- Why did you decide to run for trustee?
I decided to run for trustee because I have a deep personal connection to this community. I grew up here and now, as a parent of a young family, I see firsthand how important it is to ensure that our village remains a great place to live, work, and raise kids. I believe I have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the long-time residents and the new ones, bringing together their diverse perspectives to help our community thrive.
I bring a business background to the table, which I believe is essential for helping our village grow and attract new opportunities. With my experience, I can help identify and secure new business ventures that will benefit our economy and improve the quality of life for everyone. I’m not afraid to collaborate and work with others to achieve these goals, and I’m confident that my ability to navigate complex issues will be an asset to the board.
When I first joined, I noticed that the board lacked true professionalism. It felt more like a casual hangout, and there was too much agreement without meaningful discussion. I wanted to change that. I’ve always believed that it’s important to ask the tough questions, offer different perspectives, and ensure that the board operates as a true representative of the people. I wanted to be a direct conduit between the residents and the village, providing a voice for those who might not have one, and ensuring that their opinions are heard and valued.
Ultimately, I ran because I want to see our village move forward with thoughtful leadership, business-minded strategies, and a commitment to the community’s needs. I’m here to make a difference, and I’m ready to work hard to make sure our village continues to be a place we can all be proud of.
2. Have you held public office before?
Yes, I am finishing up my first term as an incumbent Village Trustee.
3. What is your background (length of time lived in Manhattan, education, career)?
I’m 40 years old and was born just outside of town in Jackson Township. My parents separated when I was around six, with my father moving into town and my mother staying in Jackson Township. Despite the changes, I’ve always considered Manhattan home and have never left, except to attend college. I went to Saint Xavier University, where I earned a BA with a concentration in Finance. Professionally, I currently serve as the Vice President of Sales, and I also co-own a small exterior cleaning business with my father.
4. What community involvement, organization, affiliations, or club memberships do you have?
I’m deeply involved in my community and stay active with a variety of organizations. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Manhattan Patriot Football and Cheer program, and I’m the head coach of the 9U IL Celtics baseball team based in Manhattan. I’m also an assistant coach for my daughter’s 11U travel team with New Lenox Power Softball and the defensive coordinator for the Manhattan Patriots SLW Football team. Over the years, I’ve been involved in growing the Manhattan Park District Baseball program and have coached at various levels.
In addition to my local involvement, I also serve on a few professional boards, including one for the RFMA (Restaurant Facility Management Association) and another for the company I work for.
5. What characteristics, qualifications, or experience do you feel you possess to be trustee?
Nobody is truly qualified to be a trustee at first. There are certainly people who bring a level of competency, integrity, and work ethic that can make them successful in the role, but let’s be honest, it often comes down to a popularity contest. And that’s one of the biggest issues I’ve seen serving as a trustee. Some board members tend to interfere with the day-to-day operations of village hall, despite lacking the professional experience needed to understand what they’re asking staff to do.
Since becoming a trustee, I’ve learned a lot. Private sector finance and public sector finance have a lot of differences, and that’s something I’ve had to adjust to. One key lesson is that nothing moves fast in government. Patience is something that’s learned quickly in this role.
In my professional career, I’ve developed the leadership skills to be in a role like this, where I can provide direction to staff — not micromanage them. My approach is simple: hire the brightest and hardest-working individuals, and trust them to do their jobs. We need to move away from the “big man” mentality and stick to our lanes. For me, being a trustee isn’t about a power trip; it’s about providing solid direction and ensuring we stay on course to accomplish our common goals.
I think what sets me apart and why residents see me as a good fit is my willingness to be accessible. I make a point to answer questions on social media, reach out to the public, and listen to their concerns. I’m always trying to get a better sense of what’s going on in town. And most importantly, I have the backbone to stand up and say no when needed — not just sit up there like a bobblehead, agreeing with everything. I’m here to represent the residents and ensure their voices are heard.
6. How can the village improve?
The village always has room for improvement, and that starts with how we, as elected officials, manage the people’s money, allocate funds to various projects, and treat our staff. As a growing community, we face both opportunities and challenges. Growth brings more tax revenue, but it also brings more expenses — such as additional officers, public works crews, road repairs, and more water and waste to manage. It’s crucial we find a balance that works for our town.
In the past, the focus has often been on increasing rooftops, but I believe we need to shift that focus to quality rooftops — not just quantity. We need to ensure that the building standards we set, both commercially and residentially, align with what’s best for the village. It’s important that we’re not just growing, but growing in a sustainable way.
Our tax revenues need to outpace our spending. This is the only way we can manage to keep taxes steady as our town expands. The village must stay committed to fighting against irresponsible developments on our borders, getting trucking under control within the village limits, and fostering a more community-centered lifestyle. This includes developing a walkable downtown, hosting more free community events for families, and driving traffic into our local brick-and-mortar businesses. By doing so, we can ensure our town continues to grow in a thoughtful, sustainable, and vibrant way.
