Cameron Krueger
1. What personal qualities, skills and experiences make you particularly qualified to be a Trustee for the Village of Wilmette.
As a third generation Wilmette resident, my family and I returned to Wilmette 12 years ago and quickly realized that Wilmette is a very special community and appreciate the charm that is uniquely Wilmette. In the past 12 years I have been involved in civic and athletic associations in an effort to give back to the community and to help Wilmette thrive. I have coached/managed t-ball, baseball, basketball and hockey. I have contributed my efforts as a Sunday school teacher and volunteered my organizational and technical skills at a dozen local charity events. All this has helped me remain close to the community and helped me appreciate the needs of our residents and businesses.
In my professional life I am a management consultant at one of the leading global consulting firms. My focus is Banking and Capital Markets strategy and I work with clients around the world to develop plans to grow their markets and control costs. My experience includes founding several successful businesses, commercial and residential real estate and municipal and asset finance. I have a BA in Economics from Principia College and an MBA from Northwestern.
I enjoy understanding complex issues and evaluating them objectively. My background as a business owner and a homeowner, as a finance specialist and as an active member of our community, without a personal, political or social agenda make me well qualified to be a Village Trustee.
2. What specific programs and/or services would you suggest reducing in light of budget concerns?
There are two ways we can live within a budget; Take in more tax/fee revenue and spend less. Both options require belt tightening and sacrifice, but both need to be explored fully.
Revenue: We clearly have undeveloped potential in the Village Center and the other commercial districts. We have an unprecedented opportunity to build on our success and plan for growth in a rational and realistic manner that balances the Village zoning rules, right of homeowners, needs of property developers and business owners and desires of the Village residents.
The Village needs to look at the successes in nearby communities and choose the best combination of retail, office and residential that builds on the Village’s charm, holds the line on property taxes and builds sales tax revenue. The Village Master Plan is the first step in achieving this goal.
Expenses: It’s rare that anyone wants less in the way of services, but every service comes at a cost and we, as taxpayers, deserve transparency into costs so we can make rational decisions. Additionally, we have taken on other programs that have hidden costs that reduce the Village’s tax base in exchange for something else. Before we talk about cutting services, we need a clear picture of what the services and programs in the Village cost.
We need a Village that provides a solid set of services (safety, infrastructure, schools, social services, etc.). I suggest this as the baseline for budgeting and I support an efficient government that serves the people.
3. There has been discussion of moving Village Hall to another location in order to jump start development in the Village Center. What are your thoughts on this?
The Village Master Plan, which will be developed over the next 12-18 months, is critical to help us formulate our plans for the Village Hall and Village Center. While out of the scope of the Master Plan, we need to consider the long-term plan of the police station as well. These have significant economic considerations for the Village – positive and negative. Balance and transparency is required.
The current Village Hall structure is likely adequate for its use today, but its location is less optimal when considered as part of the broader Village Center plan. Additionally, I’m not sure “jump start” is the right term. We have experienced a significant influx of new business and a rejuvenation of existing businesses in the past several years. Village Center is on a positive trajectory. Replacing Village Hall would allow us to fully realize the potential of the Village Center and conceptually is a terrific idea. Practically we need to balance the economics of such an undertaking – and thankfully we have many options.
Considering the current Village Center, Metra parking lot, Chase Bank building, Village Hall and the Green Bay Road corridor, we have a significant amount of real estate that could contribute to a vital Village Center and provide space for a new Village Hall. I’m optimistic that we can find a solution that delivers long-term value and stability to all of us.
4. Zoning issues comprise a significant portion of the decisions you will make as a Trustee. Whether it is a single family home improvement or major commercial development, how would you balance the rights of the property owner with the desires of the neighbors surrounding a proposed project and the community at large?
