Mike Millette: 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: Campton HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Campton Hills Village Board Age: 52Family: Wife: MichelleDaughter: BrigidOccupation: Civil EngineerEducation: BSCE, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1986MPA, Norwitch U., expected 2108Civic involvement: Member, Metro West Government Affairs Committee; Alternate Member, Illinois Terrorism Task Force; Past Member, Campton Township Groundwater Task Force; Treasurer, Saint Charles North Friends of Music; Treasurer, Camp Kane Heritage Foundation; Past Treasurer, Thompson MS Fine Arts Boosters;Thirty years work experience in the public sector; Past President, Chicago Metro Chapter - American Public Works Association;Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor, Wood Badge StaffElected offices held: TrusteeQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am running for reelection as a Village Trustee because I would like to be given the opportunity to complete the goals I helped set for this community in 2007 and, just as importantly, if not more so, I have been asked to run again. It has been quite humbling to be given the confidence of so many residents during my tenure on the Board and to feel that I have upheld their trust to the point that they want me to continue serving them.Despite our growing pains, I feel that we have made tremendous progress toward our goal of local control which led us to incorporate ten years ago. But, we still have much to do. We must focus on our efforts to complete the Zoning Ordinance and match it to our Comprehensive Plan - which, itself, is due for a complete review. Our first attempt at transitioning to a Council/Manager form of government failed. I am firmly committed to ensuring that our second attempt succeeds. Lastly, and most importantly, I am dedicated to helping the Board to get back to a less contentious environment. No fewer than a dozen people who have approached me about running again cite my moderating influence as the most important quality I possess as a member of the current Board.Finally, I think that a Village Trustee should serve no more than four terms. Therefore, should I be retained, I will not stand for reelection in 2021.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.We will continue to have no municipal tax levy and no add-on local sales tax. We should focus on our Wasco core area to increase our sales tax base in order to improve our shared sales tax revenue.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?Since fire and EMS are provided by five separate districts, I am only able to address the question in terms of police protection. Our police coverage is exemplary! We have been rated as the 10th safest city in America in 2016 by the SafeWise Report. Our biggest challenge, as with all public safety agencies, is the health of the pension fund. We are limited in our investment creativity due to our small size, so we must solicit the State to allow more flexibility in what our pension board can do.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?We have had the benefit of establishing a true zero-based budget and in our ten years have managed it as such. Not having a municipal property tax levy, we primarily rely on the local share of the State income tax, the LGDF, for our revenue. As such, we know that there is a fixed income and have always budgeted to meet that. Also, the threats to the LGDF that Springfield makes from time-to-time keeps us even more conservative than most municipalities with whom I am familiar. If we were to have a "good year" revenue-wise, there are a number of streets we could add to our annual resurfacing program and we could enhance our economic development efforts.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?We have such creative people in our community, both residents and staff, that it is hard to think of anything "no one is talking about yet". I applaud the recent efforts to market our Wasco core business area and would support increasing our dedication to that cause.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As I mentioned above, no fewer than a dozen people who have approached me about running again cite my moderating influence as the most important quality I possess as a member of the current Board. Over the past year, the disagreements among the Board, inclusive of the Village President, have returned to the hyperbolic level last seen in 2014-15. While I am under no illusion that my efforts will lead to us singing "ËœKumbaya', I do believe that I can help guide us back to the level of decorum that is expected of us by our residents. I honestly do not think we are that far from such a place but that it will take between a year and eighteen months after the April 2017 election to get there and I am willing and able to lead us in this effort.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Warren Buffett. "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Common sense. My father died before I was born and my mother raised my brother and I alone. I learned common sense by watching her.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I might have pursued a career as a professional Scouter.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Surveying. Knowing the ins and outs of property surveys, deeds, titles, etc. has benefited both my engineering career and me as a property owner.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Always follow-through on your commitments.