Michael Saville: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Michael Saville

City: Aurora - lifetime resident (born & raised)

Office sought: 6th Ward Alderman

Age: 65

Family: Single

Occupation: Property Manager

Education: BA Degree - University of Illinois - Chicago in Political Science

Civic involvement: active since 1980 - appointed Planning Commissioner. Appointed 1985 - Alderman of 6th Ward

Previous elected offices held: Current Alderman of the 6th ward

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Appointed 1985.

Website:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.saville.37?fref=nf

Twitter: None

Issue questions

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

Public Safety, Safe neighborhoods, Quality of Life issues, economic development, expanding the fiber optic network, downtown rejuvenation, and keeping property taxes low. I voted to hire more police, worked with the Community Oriented Police and neighborhood groups. I am proud of the new parks in the 6th Ward that I have worked on: New Haven Park, Wilkinson Garden Park, Plum Park, Blackhawk Park, Palace Park, and soon Iowa Park. I know how important quality of life amenities are for our youth, families, and neighborhoods. We need more open space for our older neighborhoods. I will continue to support the TIF's and other economic incentive for quality business and good paying jobs for our City. I support Aurora Downtown and the economic transformation that we are experiencing. We need to lay more fiber optic network - which I have voted for to achieve economic development. By doing all of the above we can keep property taxes from rising.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have Decades of Dedication, Experience and Leadership to get the job done. And I have the results to prove it.

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.

I am responsive to my constituents and listen to their ideas and request. I am able to find common ground with the City Council to get the job done and move our City forward. I have been able to form partnerships with people and organizations to solve challenges that our City has faced. I have a great track record in getting things done for my ward. Results happen in the 6th Ward and the City of Aurora - not by accident - they happen because of strong leaders with innovative ideas working with the community to make things happen.

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?

I have voted for 34 balanced budgets in 34 years. But we need to devote more resources to the older neighborhoods to fight blight. Long term - I am concerned with the state mandated pension contributions and the ability of our City to meet those dollar amounts in the future.

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

Having a modern, smart, and high tech economy is key to compete in the world today. Taking advantage of our fiber optic network to entice high-tech business, high-tech jobs, and young people to locate in Aurora is key. We need to be a leader in the gigabyte revolution. I am the only one saying we need to re-set the TIF Districts on Route 31 and on Route 25 because there is not any increment to get development to occur as the assessed valuation was set prior to the Great Recession. We need this to better attract business and jobs to Aurora. We can use the TIF increment to lay the Fiber Network. And importantly, by creating economic development we can keep property taxes low.