Bill Bolen: 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: BloomingdaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Bloomingdale Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 56Family: Divorced, two children.Occupation: Senior Advisor, U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. Primary responsibility is managing the Asian carp program on behalf of the federal government.Education: Bachelor of Science, Illinois State University, 1980.Civic involvement: Election Judge; Bloomingdale Historical Society; Youth sports including coaching, umpiring, and serving on governing boards; Parish lector, catechist teacher, and homeless shelter volunteer;Elected offices held: Bloomingdale Village Trustee, 2003- presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintaining the outstanding level of Village services our residents are accustomed to, while continuing to safeguard a low tax rate and a vibrant retail and commercial tax base.Key Issue 2 Promoting the sense of community that we have developed through the Village Board's suppport of our schools, library, park district, retail and commercial enterprises, and places of worship and fellowship. This tightly woven web creates an environment that makes Bloomingdale a great place to live, work, and raise a family.Key Issue 3 Exapnd our retail and commercial tax base and provide incentives to businesses to locate or expand in the village.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Not only have I been a resident of Bloomingdale for over 20 years and have been actively involved in a number of youth-centered endevours, but my 25 years of experience in managing multi-million dollar budgets, contracts, and grants makes me ideally suited to lead the Villages' Finance and Administration committee.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.I beleive that given the fact that the Village of Bloomingdale has a per capita tax rate of $78.22 - one of the smallest levies in the suburbs - but yet still provides outstanding services to the residents, indicates that our tax rate is fair and reasonable.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.Due to the location of large retail operations (such as Stratford Square Mall) in Bloomingdale, and robust and visible police presence to assure a safe and secure environment is vital.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?The current Village board continues to assess personnel costs since this is the major annual budget expenditure. Greater efficiencies in the use of existing employee skills and abilities through cross-training is a priority. Employment contracts are an area that needs close attention - fair but reasonable salary and benefit increases help control long term pension obligations.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Increasing the set-aside reserves from what is now a growing economic base as an "insurance policy" for what will most likely be a declining revenue stream from the State of Illinois.