Bill Rekus: Candidate Profile

Back to Mundelein Village Board

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:BioQA Bio City: MundeleinWebsite: www.electbillrekus.comOffice sought: Mundelein Village Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: SalesEducation: Studied at DePaul University SNLCivic involvement: Northwest Lions Little League Maternity BVM School Board St John Bebeauf Holy Name Society Lions Club Knights of Columbus Mundelein Comprehensive Plan selection Committee Mundelein Branding Committee Mundelein Community Days Commission Mundelein Planning and Zoning CommissionElected offices held: Vice President Northwest Lions Little League Secretary Maternity BVM School Board Secretary St. John Brebeauf Holy Name Society Vice President Niles Lions Club Liaison Mundelein Community Pageant Commissioner Mundelein Community Days Commissioner Mundelein Planning and ZoningQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I believe that my past volunteer work and experience in local government make me the best candidate. I have interfaced with the community through my service with the Mundelein Pageants and Community Days and developed an excellent working relationship with Village Staff.How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services that people want?I have been following Village government for years and have found that the budget is sound. For the future, I believe that it is most important to fill the many vacant store fronts we have in this community in order to bring in additional sales tax dollars to maintain or increase the level of service expecting by the community.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As a Trustee I will have full access to the budget process and will make every effort to trim frivolous spending. I will not be reticent to speak out when necessary. I believe that future budgets must include funds to incentivize more businesses in our community to fill the empty store fronts.What is your vision for the downtown area, especially the empty land around the new village hall?Since the Village owns the land around the new Village Hall, greater influence can be used by the Mayor and Trustees to bring in high end restaurants and retail establishments so residents don't have to go to other communities.What should village hall do to reach out to Mundelein's sizable Hispanic population to get these residents involved in village activities and taking advantage of village services?I would aggressively reach out to the Hispanic community to run for pubic office. I was rather surprised, once again, with the low voter turnout in the Hispanic community and that no Hispanics were running for office. I would work to not only encourage Hispanics to run for office but also the other ethnic communities in Mundelein. Elected officials control the public services such as police, fire, water etc. that are necessary for all ethnic groups in the Mundelein.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Empty stores Revitalization of the downtown Maintaining proper infrastructure services Spending Expanding the use of social media to keep citizens informedPlease name one current leader who most inspires you.Bill Gates because of the paradigm shift he created in the way the world communicates and his philanthropy.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned by the example of my father that through hard work anything is possibleIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would pursue more college courses in computer technology.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?US History which gave me an understanding of the greatness of the United States and the individuals who formed it.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be involved in your community Give back Live in Mundelein