John T. Wagener: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: John T. Wagener

City: Village of Green Oaks

Office sought: Village Trustee

Age: 60

Family: Married 35 years, three adult children, & three dogs

Occupation: Attorney & Counselor at Law

Education: Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL BA/Communication Arts University of Illinois, Champaign, IL JD/Juris Doctor (law degree)

Civic involvement: Village Trustee, Public Works Committee Chair since 1997; Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO), Board of Directors; SWALCO Executive Committee Member, since at least 2014; Election Judge, Lake County, IL 2010-2014 (roughly - started when Willard was County Clerk); Election Site Manager, Lake County, IL 2014-present (roughly - started when Carla was County Clerk); Village of Green Oaks, Mayor pro tem, when needed.

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? 1999

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Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

Failing infrastructure, primarily roads. As the Public Works Committee chair, I implemented a municipal services budget for water and sewer that included a set aside for a sinking fund in order to fix the water mains and sewer lines when they reach the end of their useful life. Working closely with our former treasurer, the late Jean Schreck, and the Village Engineer RHMG, we determined how much money in terms of present cash value needed to be set aside each year to cover those future expenses. I would like to see the Village begin to work on a sinking fund for future anticipated road repairs after we get through this initial round of repairs resulting from road bond referendum spearheaded by the excellent work of Roads & Bridges Trustee Dan Sugrue.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

Experience. And a true concern for the current and future well-being of our Village. I became involved in Village government as soon as we moved into Green Oaks in 1992. I called the Village Hall to complain about some traffic issues (my neighbors not stopping at the stop signs in or subdivision). The next thing I knew, then Village Administrator Elaine Palmer recruited and invited me to sit on the Public Safety Committee, and the rest is history.

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

My style is low key and includes analyzing all perspectives. I only make recommendations that I feel are solid and will benefit the entire Village. I try to be fair, transparent and even handed. Sometimes I am the only "contrarian" on a particular issue, and the other trustees will listen to and respect what I have to say in making their decisions. Other than our Village President, Bernard Wysocki, I am the next longest serving Village official.

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 people want?

Our budget is solid. We rarely operate in a deficit. We cover everything the community needs.

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

I would like to create individual stewardship groups within each subdivision to take care of our natural resources. This was an extremely successful concept tint the Reigate Woods subdivision where neighbors banded together to save a hardwood forest and pothole wetlands, with endangered flora and amphibians, in the common areas. It has taken them almost 5 years, but the stewards have received numerous awards and recognitions for their hard work and restoration efforts. Doing something like this in all part of the Village would bring us all together and help to better the local environment as well.