board or city council.I recognize that, as Village President, I am still part of the Village Board. While being the leader, the President rarely votes on any issues. I think it's important to be a part of any discussion and not steer it one way or another. Absolutely no personal agendas! We have 7 people on the board and each person should be recognized and treated equally. Different opinions often lead to more choices and solutions for each topic. I will always work with the board to achieve the best results for the Village of Pingree Grove.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Candidate did not respond.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?We have been improving the communication within the Village over the past few years. This will continue to be an important issue during the next 4 years. It is important for our residents to be able to access needed information in a timely manner. This includes building and permit questions, public events, board meetings and minutes and safety concerns. When I first moved to Pingree Grove, people had never heard of our town. Today, we're finally on the map! People enjoy living here and are proud to say so. It's our job as board members to welcome public opinions and strive to build the best community for years to come.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?With honesty and hard work, you can achieve anything.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I always loved Math! I use this daily in my business, a lot of Geometry and Algebra.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat people how you yourself want to be treated.