Bill Manganaro: 2025 candidate for Arlington Heights village board

Bio

Office sought: Arlington Heights village board (Vote for 4)

City: Arlington Heights

Age: 67

Occupation: Client Consulting Manager

Previous offices held: None

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it?

Unquestionably, it's Arlington Park. If the Bears don't come, this 326-acre parcel is a greenfield opportunity that could benefit the village in many ways. One is what I call “workable housing,” meaning housing that people who work in the village can afford. We have challenges recruiting for village staff positions due the cost of housing. Many seniors who want to age in place can't because the people they need for in-home services can't afford to live nearby.

Senior-friendly housing is another opportunity: smaller, one-story homes at a price that lets them stay in Arlington Heights. This would also allow turnover of existing larger homes to new residents who want everything this village has to offer.

The property is spacious and has well-defined borders, so development would have less impact on surrounding neighborhoods. A mix of high density and single family homes would provide diversification of the village’s housing stock. Any such residential development would require increased business development. The board should work with developers to evaluate zoning opportunities and plans to optimize early stages of this development, taking input from residents at every step.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

I have followed the board's budget process closely. I think Arlington Heights is fiscally well-managed. The village maintains sufficient, but not excessive, reserves that keep its bond rating high and allow contingency spending as needed. After five years without a property tax levy increase, I watched the board struggle with the need to increase taxes in 2024. The need for a fifth ambulance was clearly demonstrated, as was the need to maintain funding for emergency services pension funds.

These funds are critical. We recently had a garbage truck explode in the village, inuring three first responders. It is miraculous that no one was killed. These people put their lives on the line for us every day. Should the worst occur, we have a sacred responsibility to assure their families are well cared for.

I am a homeowner, and I've watched my property taxes increase in my 18 years here. I also recognize the village's share of that bill is 12%. The village's business is service delivery. When people ask me what we can do to lower taxes I ask them what services they'd like to cut. I've yet to hear a definitive answer.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

Arlington Heights is under a state mandate to replace its remaining lead service lines. I support exceeding the 2044 deadline. Replacing over 20% of our lines is a long-term and costly proposition. Since 2022, the village has used a mix of general fund surplus and homeowner share to fund replacement. Currently $15,000 per line, the cost will only grow over time. Accelerating replacement saves money. We must do this without unduly burdening taxpayers.

Fortunately, the board recently reduced the homeowner share from $5,000 to $2,500. But some people will have to take out a loan or have a lien placed on their property to pay. In speaking with trustees from surrounding villages, I believe there are alternatives. As trustee, I will work with village staff and the board to find other sources of funding with a goal of both accelerating the replacement timeline and reducing the homeowner share to zero.

Economic times are always uncertain. Putting off critical infrastructure is like running up your credit card balance: eventually the bill comes due. I will of course work with staff and the board to evaluate needs based on data. At this time, I am not aware of unnecessary projects.

What economic incentives, if any, should Arlington Heights be willing to offer the Chicago Bears to attract the team's stadium project to Arlington Park? Please explain your reasoning.

Any Bears stadium development must be fiscally net positive for the village. It must be a privately funded stadium. If the Bears build a stadium, the village is responsible for providing needed infrastructure, as it is with any development. Property taxes from this development must exceed the cost of construction, maintenance, and replacement as required.

In principal I support the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) approach outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the village, school districts, and the team. This could allow development to proceed and taxing authorities to receive funds that exceed their costs during construction and early operation, ultimately leading to the Bears paying property taxes at the property's fully assessed rate.

Our village motto is City of Good Neighbors. The Bears must be good neighbors to Arlington Heights if they move here. They'll need to pay their own way. Experience nationally and in Chicagoland demonstrates that publicly funded stadiums are a drain on municipal resources, while privately funded facilities stand a much better chance of creating a win-win-win situation for residents, local governments and teams.

If the Bears succeed in developing a new stadium in Chicago instead of Arlington Heights, what type of development would you want to see on the Arlington Park property? How would you see that benefiting the community?

The stadium will fill one-third of the property. The rest would be mixed residential and entertainment/business. The commercial development will be key to revenues, costs and impacts for the village. I would favor projects that are complementary to existing businesses both in our unique downtown and across the village. The worst-case scenario would be a business district that directly competes with the existing downtown district. I would vigorously oppose such development.

The stadium could spur demand for hotels across several price ranges. It could also support an entertainment district that appeals to a younger demographic than our downtown and many outlying business districts. I believe we should also consider compatibility of a new business district with Downtown Palatine, also a short Metra ride from Arlington Park. Palatine will face many of the stadium’s impacts and should also reap its benefits.

This is a very long-term project. It is worth noting that Gillette Stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and home of the New England Patriots, was built on the site of a harness-racing track. The stadium opened in 2004, and development of the surrounding land continues to this day.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

I have significant business experience that sets me up for success in the policymaking arena. One is navigating Value Analysis Committees to place high-value health care technology in large hospital systems. From capital equipment installations to long-term contracts for consumable products, these acquisitions involve expenditures from millions to tens of millions of dollars. They require persuasion, negotiation, technical knowledge and teamwork.

For over seven years I have mentored health-tech startups at the Matter Health incubator in Chicago. This experience has also been good preparation for the trustee role. Mentoring teams function as short-term boards of directors during six-month engagements. Based on the company’s needs and stage of development, we evaluate strategies and tactics ranging from funding to regulatory approval and market access. Mentors advise startup leaders and make policy recommendations. We also use our networks help to facilitate and accelerate market entry and success.

I am a natural facilitator, an effective networker and use a consensus building approach to achieve success. These talents will serve me well in becoming an effective trustee.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I am the only candidate in the race with emergency services experience. My time as a firefighter/EMT in Colorado gives me a unique understanding of what the people who protect us and keep us safe do. These services make up the majority of the village budget and are the most visible and essential activities of our village government. No one can support our Fire and Police Departments the way I can.

In addition, my background in engineering and technology, coupled with my advanced business degrees and years of leadership in the health care industry, combine to give me a unique and valuable perspective that will be vital to the village in facing the issues that are so important to our future.

These will include infrastructure challenges like water supply and flood control, Arlington Park development, in whatever form it takes, local business development, and many others. I am ready to do the hard work. I have the capacity to hear all voices, understand all details, and make data driven decisions for the benefit of all residents of Arlington Heights to keep our village strong and healthy, now and for our future generations.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

I call it Always buy Arlington. It's a simple initiative that I believe can help increase our tax base, attract new business and build social capital within the village.

Whenever possible, I buy goods and services in the village, and I seldom buy products online. This keeps taxes, wages and profits close to home. As I canvass neighborhoods and talk with residents, I have found that many people share this practice, and most respond well to the idea. Everyone in the village has a role in this initiative. It can build community while it expands our tax base. It also communicates to business owners and those looking to start a business that Arlington Heights is eager to welcome and support them.

As trustee I would advocate for a villagewide educational and promotional program to formalize this initiative. A critical success factor is inclusion and promotion of all businesses from north to south within our village. This initiative asks residents to be Good Neighbors by patronizing local companies. Businesses in turn will thrive, creating jobs and profits and adding to our tax base — a triple-win for Arlington Heights.