Randall Spiess: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Randall (Randy) Spiess
City: Tower Lakes
Office sought: Village Trustee
Age: 55
Family: I am married and have three daughters and a stepson.
Occupation: Management Consultant
Education: BSEE, MBA and PMP Certification.
Civic involvement: TLIA Social Committee, Tower Lake Village Tree Commissioner, Tower Lakes Planning Commission
Previous elected offices held: TLIA Financial Secretary
Incumbent? I am not.
Website: www.VoteTL3.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vote-TL3
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Issue questions
What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?
Ensure community values remain as we move into the future.
Tower Lakes is a very unique and special place. We have a strong sense of community, family, and volunteerism. As a Village Trustee, I will uphold the values that make our community great and will ensure these values continue to be part of our community into the future.
Fiscal Responsibility.
I believe we need to find ways to optimize our spending and reduce our property taxes.
Promote a Safe Environment Where Neighbors Can Express Themselves
It is incumbent upon the Village leaders to seek out everyone's opinion and feedback. We are all neighbors and want what is best for us and our village.
What makes you the best candidate for the job?
I grew up in Tower Lakes and have been instilled with a sense of civic duty and volunteering. Over the years I have participated in various roles as TLIA board member, Tree Commissioner, Long Range Planning, as well as various committees. I have often thought about running for the Village Trustee role and was inspired by recent conversations with Chrissie Mena and Caroline Milne. Our past village boards have done a great job getting us to here but I do believe there is more that can be done and that a fresh perspective is needed.
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.
Over the years I have held various leadership roles at work and within the community. My leadership style is collaborative. I have managed large projects and teams of people. On the long-range planning commission helped to lead public hearings. It is important to hear from everyone and understand complex issues before coming to a conclusion.
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?
It is my belief that fiscal responsibility is the number one goal of the Village Board and Village Trustees. When developing a budget there should be a balance between our immediate and future needs. We are fortunate to have a strong base to work from.
What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
Our Planning Commission publishes our Long Range Plan every 10 years. This is a powerful document used as a basis and guide for our Village. Applying configuration management practices, we can shorten our update cycle without compromising the integrity of the Long Range Planning process. Making our Long Range Plan more of a living document, we can help provide more visibility to current issues.