Michael Hoffmann: 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: WarrenvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Warrenville Mayor (4-year Term)Age: 55Family: elderly mother, four sistersOccupation: semi-retired, electrician by trade, self-employed for 25 yearsEducation: four year electrician apprenticeship; licensed electrical contractorCivic involvement: Attending city council meetings for the past 4 1/2 years, attending DuPage County Board meetings for the past 4 years as well as DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee meetings for the past 4 yearsElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 TAXES Sales and property taxes should be reduced to match neighboring towns (such as Wheaton and Naperville) in order for Warrenville to be competitive. I will only spend what we have and will better manage the city's budget to avoid deficits.Key Issue 2 TIFs TIFs can be a useful tool for development if used properly. If they are not used properly, the city ends up with deficits such as in TIF 1 (over $600,00) and TIF 2 (over $2,900), and the property taxpayers end up financing the TIF. I will communicate factual TIF information to citizens in a timely manner.Key Issue 3 FLOODING Although flooding is the reason I became involved in city and county government, it is not my only priority. I will continue to press the county to resolve the flooding in Warrenville as quickly as possible.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am persistent in all my endeavors, and I will bring this same persistence as Mayor to solve Warrenville's problems. I have learned a lot about city government while attending City Council meetings during the past 4? years. I possess the common sense that is often lacking in many of the city's decisions. I?m also the best candidate because I have a desire to serve, protect, and work for the people of Warrenville.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.Warrenville's level of sales taxes is too high. It should not be any higher than neighboring communities. Higher taxes encourages people to shop elsewhere.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 people I have talked with say power outages and flooding are Warrenville's biggest public safety concerns. For power outages, the city should investigate what is causing them. It's going to take resources to determine the problems and also to work with Commonwealth Edison to correct the problems. In addition to using the knowledge I?ve gained over the last 4? years researching the flooding along the West Branch of the DuPage River, I will use more resources to find the true source of flooding in Warrenville. I will also obtain an up-to-date map of our 100 year and 500 year flood plains.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?Once in office, I will conduct a line-by-line review of the budget to determine how we can re-prioritize the dollar amount necessary for essential public services. However, I will never compromise the quality of essential public services. Instead, any savings will be spent on that which will benefit the majority of the citizens, or to reduce taxes.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Our city needs a leaf vacuum truck. The no-leaf-burning ordinance puts a burden on residents, and a leaf vacuum truck will directly benefit property owners. They will no longer have to bag and pay to have their leaves removed; they will simply rake them to the curb. Winfield Township and many neighboring communities already enjoy this service.