Wauconda candidates share ideas on economic development
Candidates for seats on Wauconda's village board have different ideas for building the local economy and attracting new businesses.
Hiring an economic development director and promoting the village through service groups are among the candidates' suggestions.
Six people are running for three seats on the village board. They are: incumbent Tim Howe; Adam Schlick, who now serves on the Wauconda Park District board but isn't running again for that post; and political newcomers Richard Morino, Joe Lewis, Mike Silverman and Dan Casper.
The three seats carry 4-year terms.
Howe, Schlick and Morino are part of the Wauconda Forward slate.
Lewis, Silverman and Casper are part of the One Wauconda slate.
Howe, Schlick, Morino, Lewis and Silverman spoke about economic development in Wauconda and other issues in a group interview with the Daily Herald. Casper was unavailable.
Morino said the village's economic outreach should focus on three areas: Main Street, the Route 176 corridor and places on the north side of town that could be suitable for corporate parks. He'd like the village to hire an economic development director who can focus full-time on "selling Wauconda" to prospective business owners.
Wauconda hasn't had someone in that role since 2014, but that hiring should only happen when the village can afford it, Morino said.
"I'm not a fan of 'build it and they will come,'" he said.
Silverman said Wauconda officials need to attract mid-sized and larger corporations that are thinking about moving, but he didn't say how to accomplish this.
When asked if he supported hiring an economic development director, Silverman said he didn't think it was necessary right now.
"I think there are other ways of going about it," he said.
Lewis is particularly interested in luring factories to town. He suggested promoting Wauconda as a good town for businesses through word-of-mouth and service organizations such as Rotary International.
If the village hires an economic development director, he wants the employee to have an "incentive-driven" contract to ensure accountability.
Howe, a trustee since 2015, strongly advocates hiring an economic development director.
"Word-of-mouth is great, but we need a focused salesperson, somebody who is going to be beating the bushes, exploring who is out there looking (to operate in Wauconda) and making sure we're in front of them," he said.
Schlick, a park board member since 2013, also said the village needs an economic development director. Wauconda needs a strategic plan for business growth, he said, and the director would create such a plan.