Candidates Address Dysfunction, Consolidation and More at Live Forum

Between 50 and 60 residents filled the seats at Village Hall Thursday for a live candidates forum featuring the eight residents running for a seat on the village board.

Sponsored by Patch, RAMAC (Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce) and WGTD 91.1FM, the evening covered a variety of topics from prepared questions and a few submitted by the audience, too.

All eight candidates participated: Karen Albeck and Mark Gleason for president; John Hewitt, Sonny Havn, David DeGroot, Chuck Haakma, Steve Herek and Ronald Molnar for trustee. Hewitt and Havn are incumbent trustees running to retain their seats.

Here are some of the highlights:

What is your top concern and how will you address it?

Gleason: Leadership and organization; the community has been without good leadership for quite some time. It's by their own admission and the reports in the media, that's very troublesome. The lack of an administrator, good finances, the loss of public funds like transportation aid. Meetings are disturbing, and the village needs some organization and leadership.

Albeck: The image and sometimes the reality that Mount Pleasant government is dysfunctional is a big issue right now because that concern takes center stage when people or candidates choose to focus on the perception of the dysfunction, it makes it harder for us to dedicate our time and resources to the proper running of the government at all levels. 

Hewitt: It's not just one concern; residents have a number of concerns but it depends on where they live. Some have concerns about roads, others about their taxes. Our job is to tackle each one as best we can. As a trustee, we have to look at and try to dleiver the services people want. Taxes are necessary in order to deliver those services in the most affordable way.

DeGroot: Audit and budget along with permanent administrator and finance director are linked together and are inseparable. It's only natural for staff to bring issues to the person most likely to give them a favorable hearing. With six trustees and one president, you end up with inconsistency at best and a clown show at worst. Trustees have to get out of the business of micromanaging and get back to the real jobs of approving budgets, looking to the future, creating policy to achieve it, and hiring department heads to implement that vision, attracting business and being accountable to the taxpayers.

Havn: We have to deliver services expected at a reasonable tax rate. We haven't raised taxes unnecessarily, but missing a finance director and a permanent administrator and all the micromanagement from the board certainly needs to stop. We budgeted for things in the fire department, and I don't have a problem borrowing for necessary items.

Haakma: The key is living within our means and we are not. We have had a 10 percent increase for property owners and income property owners who have to increase rents; seniors who have fixed incomes, residents who have lost their jobs, business owners who create those jobs. With one of the worst economics since great depression, beyond comprehension the debt incurred, so I am strictly for cutting costs like $100,000 salaries and that's without benefits.

Herek: I agree with the others. I want to look for what the people want and address those issues, to give them a way for their voices to be heard and not jump through so many hoops to have things happen.

Molnar: I have represented the people of Mount Pleasant for four years and I hear that they are taxed too high, they are being taxed out of their homes and they want something done about it. This is about leadership and budget. I have extensive experience working with budgets like housing authority where I've served since 2007 with budgets of several million dollars; Racine County has held the line with zero percent budget increases. How's Mount Pleasant doing? I can't tell you; I think we got an audit done finally.

What is the role of a board member, particularly when it comes to the difference between setting policy and daily administration duties?

Hewitt: One of the difficulties is that some board members try to micromanage and that's not our job. Our job is policy; our job is to take the information presented to us from the president or the administrator or even the staff. We are not to be sitting in somebody's office for two, three or four hours taking up their time. Our job is to be prepared at the meetings to make decisions, not micromanage and not be part of the dysfunctional board.

DeGroot: The dysfunction between trustees is well-documented. The cardinals just had a conclave and elected a new Pope, and I don't know that the Pope himself could make this gang get along. Residents are going to have a conclave on April 2 to elect a new board and on April 3 we have to get to work together. That's the reality, and it shouldn't be hard if we set a budget, set policy, hire department heads to carry it out. It shouldn't be that hard to deal with the big questions and leave the managing to the managers.

Havn: The board is to set policy and direction and a vision for the village - let the administrator and the staff to do their job without micromanaging which has been going on too long. We have a good staff that's been held up way too much by people sitting in their offices for hours on end. That's a fact. The other thing is to come prepared to board members to make decisions to do the people's business.

Haakma: Setting policy, as far as meeting with department heads is very important to get a gist for what's happening but not sit for hours, instead maybe invite them for a walk. Waiting for information as a board member is like trustees are chickens waiting to be fed the food of information. I think that's wrong. I think they're here to get information from the people actually functioning, even talking to employees in general is good; it's called getting the facts.

Herek: Unfamiliar with this because I've never been on the board but I am looking forward to working with the board and helping get everything and everyone on track to work in a more productive manner for the residents and the county.

Molnar: The village board's responsibility is to set policy so we have to provide the tools to the administrator to carry out the will of the people as directed by the board. That's quite simple, but not what we've had.

Albeck: The role of the board member is to set policy, to determine priorities for budgets so if I am elected president, I would add teambuilding. The board needs to function as a team and make decisions based on information and for the betterment of residents. Too often we see members respond based on who presents them and that's wrong. We need to work together for residents.

Gleason: Clearly the role is to be policy makers and legislators; proposals will be brought forthe for consideration and we will vote it up or down. We're not here to micromanage so important to install a public administrator with great skills to be able to manage day-to-day operations of the village. When we do that, we'll find cohesiveness with board, administrator and employees and get a better government that's been missing for so long.

Do you think the South Shore Fire Department consolidation is still a good idea or should it be dissolved? Please explain your position.

