Sean Wheeler: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Sean Wheeler

City: Cary

Office sought: Village trustee

Age (on Election Day): 28

Family: Beautiful wife Kylie; daughter Reece, 6; and son Elliott, 3

Occupation: Small business owner and commercial/residential real estate broker

Education: Southern Illinois University

Civic involvement: 2019 president of the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce; Oak Knoll ECC PTO President; a member volunteer of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency; a volunteer coach of the Cary Park District; and a Cary roadway volunteer/sponsor.

Previous elected offices held: None.

Incumbent: No.

Website: www.weunitecary.com/sean-wheeler.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weunitecary/

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

Q. What are the most important issues facing Cary and how do you intend to address them?

Wheeler: Cary's residents have several obstacles ahead, ranging from municipal pension debt obligations increasing, continuing to grow sustainable economic development, and an aging population having a difficult time "downsizing" locally, in part due to exceptionally high property tax burdens.

I believe following through with meeting and exceeding pension debt obligations is a priority, to balance with executing steps to foster a strong climate for community and economic development. Neither is exclusive. Additionally, exploring opportunities and resources to help meet the needs of our seniors is paramount to me and I believe our village can assist in advocating on their behalf and facilitate the municipal growth needed to meet those needs.

Q. What makes you the best candidate for the job?

Wheeler: Listening and actively communicating are keystones to my personal and professional life, as they are to hearing and acknowledging the feedback and concerns of village residents as a trustee.

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

Wheeler: I don't believe I or any single person has all the answers and as a local leader I take heed of that every day. I love to lead by example and get hands on with the challenges/opportunities ahead of me, and I believe that has given me a competitive edge thus far. I believe knowing how to use your resources and where to seek out your answers is critical, personally, professionally and at the local political level as well.

I pride myself on being sure that I seek many opinions, weigh them to the potential outcomes and proceed from there in a professional and respectful manner, understanding that although I may not have agreed with every opinion I have heard, no one should be put down or ignored for their opinion. Translating that to the village board in my opinion is fairly natural, as being presented frequently with several options and taking action from there takes a fair and equitable approach such as that.

Q. How would you describe the condition of Cary's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the village should take to assure providing the level of services people want?

Wheeler: Cary's budget has been in survival mode since the recession. The staff resources the village has had to operate within has been reduced dramatically and self-improvement and reinvestment has gone to the wayside. Sustainable and forward-thinking economic development will be critical to being capable financially to continue meeting the expectations our residents have regarding village services.

Several organizations locally work to promote our community and I believe that a cost-effective measure for the village of Cary would be to work in parallel of those organizations to magnify the outreach of opportunities and economic resources available within our village.

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

Wheeler: I want to be an actual advocate for the residents of my hometown. Time and again I see residents step up to assist a neighbor, whether it be snow shoveling, helping with a stranded car or just a ride to the train in rainy weather. I'd like to see the public perception of the village and its board be one that accurately reflects its constituents; a small town community where neighbors have each other's backs.