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Cary trustee candidates discuss economic development needs

Six candidates running for Cary village board agree the village needs to step up efforts to spur economic development, attract new businesses and increase sales tax revenues. But they have different ideas on how to go about doing that.

One-term incumbents Jim Cosler, Kimberly Covelli and Ellen McAlpine and newcomers Dale Collier, Tim Ritter and Sean Wheeler are vying for three, 4-year terms on April 2.

Candidates agree the village's roughly $1.3 million yearly sales tax revenue isn't keeping pace with expenditures, which this year amounts to roughly $8 million for operations and roughly $21 million for all funds. Nearly all of them expressed support for contracting out for an economic development coordinator or management firm dedicated to networking and bringing in new development and businesses.

Cosler, 48, a pilot who was elected as a write-in candidate in 2015 and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2017, said the village has cut staffing - down from 83 to around 53 employees who already are stretched thin.

"I would love to see somebody brought in on a contract basis with a performance clause that would do purely business development in town," he said. "It's overdue and there hasn't been anybody in the past that has been specifically in charge of that function."

Collier, 47, vice president of Tri State Hydraulics in Elk Grove Village, said such a person or firm could focus on filling vacancies along entryways into town.

"Right now, it doesn't seem like anybody's knocking on our door for big box or big restaurant, or anything that you can think of," Collier said. "They seem to go (to) Crystal Lake area, or Huntley or Lake in the Hills. I think we're missing opportunities. But how to hire somebody and afford it on a budget will be something to address."

The candidates offered other ideas as well.

McAlpine, 56, sales manager for Envoy Mortgage, said the village needs to work on its reputation and be more welcoming of prospective businesses.

"You have to have a board that is willing and shows ... that Cary is open for business," she said. "We always should be receptive, respectful, professional, offer suggestions for different things that we think that they need to do in order to fit into the quality of life that we have here. Our board has not always been conducive to working with developers or potential opportunities for us. We want to make it so that people feel like Cary is the place to be."

Offering incentives, such as sales tax revenue sharing, grants for facade improvement and low interest rate loans the village already provides, could be useful tools to luring businesses, she added.

Ritter, 33, a materials research scientist, said the village could learn from neighboring communities and see how they promote businesses and fill vacancies, especially along the Route 14 corridor where several properties have remained dormant for years.

"It's not like there's a lack of ... traffic or exposure," he said. "Obviously, there's something else we can be doing on those properties to encourage businesses to grow here."

Covelli, 41, a Lincolnshire Police commander also elected after a write-in campaign in 2015, said keeping prospective businesses informed about available incentives and what's happening in town through the village website and social media channels is key.

"It's important to continue our partnerships with other groups ... the Chamber of Commerce does a really nice job promoting businesses," she said. "We need somebody who can network with other villages, see what they're doing. There may be ideas out there that we're not hitting on."

Wheeler, 28, a real estate broker and business owner, said officials need to focus on helping existing businesses relocate or expand in town and reinvest in infrastructure through new signage and other upgrades downtown.

"The best customer for you is the one you already have, as far as cost-benefit analysis," Wheeler said. "We aren't here to reinvent the wheel ... but we also are not here to replicate Randall Road corridor, which is heavy in retail. We have a lot of nearby retail, but I think it's going to be community, small service-oriented shops that are going to fill these vacant spots and I think will find the most success locally for us."

Dale Collier
Jim Cosler
Kimberly Covelli
Ellen McAlpine
Tim Ritter
Sean Wheeler
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