Andrew Maglio: 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: RoselleWebsite: Andymaglio4mayor.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Roselle Village President Age: 65Family: Wife Janet, children Dominic Stephanie AJ, and 9 grandchildrenOccupation: Business owner Action Lock and Key (Locksmith)Education: 2 Year Junior college trade schoolCivic involvement: Village of Roselle Trustee second term, Roselle Chamber member, Roselle parade volunteer, St Walter Catholic Church minister, Roselle commons 2 association president, and Roselle United Methodist Church food pantry volunteerElected offices held: Commissioner on planning and zoning 1986-1996, Chairman of planning and zoning 1996-2009, Village of Roselle Trustee 2009-PresentQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am the only candidate with historical knowledge and with a new perspective. It is important to have balance on the Village Board, which has always existed: board members who are new and question why things are done, but also experienced members who can explain past decisions and protocol. Sometimes those questions lead to change and other times the explanation makes sense and the Board can move on to another project. As a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for 20 years, I've been part of Roselle's past history, growth and the thought process behind why decisions were made. Without an understanding and remembrance of the past, an inexperienced Village Board could spend staff time on ideas that just don't work. Also, I chaired the PZ Commission for 10 years, giving me the experience to run a Village Board meeting, bring a Board to a consensus and address concerned or upset residents. This is one of the major duties of a Mayor. However, as this would be my first term as Mayor, I also have my own ideas regarding economic development along Lake Street, enhanced communication to our community and to continue working with business owners, to increase retention.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?EXCELLENT!! I am proud that with our current revenues, Roselle has a AA+ bond rating, passed a two year strategic plan, a fully funded 5 year capital plan and an almost 4 month cash reserve. When I was first elected as a Trustee 7 years ago, the Village had a $1 million deficit in our general fund. Roselle has been aggressive in seeking out revenue-generating business and we have seen that number grow each year. To assure we can continue funding our core services, we need to spend conservatively, follow a business retention plan and commit to aggressive economic development which is agreed upon by the entire Village Board. Most importantly, is our partnership with other Mayors, through the Du Page Mayors and Managers Conference and the Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus to lobby Springfield, to protect our local revenues from cuts and unfunded mandates, I know we can get this accomplished as a functioning Village Board.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The recession hit our Village Board in 2009, right when I was elected Trustee. I was part of the Village Board finance subcommittee, to study our options and make recommendations to fill a $1 million deficit in our General Fund. As part of the Village Board, we thoughtfully and carefully studied each department for efficiencies of operation and ended up eliminating some programs (brush pick-up as an example), cut back on Village Hall hours and cut 20% of our work force (using retirements whenever possible). While our revenues have recovered, we still budget conservatively and follow our strategic work plan which is agreed upon by the entire Village Board. So, I do not believe we have areas of the budget we can trim any more than we already have. I believe our monies are allocated properly, to fund our core services and fulfill duties given by the state. We also maintain a proper cash reserve which would handle any loss of revenue by a major sales tax company leaving or the state withholding money.With unlimited resources, there would be many new programs I would like the Board to consider. This has to be done however, by respecting and appreciating our budget limitations. But any program I recommend has to have the support of at least three other Trustees for it to take place. I would work to allocate more money to bring back the services we had to eliminate such as: DARE, brush pickup, etc.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.I've learned to listen to residents' concerns when they are upset over a controversial issue. I work to find resolution/compromise to address those concerns. I also have experience bringing together the differing viewpoints of individual Board members until we reach consensus. We may not all agree, but I believe every voice should be heard and respected. This creates a culture of trust that allows us to work together for the benefit of our residents and businesses. We can implement new ideas while maintaining the history and character of our Village.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?With improvements to all our other departments, the one area left to enhance is code enforcement. This will take a commitment of resources. I have always been proud to live in our Village and want to keep improving the curb appeal of our community. That keeps our property values high and attracts people to come here to live or to relocate their businesses. I would convene a community group to review our current code for additions, modifications or deletions. Once approved by the Village Board, we would work on providing the resources so our codes can be enforced on a level playing field across our community. Again, this is an idea that needs approval by the Village Board.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I see a future with exciting possibilities! For years our Village Board has had a continuous addition of new trustees, bringing enthusiasm and fresh perspectives, to combine with experienced Board members. This has allowed us to implement new ideas while maintaining the history and character of our Village. I would provide that institutional knowledge and any new trustees would introduce an alternative outlook. We just passed a two- year strategic plan, a five year capital plan and a comprehensive plan, looking out for the next 15 years. I want to keep the positive trajectory we are on and work for the continuous improvement of our Village"â#128;ťnot just as one campaign promise, but as the way the Village would be run everydayPlease name one current leader who most inspires you.Ben Carson , world renowned surgeon, author and politician. He is all about serving the community to insure a better life for all.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Family, love and things don't come easily; you have to work for everythingIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would not do anything over. All my experiences have been invaluable lessons in my life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math was my favorite subject. Everything I do in business today involves math and problem solving. Everything in life has to make fiscal sense.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Educate yourself, love one another, live well, play hard and respect who you are.