Zoning changes and variances are very important to property owners. As a homeowner, I bought my home with the expectation of a certain set of rights based, in part, on an established set of zoning rules and building codes. Unilaterally changing these may affect me favorably or unfavorably. It’s the same for every single property owner in the Village. I do not support unilateral changes in zoning without absolute transparency and fully discussion. Property ownership rights carry significant weight and, as a Village, we have done an adequate job of mitigating negative impacts that result from zoning changes. Not perfect, but adequate. Large projects like those that will probably come out of the Village Master Plan, will almost certainly affect current property owners and we need to balance the needs of the Village with that of the property owner. Fortunately, we have a well documented process to zoning and variance considerations that operate reasonably well.
5. Do you favor changing zoning regulations to increase density for multifamily construction so such construction could include affordable housing?
There are developers active in our community that have figured out how to build housing that is “affordable” and simultaneously make economic profits. Others have not and therefore seek some form of dispensation from the Village so they can provide “affordable” units. We all pay for these accommodations. Further, the general way “affordable housing” works is that the property is sold at below market prices and the appreciation is limited to the movement of a predetermined index. Real Estate investment, specifically home ownership, has consistently been the single best source of building wealth in America – although today’s housing market might make one think otherwise. The owner of an “affordable” unit does not benefit from long term appreciation so the person who needs this type of support is, in fact, not able to benefit from home ownership.
As a Village we have a very poor track record in the “affordable housing” market and have some long-term management, legal and economic issues with our administration and/or direction of these projects. Further, proponents cite the 2006 Final Report regarding Affordable Housing as the Wilmette benchmark of affordable housing practices. This study is inconclusive at best and simply misquoted quite frequently. Living in Wilmette is a choice, not a mandate. I propose that before we further subsidize housing in the Village we ask the tax payers their opinion. After all, it’s their money we are spending.
5. How do you strike a balance between the costs of Environmental/Green initiatives and the benefits of such initiatives?
Who does not think we need to be good custodians of the Earth? I certainly do and applaud all well intentioned personal, governmental and commercial commitments to reduce waste, recycle, reduce carbon footprint, etc. Like every Village service, understanding the economic, social and environmental ramifications is the foundation to evaluating the benefits.
Today even something as mundane as Christmas tree recycling is not what it seems. In addition to garbage trucks traversing our streets at least twice to pick up the trees, once snow falls, the composting facilities that accept trees close for the season and the trees end up in landfills. Another example is the use of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. These are highly regarded for low energy consumption and long life – both admirable traits. Use of these bulbs is being marketed as environmentally friendly. In truth we have relied on incomplete information and we have not completely figured out how to ensure that the mercury in each bulb should be safely disposed of. If they end up in a landfill, that’s terrible for the environment.
I truly care about the environment, but we need to be careful what we encourage because frequently there are unintended consequences. There are many sides to every issue. Public policy requires a deep understanding of the issues, not a quick and politically attractive solution, to ensure that we are truly good custodians of the Earth. I have the analytical background needed to create well conceived and executed public policy around environmental concerns.
6. What role should the Village play in supporting marketing/advertising campaigns to promote Wilmette businesses and shopping locally?
The Business Development Advisory Board is a joint effort between the Village and Chamber of Commerce. This group has worked collaboratively to increase the awareness of Village residents and, more recently, non-residents with regards to the value Wilmette stores, restaurants and services can provide. It has been very low cost and the benefit is shared by all of us. It’s important to remember that a thriving commercial environment helps keep property taxes from increasing. It’s not unreasonable that the Village promote commerce in the Village, after all these businesses are the same ones that employ residents, pay taxes, sponsor our youth sports teams and gives generously to our local charity events.
It’s also important that we recognize that the “Shop Wilmette” program is available to all Wilmette businesses (not only Chambers of Commerce members) and to take full advantage of the program. Local businesses need to make financial commitments as well. The Village sales tax revenue has increased every year since 2004 in spite of major businesses like the Ford dealership leaving the Village. We need to ensure this trend continues
Wilmette is not alone in promoting its local businesses or in establishing public/private joint ventures. Most municipalities promote commerce because it’s clearly recognized as desirable to most residents to have a vibrant commercial base.
Lastly, shopping locally helps all of us because we can drive shorter distances or walk to our local merchants.
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