John Styler: Candidate Profile

Back to Prospect Heights City Council Ward 2

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: Prospect HeightsWebsite: noneOffice sought: Prospect Heights City Council Ward 2 Age: 83Family: Daughters Joanne Margaret and son David and our dog MaxOccupation: retiredEducation: 2 years of collegeCivic involvement: I am a board member of Prospect Heights Dollars for Scholars, the Rob Roy CCV and the Carder Steuben Club in Corning NY not to mention serving our City for the past 12 years.Elected offices held: Alderman Ward 2 in the City of Prospect Heights for the past 12 yearsQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have served on our City Council for the past 12 years and I believe I have represented the best interest of our entire city not just my Ward. Too many candidates have a special interest in thinking they are elected and they should work toward the special interest of the community they live in. A City does not work like that, it's the special interest of the entire City we have to address.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.First our City does not levy a property tax because we are a Non-Home Rule community, an that is just fine. The County property tax is enough as is our sales tax and monies generated from permits, city stickers, sales taxes etc.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?Today our City police department is well staffed, something we can be proud to say. The previous City Council and Mayor gutted the department and under the current Council we were able to man the department full time with the number of officers we needed and volunteers in the station. Our Fire department is a Fire District and serves the community well.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I do believe we have a great budget considering we do not receive a property tax. We have gone from a skeleton City staff and police department to a well managed number. The budget as proposed has been well scrutinized and is manageable with the revenues we receive. This past year we were most successful in getting more vehicle sticker revenues than in years past thanks to a well planned program.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Since we have attempted twice to become a Home Rule community, the opponents of such have distorted the facts and therefore the citizens failed to see the overwhelming benefits; not an increase in taxes but our ability to benefit from the advantages such a status grants us. I do not see it ever being a referendum again, we have to achieved a population of 25,000 residents and that is not possible considering the area we enjoy. I have always felt there is an element in our city that would like horse troughs on the corners and gas lights on the intersections keeping us a rural community they so love to think of us as.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Continuing the progress the current City Council has achieved. The office of alderman in my opinion is to serve the entire City not just the special interest of the Ward, the Council does the voting not the Mayor. My opponent was one of several filing nonsensical FOIA's on water issues at a cost to the City of over $13,000 which had to be charged to our City water fund effecting everyone that pays the City for their water. Those FOIA's were never acted upon by the filers.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Treasurer Rich Tibbits of Prospect Heights. He volunteers more time to the City running the AV department and countless other duties beyond what is expectedWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To be honest and respectful of others and true to yourself and others.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?To have spent more time in the Marine Corp.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Art, I later became an Art Director and eventually headed by own company designing food packaging and brokering packaging salesIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Hold on to the investments we gave you and above all be healthy.