Jim Cosler: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Jim Cosler

City: Cary

Office sought: Village Trustee

Age: 48

Family: (Wife) Jan, (5 Children), Robert, Halle, Tricia, Katherine, Grace

Occupation: Pilot

Education: Bachelor of Science - Aviation Technology, Minor - Business Management

Civic involvement:

Previous elected offices held: Cary Village Trustee

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Yes, 2015

Website: www.commit2cary.com

Facebook: @CaryConnectionIL

Issue questions

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

The two most important issues facing Cary are revenue shortfalls/spending and the future development of the Maplewood School property. Cary is on track for a fourth straight year of decreasing revenues, while total expenditures for labor, benefits, police pension, and capital improvements are increasing. The increasing costs required spending cuts and I worked with other Board members to trim $1 million dollars in frivolous capital improvements to enable a balanced budget this fiscal year. Looking forward, we need to do a better job of attracting businesses who contribute to sales tax revenue. If Cary can increase sales tax revenue 10% year over year, it would enable a future balanced budget which still provides for modest capital improvements to Village Hall and our Police Station.

Additionally, the future development of the Maplewood School property is looming. School District 26 has entered into a contract for the sale of the property, yet the potential owner has been holding back on plans for development. Prior proposals have consisted of very dense housing, which many see as out of character with downtown and the surrounding properties. My voting record demonstrates my commitment to rational development of Maplewood while still retaining open space.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

Four years ago, Kim Covelli and I were elected by means of a write-in campaign which set a precedent in Cary. In my campaign and its resulting term, I have held fast to the principals of standing up for the people and their stance on issues. I have worked diligently to inform the community on issues and increase the transparency of our government. Unlike many of my opponents, I am free of conflicts of interest and remain an independent thinker on the issues. This style has resonated well with the people of Cary which has fostered increased knowledge, trust and hope in me that makes me the best candidate for the position of Cary Trustee.

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 would describe my style as an independent leader who leads through communication, factual knowledge, and proper procedures. During my term as Village Trustee I have consistently been the member of the Board who engages others in open and challenging discussions on projects or decisions. Being deeply committed to the office of Trustee, I do the type of research and outreach that some don't take the time to accomplish. Often it is knowledge from those efforts which helps lead the Board down a different path they had not seen before. In the end, the dialogue and resulting fact-based decisions benefit the residents of Cary the most, which is highly rewarding.

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?

In the past two years Cary has lost a significant amount of revenue due to reductions in State funding from the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) and loss of revenue from ending mining operations at the Meyer/Lafarge site along Rt. 31. The State's 10% reduction in LGDF funding (reduction in income taxes which the State gives to municipalities) has caused a reduction in revenue of over $160,000/year, while the loss in mining fees amounts to over $450,000/year, a 7% reduction in total revenue. As such, the Village is projecting a budget deficit for fiscal year 2019/2020 of $648,000. To solve this problem, during my term I have aggressively sought reductions in frivolous spending and lavish capital improvement projects. Last year's cuts in spending have kept the budget balanced and maintained services. In the future, we must work to increase income from sales tax revenue to help offset rising expenses. I am against increasing taxes, especially property taxes, and have stood for 0% increase every year of my term. Unfortunately, there are those who want to add on a natural gas tax and an eating establishment tax to cover expenses. Higher taxation cannot be a solution to balance the budget!

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

Although Cary has many positive attributes, as a parent of young adults, what I've noticed and what has been brought to my attention by constituents, is that outside of organized sports, school-related activities, and a small skateboard park, Cary has little to offer our teenagers and young adults in the form of entertainment and recreational activities. I believe one of our goals should be to attract entertainment venues, as well as establishments geared towards young adults, to allow our teens to stay and play in Cary. With more entertainment options, families can be entertained and socialize closer to home, which boosts our local economy.