Tim Wilson: 2025 candidate for Mundelein mayor

Bio

Office Sought: Mundelein mayor

City: Mundelein

Age: 66

Occupation: Food broker

Previous offices held: Village trustee, 2021-present

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? Also, what makes you the best candidate for the position?

I was born and raised here (MHS Class of 1976). I married and raised our family here. Mundelein runs through my blood, and I want only the very best for our community.

Professionally, 30 years of continual people management positions in my food industry career have helped prepare me for this role. I am energized by the considerable redevelopment opportunities transforming our hometown into a vibrant suburb. Many projects are underway and there are more in the wings.

My community leadership style is personal and collaborative rather than exclusively through online posts. Through one-on-one interviews with business owners, residents and village staff, I have a better feel for building consensus and getting things done. My leadership style separates me from my opponent and makes me the best person for the job.

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

Our village’s most pressing issue is some highly visible vacancies such as the two vacant banks on Seymour Avenue and the vacant land of the old public works facility at the end of Crystal Street. The vacant new building across from the post office on Hawley Street poses another challenge as well.

We should package the banks and vacant land as redevelopment opportunities for ambitious and experienced developers and work hard at getting the word out. As for the vacant new building across from the post office, we should continue to work with the landlord to fill it but also market the spaces to businesses outside of Mundelein and offer them incentives for them to move here.

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?

The state of Mundelein’s finances is stable but requires careful management to ensure long-term sustainability. Like many municipalities, balancing revenue with necessary expenditures such as infrastructure, public safety, and community development will be key in the coming years.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you 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?

One of the most critical infrastructure projects in Mundelein is modernizing roads and utilities to support economic growth and quality of life. The village must ensure that roads, sidewalks, and utilities can handle increased traffic and business activity.

Additionally, ongoing road repairs, stormwater management, and aging sewer systems need attention to prevent costly emergencies in the future. The funding approach would be seeking infrastructure grants to alleviate the burden on local taxpayers. Prioritizing spending within the village budget, focusing on long-term savings and efficiency.

During uncertain economic times, nonessential beautification projects such as decorative streetscapes or expansions of facilities that don’t directly impact residents’ daily lives could be postponed. While these enhancements contribute to Mundelein’s appeal, they should take a back seat to projects that affect safety, mobility, and business growth.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think it will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

As mentioned above, my leadership style is personal and collaborative. Through one-on-one interviews with business owners, residents and village staff, I have a good feel for building consensus and getting things done. Village staff and my fellow trustees will attest that it’s very important to me to ask questions and understand multiple perspectives in making wise decisions.

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

The clean-fill project on the north side of Winchester, just west of Midlothian, is set for completion in a few years with the owner eventually donating the land to the village of Mundelein. The project will produce a 20+ acre plateau that will be 60 feet above street level and pose a fantastic chance to create a superb Mundelein destination.

I would like to conduct interviews with schools, athletic organizations, developers and community planners to make sure we maximize this great opportunity.