advertisement

Endorsements: Tigges, Anastasio, O'Rourke for Wayne village board

The small-town friendliness, the equestrian culture, the conservation efforts - to a T, these are what all the candidates for Wayne village board say brought them to town and what's kept them here. It's where they say the police know practically everyone's name - and their dog's name, too.

And that's the way they want to keep it.

Seven candidates are vying for three 4-year seats on the village board - including three incumbents Ann Tigges, Michael Anastasio and Michael Dimitroff. Challenging them are Kathleen O'Rourke, Patrick O'Brien, Jim Lorenz and Shawn W. Hilton.

While the incumbents agree that the village runs as efficiently as it can - sometimes using fundraisers to pay for things in town, like an event that raised $35,000 for the police department, challenger Kathleen O'Rourke rightly points out that the board needs to look to the future and to the possibility of change. Her suggestion that the board consider an updated comprehensive plan should be a goal of the new board.

Along the same lines, Tigges says the village should be open to considering a tax increase - if needed - rather than relying on volunteerism and donations to pay for the town's needs, such as repaving of roads, paying for police. Tigges points out a village needs to funded equally by everyone, not the donations of a few.

In discussion, Anastasio's love of the town is obvious. He donates time and money to the village - including having helped pay for the village's website. Perhaps not entirely realistically, he also believes that other alternatives than taxes - festivals, for example - can be found to fund the village's needs.

Dimitroff expresses concern about growing traffic that endangers those who ride horses, but also says there is not much a small town can do. O'Brien and Lorenz both love the culture of Wayne, yet if they were to be village trustees, but their sense of where the town is now and where it is going in the future is not as strong as that of the other candidates.

While it is nice to want to retain Wayne as a idyllic small town - the reality is that things change. The new village board can have a educated say in how those changes will occur through thoughtful planning.

To make those decisions, incumbents Ann Tigges, Michael Anastasio and newcomer Kathleen O'Rourke offer the best mix of experience and thoughtful planning. They are endorsed.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.