Casey Urlacher: 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: MettawaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mettawa Mayor Age: 37Family: Wife-Jeanna UrlacherOccupation: Self-EmployedEducation: Business Degree/Lake Forest CollegeCivic involvement: Illinois Civil Service CommissionMayor Village of MettawaElected offices held: Mayor Village of MettawaQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I love living in Mettawa. When I was first elected I promised to be hardworking, fair, and transparent. I have done as promised. At a time when communities and the State of Illinois are suffering financially we have the highest bond rating from Moody's available and we run a tight budgetary ship. We have improved our roads, kept open green space, and kept large scale commercial development from further coming into the community. We have been successful and during the next four years we will continue to fight for what makes Mettawa a unique rural oasis.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?At a time when communities and the State of Illinois are suffering financially we have the highest bond rating from Moody's available and we run a tight budgetary ship. We also have a real estate tax rebate to our residents as well. Since we have no employees that work for the village we can focus on services rather than spending money on pensions and benefits.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Unlike most villages, we do not have any employees, so we have no long-term pension debt or the overhead of paying salaries and benefits. Each year we look into our legal costs and the costs for engineering and special projects. We look to provide residents the best possible value for their tax dollar.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.One of my strengths is that I am a team player, this likely comes from playing sports growing up and as an adult. In a position like Village President you must work together with your trustees by having excellent communication skills as it is our team that serves the taxpayers. In addition I listen and take action from events we hold in the Village such as wine and cheese listening events, picnics and then tell residents what is happening both at those events and in our quarterly newsletter. In addition I also feel it serves our community well to have good relationships with our neighbors. I am regularly in touch with the Mayors of surrounding communities such as Vernon Hills, Libertyville, and Green Oaks.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Respect for the taxpayer at all times. In Mettawa, when people buy or build a home it is likely the largest investment in their lifetime. Even though the Village President and Trustees are unpaid volunteers, I am especially proud of the fact that we are reachable at almost any time. We give out our personal phone numbers and have emails addresses. I personally spend countless hours returning calls from residents with questions and also visiting our Mettawa neighbors to ensure that we are giving the taxpayers the service they deserve. Some have brought up making village government positions paid, I am proud to say they don't need to be and its a savings to our residentsWhat other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe my job as Village President is to ensure that the village is well run and residents and businesses have a good idea of what we are doing now and planning for the future. I am especially proud that each elected official gives out their personal phone number so that residents can always get quick answers to questions. I specifically enjoy getting calls from residents with questions and then meeting them at their homes to answer any questions they may have.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Mettawa is non-partisan. I am inspired by The Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and appreciate his thoughtful yet conservative approach to government.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The selfless commitment to one's family that I saw as my mom worked three jobs while raising three kids on her own.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would be a little more wise on who I let into my family circle.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I love history because you see the precedents for today's problems and for their solutions so as not to repeat them again.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?In life you may have several jobs, different homes, and friends who fade away but family is always your rock in good times and bad.