Charles Nora: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Charles Nora
City: Long Grove
Office sought: Trustee
Age (on Election Day): 58
Family: Married for 31 years to Wendy. We have two adult children: Jaclyn and Kathryn
Occupation: Regional sales manager
Education: BBA-Marketing, UW-Whitewater
Civic involvement: Board member of CCE Homeowners Association
Previous elected offices held: None
Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? I was appointed to the position of trustee in 2017
Issue questions
What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?
Long Grove prides itself in not imposing a property tax on its residents. As such, economic development is key to Long Grove's future. Since I've served as a Long Grove Trustee, we have successfully brought municipal water into the Historic Downtown District, have implemented better enforcement of our village codes and ordinances to compel property owners to maintain their buildings, and are in the process of completing road improvements and streetscaping. All these investments are being done to revitalize our Historic Downtown with the goal of attracting new businesses to Long Grove. A revitalized downtown is key to attracting businesses throughout the village.
What makes you the best candidate for the job?
I have a strong understanding of the village's strengths and weakness, and I vote on issues based on what I believe is in the best interest of the village, and our residents.
Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board.
I never ask people to do something I'm not willing to do myself. I also show respect for others even if I don't agree with their views on a subject. This approach typically leads to open, honest discussions that are necessary to come to a consensus. I also put myself in the shoes of those with opposing views in an attempt to understand their perspective of an issue. Knowing that I don't have all the answers, I'm not afraid to change my opinion on a subject if those with an opposing view make a compelling argument for their position. Flexibility and compromise are keys to successful leadership in a democracy.
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?
The village budget is in good condition in that we haven't taken out loans to meet our operating expenses. Since we don't impose a property tax, our goal is to maintain a full year of reserves so we can continue to provide services during an economic downturn. The most important action for the village board is to continue to attract new businesses to Long Grove. The recently formed Economic Development Committee has been instrumental in this regard. Trustee Mike Sarlitto deserves the credit for creating the EDC.
What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
There are so many good ideas currently being discussed, I'm not sure I can say I have an idea that no one else is talking about. The overall driving force to bettering Long Grove is economic development so we can continue to improve the village for the betterment of our residents.