Scott A. Pierce: 2025 candidate for Antioch village board

Bio

Office Sought: Antioch village board (Vote for 3)

City: Antioch

Age: 63

Occupation: Field service technician/neurodiagnostics

Previous offices held: Trustee Village of Antioch — 6 terms

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

Aging Infrastructure and Buildings — Our buildings and infrastructure are reaching the point where the village needs to invest large amounts of resources which include planning, personnel and actual dollars to bring them into the condition that will take them forward for the next 50 years.

This includes village hall, public works, our parks and even our pipes below the streets. I believe this board and former boards have been proactive in placing the village in a position financially to be able to begin putting in place the steps to move forward in all areas.

This does not mean we should open the taxpayer's checkbooks but do what we must in a respectful manner that realizes money for every household has been severely impacted by the last several years of inflation and uncontained tax increases. Any steps we take must not increase property taxes like our new Sequoit Creek Park which was done with business district taxes and grants.

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?

This current board and former boards have done a good jobs of being stewards of village finances. We can always do better and continually look to improve. Our top priorities should be revitalization of our parks, cautious moves forward with village buildings such as public works and a new village hall.

We also need to being planning for improvements to our water mains and sewer mains (though not a pretty subject a necessary one). I don't believe we should be curtailing any spending as we are starting to reach a level of being able to provide needed and expected services but we must be cognizant that money is not growing on trees and our residents are hurting when it comes to their everyday expenses

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?

We must address our parks and the programs associated with them. They have in many cases taken back burner to the “Crisis of the Moment” as they are not a park district as many towns have. They are now our “Crisis of the Moment.”

Unfortunately, in a town that has a lot of back burners we face the need to eliminate the burner concept and have a solid plan for where we are going. This current board has done a good job of both dealing with the issues of the moment and putting in place a plan for the future.

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.

Between my Navy experience, work experience and village leadership experience, I have learned that a good solid team where everybody has input (both good and bad) usually brings us to the place and result we need to be. I believe that my ability to provide input and include others in their input has served the village well. Even the meetings where many people are present and sharing their voice gets a better result.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I believe that over time I have proven to be a knowledgeable and common sense person who listens to the public and cares about how my decisions and votes impact their lives. I have gained experience over the years and prove at every board meeting that I am a good trustee who only serves the town to make Antioch a better place for everybody.

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

Making the village livable for all those who chose or are unable to travel around by car. Increasingly we have more and more people walking from place to place. Or we have those who need better accessibility to our sidewalks, stores and buildings.

We need to make Antioch a beacon of accessibility to everyone. The departure of the Piggly-Wiggly from our downtown has shown how important this subject is; not just for our seniors but for everybody who could access it on foot, motorized wheelchair, or bike. The time is here to address the accessibility need.