7. What are important issues you’d like to address and how will you address them?
There are too many issues to cover, but I’ll highlight a few key ones. The warehouse developments surrounding our town are a major concern. They impact everyone’s quality of life, and I truly believe one of my primary roles as a trustee is to protect our residents, as well as their investment in their homes. Turning this area into a trucking hub, as currently proposed, will make our community less safe and will inevitably lower property values — and neither of those outcomes is good for anyone.
Unfortunately, I got into the game late, coming in during the fourth quarter, so there’s a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for three quarters of poor decisions. Infrastructure and tax relief are two other areas where we desperately need improvement. We have high taxes, even though less than 10 cents of every dollar collected goes to the village. I understand the burden that puts on residents because I pay those taxes too. We also have neighborhoods that flood when it rains — this isn’t right, and we need to do everything we can to protect residents’ investments.
For years, the previous board neglected the older parts of town, while continuing to push one national developer after another. We need to make up for lost time, focus on fixing these issues, and put the interests of the community first. It’s not going to happen overnight, but since I was elected, I’ve been addressing a lot of these concerns.
- We’ve opened numerous businesses in town, which has increased our tax revenue. As a result, we’ve been able to reduce our tax levy rate for four consecutive years. Unfortunately, home values have risen faster than our reduction, but it’s a start. I’d like to consider a rebate system moving forward to help ease the tax burden on residents.
- Regarding warehouse development, we’ve joined a lawsuit and are prepared to continue our fight against NorthPoint.
- In terms of infrastructure, we’re planning to fix drainage issues off Trask Street, replace the culverts and road on Eastern Avenue, and continue our road resurfacing plans throughout the town.
These are just a few of the steps we’re taking to improve our community and protect what makes it a great place to live.
8. If elected, do you intend to make any changes with village staff, such as the administrator, finance, or police chief?
I am happy with our staff and have full trust in the people we’ve hired to make decisions for their respective departments. I believe it would be highly inappropriate to discuss or speculate on matters such as keeping or firing employees through a Q&A session in the paper. At this time, I am satisfied with our leadership team, and as far as I know, they are equally content with their staff.
That being said, it is my belief that elected officials should stay out of personnel issues and allow department heads to handle their employees. My concern is that sloppy micromanaging can open the village to lawsuits and create a poor work environment. It’s important for those in leadership positions to manage their teams independently, and I fully support this approach.
9. Do you have a plan to meaningfully impact property taxes, and if so, what is it?
The village gets less than 10 pennies of your tax dollars, while the schools collectively get over 60 pennies. We have to pay our police, provide clean water, treat waste, plow the streets, resurface roads, repair infrastructure, and maintain a professional staff at village hall. In a growing community, it’s extremely difficult to provide impactful tax cuts. It’s a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. If we reduce taxes, as some running for office claim they want, it will only push the village further into infrastructure deficits.
For years, this town neglected the growth we were experiencing, and now we’re left to deal with significant infrastructure issues. We’re actively addressing them, and a lot of progress has been made through strong partnerships with state officials, which has allowed us to secure grant funding.
Claims of freezing your “village collected portion” of taxes can be misleading because it’s much less than people realize. It’s really just the difference between last year’s tax and what the next year’s increase might be. How can anyone make those claims without knowing exactly what will be needed next year? We have to capture new growth to avoid falling back into the same situation we faced four years ago.
One thing I’d like to see is a rebate system. Think of it like a family budget: you pay your bills, put a little into savings, and whatever’s left is something you could give back to the residents. Is it impactful? Not in the sense of huge cuts, but it’s a start. Look, I hate taxes as much as the next person, but I’m not willing to let the village fall into disrepair just to win reelection. Our community’s future and well-being come first.
10. Why did you choose or choose not to run in a slate?
That’s a great question. The first time I ran, I made it clear that I would not run on a slate. At that point, other than our current mayor, Mike, I just wanted a seat at the table — it didn’t matter which one. This time is different. After serving four years on the board, I’ve had the opportunity to really see what’s going on behind the scenes, and I didn’t like what I found.
To the previous question about what makes me qualified to be a trustee, it certainly wasn’t what we had before. The previous board members sat idle while this town was nearly swallowed by NorthPoint. They did virtually nothing to stop that development. Now, those same board members are running on a slate, and I decided it was time to support moving forward with a new vision for the future.
We need bright minds, fresh ideas, and individuals with a deep, long-term investment in this town — people whose kids are in our schools, who work locally, who are active in their churches and sports programs — not just those who suddenly show interest after filing a petition. It’s crucial that we put an end to years of bad habits and look toward a more prosperous future with innovative, forward-thinking ideas. I might be on a slate, but I am still going to be the independent thinking and voter if reelected.
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