Bill DiFulvio: 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: South ElginWebsite: facebook Bill DiFulvio for South Elgin PresidentTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Bill DiFulvio for South Elgin Village PresidentOffice sought: South Elgin Village President Age: 56Family: Married to Jean a teacher in District 3033 daughters Kelly, Kristi and BrookeOccupation: retired from insurance and investment salesEducation: studied at NIUAssociate in Science Elgin Community CollegeCivic involvement: 12 year Village Trustee from 2001 to 2013Past president and founding member of the South Elgin Parks and Recreation Board 1997 to 2001 Vice president and founding member of South Elgin FUNdation a 501-c-3 non-profit, that benefits South Elgin Parks Department from 2006 to current.I Am Able All - an all inclusive playground committee member that helped plan, fund raise over $1 million in grants and donations and build an awesome amazing one of a kind playground in South Elgin.RiverFest liason and committee member from 2005 to current.Elected offices held: South Elgin Trustee 12 years from 2001 to 2013.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My leadership skills and longstanding community involvement. My promise to the people of South Elgin is that I will continue to work as hard and be as committed as I have been since first volunteering for the South Elgin Park and Recreation Board in 1997. I was a Village Trustee from 2001 to 2013. Through my work on the Park and Recreation Board and FUNdation and RiverFest committee and playground committee people have probably seen me at some time in South Elgin volunteering and putting in my time trying to make South Elgin a better place to live! I volunteer my time and get there early and stay late making South Elgin a better place to live work and play. Other candidates get active for 3 or 4 months every election season - don't be fooled. I will always be prepared and do my homework on the issues. I will listen to the resident's wants and needs and issues.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?All three candidates have been on the board for more than 12 years. I will be a good steward of South Elgin tax dollars. We need to make sure every dollar spent is spent wisely. Id like to do a management and employee study to make sure our employee costs are being managed in the most efficient way. To make sure the services are provided in the most efficient way. To make sure we have all our departments staffed as efficiently as possible.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I would do a management study to improve accountability and improve function and performance of all employees. I want to make sure our employees are working efficiently and we are maximizing village resources. South Elgin has won awards for having a well planned and well followed budget.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.The Village President should help set the vision and goals for the village Administrator and Directors to follow. We are elected to represent the residents and provide a high level of service for the lowest possible taxes. I am open and approachable and believe in listening to what residents want and expect from the village. My management style is straight forward and honest! I'm hard working and open and easy to talk to and communicate with. I like being involved from the beginning to the end of a project or idea. I have volunteered more hours of my time to make South Elgin a better place to live and work and play than the other two candidates combined! I'll but in the time and preparation to be a strong leader and good listener and represent the Village of South Elgin to the best of my ability.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?A new downtown redevelopment plan! The current village president and board have no problem with more affordable housing in our downtown or city center. The current plan is at least 12 or 13 years old and South Elgin needs a new plan! The current plan calls for first floor retail and mixed use commercial with residential on the second and third floors. No retail or commercial businesses will come if the only housing is affordable housing. By definition affordable housing developments will have less disposable income than market rate and upscale housing. No more affordable housing until we get sufficient market rate and upscale housing. I believe we need a new city center or downtown plan with resident feedback and involvement. One candidate wants to make the whole eastside of downtown a park or open space. A park would take millions of dollars and without a funding plan in place, it would be irresponsible to promise or propose that project now. A new plan could possibly find a funding mechanism for new parkland. The current mayor wants more affordable housing downtown.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?South Elgin needs to communicate better with its residents by improving the website and making more things available online.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.The current leaders both nationally and in Illinois are too polarizing extreme for my liking. I'm the hardest working most dedicated candidate. Vote Bill DiFulvioWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Hard work and honesty and giving back to your communityIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Life doesn't give you do-overs. Do things right the first time! Be prepared and put in the time before making decisions.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math and science and economics were my favorite subjects. Those classes helped in my critical thinking and decision making skills.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be honest and truthful and work hard. Life is full of decisions. Make good choices. Be grateful and give back to your community.