DeGroot: Some things have worked well and we've had issues in other areas. I'm not fully up to speed on the consolidation, but from what I'm hearing, it isn't a bad deal in terms of how it's working out. There have been issues with ambulance and remount. I'm hearing Sturtevant doesn't like it but Mount Pleasant does like that idea. When things get to the point where safety is an issue, it's probably time to spend the money and get the equipment.

Havn: It's sbsolutely a good idea. There have been bumps in the road that are well-publicized, but we're well on our way to working it out. There are issues with a new ambulance and which way do we go; there's been back-and-forth but as board gets information will be easier; certainly need good equipment to serve our needs when we need them.

Haakma: In terms of consolidation, I don't have a lot of information. Do you get the reliability and the safety; are you really saving money and getting the cooperation, do we get the most of our dollar, but I have no idea. I need more information.

Herek: I'm not up to speed, either, a little familiar but if elected, I'll look into it and get the information to make the best decisions and do what I can about it.

Molnar: The is near and dear to me because I've been involved in emergency services since 1980. I've been volunteer FF/EMT in Kansansville since 2009. Consolidation makes great sense, but it needs revitalization and to update it where necessary. There are four things for success; dialogue for relationships, trust, and solutions and that's what we need is a new dialogue with Sturtevant.

Albeck: Any consolidation needs to be carefully planned and muncipalities have to give up some control, but once established, they need review regularly to be sure the outcomes are in line with original goals, and we haven't been doing that. We need to study the fiscal impact for both villages; review numbers, calls, stuff like that because doing that assures residents that consolidation is working or if there's a different result, address that.

Gleason: I like to look at efficiences, and intergovernmental relations with another community can be greatly beneficial. The South Shore Fire Department - I haven't been here a long time - seems to be working. There are some problems between Mount Pleasant & Sturtevant. Even if not everything working, if Mount Pleasant makes an agreement, then we will honor that. If it expires it can be reconsidered but if we make an agreement, then we will honor it. We have to look at what gives us most bang for our buck not just in the South Shore Fire Department.

Hewitt: South Shore Fire Department works very well as long as we give firefighter and paramedics the tools and the personnel to do their jobs. We are understaffed, and we need a couple new rescue units. I tried to get one a couple three years ago, got shot down and I was told you're getting a remount and we still haven't gotten it. We're getting specifications for a new rescue unit or remounts in the future, but I remember consolidation hearings and a gentleman from Sturtevant was totally against it & I asked him, do you care what color the truck is? We're here to serve the people.

There have been many complaints that the village is dysfunctional at the board and staff levels. For incumbents, why should residents vote for you again if you've not been able to do anything up to this point to fix these issues? For newcomers, what will you do to help change the climate at Village Hall?

Havn: Certainly there's been a lot of talk and I think there's more talk than problems, though we do have some problems. It's difficult to change these things when you're outnumbered on the board. I do not believe in micromanagement, and that sort of thing and that's the biggest problem. The board needs to get themselves together and work as a team and understand how to operate but we're not doing it. We had Mark Morien as an interim administrator and he had good ideas ,but he found out there was no way to change the existing board. I look to working with whoever's on the board and hopefully we get a majority to make changes so administrator and staff can do the jobs they're hired to do.

Haakma: I would only be one vote so if I was outvoted, I can't do anything. But I can do something; I can be present and represent your interest, vote how the average citizen would vote; I have that basic instinct. I would also let people know in a letter or a meeting who did what to not vote in the interest of our citizens. It's really you and me as citizens, not me and you because I am the guardian of the public trust and if elected, the right thing is to show your interest at heart. I would try to find out why someone voted not to your interest.

Herek: As a new member I would do what I can to straighten the dysfunction of the board because I've seen it first-hand. I wanted to build a pole barn five years ago even though I was told no, it wouldn't happen. The process I had to go through and the hoops I had to go through were unnecessary. I felt others have similar issues, they want things done but they can't be heard. I want to put a stop to that and I want to help them make their voice heard. We're here for you guys, what the county wants, not what we want. If you're fighting for something in particular, we have to listen and try to make things happen. Elect me and I'll make sure your voices are heard.

Molnar: Proven leadership; we need to hire an administrator; get audits complete; review budgets so there's no wasteful spending; restore confidence with residents and the business community. We have to make sure businesses know that Mount Pleasant is open for business; take advantage of the infrastructure we've put in. As chair of the Racine County Government Services I have the opp to review budget and positions like the District Attorney, the Racine County Sheriff's Office, the Medical Examiner and the jail. Each of them has a budget and hurdles to get over. Mount Pleasant needs to find more ways to be more efficient to save taxpayers money. 

Hewitt: In my previous life, I was an independent insurance agent for 34 years, and I have served on a number of boards throughout the county and there's a learning process. One of the very first things I wanted Mark Morien to do was bring in a professional on how to be a trustee - even sit down one-by-one to learn what you are here for, and that is to be in an orderly manner to do policy, to listen the people, that's not what's been going on these last few years, but it will change in the future.

DeGroot: My wife and I have lived in Mount Pleasant for 15 years and we are lifelong rsidents of the Racine area. We're watching what's going on and it breaks my heart that Mount Pleasant continues to shoot itself in the foot; they're taking their eye off what's important. You brought up dysfunction and micromanaging and I feel like it's my time to step up; I've been told if I'm not part of solution then I'm part of the problem. We're small biz people and so if we're not getting it done, then it's not getting done and that brings a common sense approach to problem solving. Nothing here is insurmountable, but it helps if trustees understand the job. Our job is to hold the line on taxes, responsible budgeting; staying on top of the big things; be business friendly to grow tax base and be transparent.

**Both Karen Albeck and Mark Gleason answered this question as well. We're including their answers on a separate story dedicated just to the candidates for village president.