John T. Wagener, 4 years Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Green OaksWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Green Oaks Village board, 4-year termAge: 52Family: Married to Mary Beth Wagener. We have three children, Ashley, Caitlin and Tommy. Each child has attended, or currently attends, Oak Grove School K-8 and Libertyville High School. My Lake County roots trace back to my grandfather's farm off Rollins Rd.Occupation: Attorney Counselor at Law, specializing in litigation, insurance and risk managment. I am AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, which is the highest distinction, for legal ability and general ethical standards.Education: JD Law - University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 1983(Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif)BA Communications - Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL, 1980(Magna Cum Laude)High School - Loyola Academy, Wilmette, IL, 1976Civic involvement: Executive Committee Member, Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (Fall 2010-present) Election Judge, Lake County, IL (2009-present)Pro Bono Attorney - Jeanne A. Carpenter Legal Defense Fund of the Epilepsy Foundation of America (2009- present)Director, Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (2003-present)Lake County Storm Water Management Commission, alternate delegate (2001-2005)Past Member - Village of Green Oaks, Public Safety CommitteePast Member and Officer - Lambs Farm Junior BoardElected offices held: Trustee, Village of Green Oaks (1997-present)Executive Committee Member, Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (Fall 2010-present; elected by the board of directors/representatives of SWALCO member communities)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Traffic ticketsCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Improving drainage and stormwater management in the VillageKey Issue 2 Helping to control costs of our local government, with alternate sources of fundingKey Issue 3 Continuing to maintain a zero tax levy while providing services the residents desire, with less government and reasonable regulationsQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Experience. As Chair of the Public Works Committee in our Village for over 12 years, I have developed the necessary community contacts and knowledge of the issues in order to continue effective representation of our residents. Maintaining continuity in local government is important so that projects are completed and residents' concerns are addressed in an efficient manner. I am, and always have been, dedicated to making Green Oaks a better place to live. Because we have a small administrative staff, our village trustees are very ""hands on."" Being able to effectively deal with the public and accomplish important tasks only comes from experience.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Green Oaks does not levy a village tax. Our community only receives its legislatively mandated share of sales tax revenue from the State, and does not ""add on"" an additional local sales tax. Although additional revenue from the State would be nice to have, increasing taxes on local business is detrimental in the long run as many will elect to relocate across the border. Illinois is almost at the ""tipping point"" where any increase in taxes will be offset by an ever dwindling tax base from which the revenue was hoped to be generated. Increasing taxes, at any level, is not recommended unless absolutely necessary.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The recent home burglaries. This safety concern can be addressed by educating residents to lock their doors, to their home and car(s). Additional Sheriff's patrols can be added, as needed, and community watch groups organized.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Our Village budget is already fairly lean. We do need to devote more money and resources to economic development.One way in which the Public Works Committee has helped Village residents in this regard is to identify opportunities for grant money from various agencies, like the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission. Over the years, I have worked diligently with the Village Engineers and obtained thousands of dollars in grant money, which has gone toward funding stormwater and water quality improvement projects in the Village. To date, I have helped to obtain over $850,000 in grants and other funding for various public works projects.Another way in which I have been able to help residents keep the cost of government down is through the creative use of inter-governmental agreements. The Public Works Committee recently completed a detention project on property owned by Libertyville Township. In exchange for the Village improving one of the wetland areas, the Township provided $50,000 in funding. The Township also agreed to maintain a segment of the Village's trail system as well, which was a further cost-savings bonus.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Replace the 65 gallon totes with 90 gallon recycling containers. By keeping even more recyclables out of the landfill, we will extend their useful life and our refuse collection costs will be kept lower. We need to move toward greater sustainability in our lives, and recycling is an easy way to do that.This idea was an outgrowth of my recent renegotiation of our refuse hauler's franchise agreement with the Village. As part of those negotiations, I was able to roll back monthly garbage pick-up fees to 2009 levels, and obtain an additional monthly discount for seniors.