Michael Lee, Spring Grove Village Board election questionnaire

Full Name: Michael Lee

What office are you seeking? Trustee, Village of Spring Grove

What is your political party? Open / Not specified for this position.

What is your current age? 60

Occupation and Employer: Retired

What offices, if any, have you previously held? I have been a Trustee for a total of 12 years. Prior to that I served on the Spring Grove Planning and Zoning commission for three years.

City: Spring Grove, IL

Campaign Website: NO

Education: BA Communications from Western Illinois University. Completed 1984

Community involvement: As a member of Spring Grove Board of Trustees I serve on the Finance, Parks, Safety and Public Works committees. I am Chairman of the Community Engagement Committee.

Outside of my Village responsibilities, I coach the RBCHS Fishing Team.

Marital status/Immediate family: I have been married for 38 years to Vicki. We have three grown daughters.

Why are you running for office?

Community service has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I am an Eagle Scout, served on student relations committees in college, served as a member of the Richmond Burton Baseball Association and coached various youth sports. As I grew in my business, I thought my experiences there could be put to good use serving my community, first as a zoning and planning commissioner and then as Trustee. I feel it’s important to actively participate in whatever community you are a part of.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

Before retirement, I was Division President for a large medical supply manufacturer and distributor. In my role I had P&L responsibility for a business that grew from $30MM to over $500MM on my watch. I managed over 300 people from various parts of the business. I learned to work eye to eye with top level executives, set goals and direction, manage complicated budgets, and achieve results. I learned to listen to my customers and my employees, make compromises, and build solutions that would bring positive impact to both. Many of these skills come in to play as a Trustee.

I am also a 29-year resident of Spring Grove. I have a good understanding of where we have been, and where we want to go.

What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?

I support the Second Amendment and I believe the weapons ban as written is probably an over reach on the part of the State.

That said, I am responding to this just two days after what we saw happen in Michigan. The events in Highland Park also come to mind because they went down while we were lining up for our town’s Fourth of July parade. On that day, I thought of the people lining our streets and thinking to myself that Highland Park could just as easily been Spring Grove. I don’t have the solution. But there has to be a way we can honor the spirit of the Second Amendment and do a better job making sure things like MSU, Higland Park and all the others don’t keep happening.

I think this is more for the state or federal government, but I would be happy to participate in any discussion aimed at finding a solution.

Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?

I don’t see crime as a big problem in Spring Grove. I believe our police force does a great job and works well with our community and together we live and work in a safe area.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I think the village did a good job. Working within state and federal mandates, we were still able to come up with solutions supporting our local business owners and protecting our residents.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

I learned that there is no set formula for, really anything. As a leader you have to pay attention to all of the information and try to see what makes the most sense for the environment you’re working in. We had to get creative and work together at the local level to ensure life could go on. Meaning businesses could stay in business, people could get out and move around, public work could get done, all while staying as safe as possible. It was a good lesson in team work, listening, and creativity.

How would you spur economic development in your community?

My main priority is economic development. We need the revenue new businesses will bring in order to continue with the services our residents expect without putting the funding of those services on the backs of resident taxpayers.

Infrastructure, particularly water expansion is a key to attracting new business. With the support of our local business community, we are currently in the process of expanding water along our Rt12 corridor. Residents will see that work start this summer. Past projects have recently garnered new business including Casey’s General Store. These businesses bring sales and fuel taxes to our village without impacting residential areas of town. This was something I campaigned on in the last election and I am glad to see we are getting this done.

Population also effects economic development. I believe we need to be open to responsible ideas for different types of housing development. Many current residents, who would like to stay in the village, end up leaving because they don’t want the upkeep that comes with an acre lot. Others would like to bring their young families to the village but cannot afford the cost of a home on one acre. I think there is a way to accommodate these needs, without changing the character of the village. A side benefit would be a rise in the population, which would in turn attract businesses and the tax revenue they bring.

Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?

The reality is the local government only gets a tiny fraction of property taxes paid. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.5% of dollars you pay on your property tax bill goes to the Village. We’ve done a good job delivering a balanced budget year over year and living within our means.

The challenge comes as residents rightfully demand the Village maintain or even expand the services we provide today without raising their taxes. In order to do that we need to find alternative sources of revenue. Sales and fuel taxes from new business is the best solution in my mind. That is why I put such emphasis on infrastructure growth to spur economic growth.

Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?

Yes. It’s a legal business that provides a good source of revenue to the Village.

What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?

The water expansion along our Rt 12 corridor is currently in process. Residents will see this start in summer of this year. Funding for this project came from a combination of federal grants, village investment, and local business investment.

We are also going to have to expand our waste treatment capabilities in order to comply with new state mandates and to service the needs of our growing business community. Currently we are in the planning stages which includes development of an affordable and effective system plan, and chasing funding from sources including federal and state grants.

Finally, residential streets need to be a priority. Last year our community voted to increase the retail sales tax by 1/4 of a point. The added revenue is to go in main part to fund the paving of residential streets at a faster pace than we could normally.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

I would under any circumstance. However, this time I’m running unopposed so it’s probably not a huge issue.

What is your position on open, transparent government?

I wish more people would participate in the process. From voting, to showing up at meetings and expressing their views.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

Yes

Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?

No