Age: Not given
Occupation: Retired
What qualifies you for the position: 10 years as alderman.
Community involvement: Citizen of Monroe for 50 years; past employee and part owner of Bruni-Miller; current member of Moose Lodge.
Previous experience: Member or chairman of Board of Public Works, Public Safety Committee, Finance and Taxation Committee, Board of Review and others.
Other: Current member of Senior Citizen's Board.
Q: In expectation of falling revenues (such as state shared revenue) and increasing costs (such as health care and pension plans costs), what should the City of Monroe do to balance its budget next year?
A: The mayor is creating an ad hoc committee after the April 5 election to address the financial issues that the City of Monroe will face during the next budget cycle. It is my opinion that city and community input is needed, because we all will need to make sacrifices in order to balance future budgets. I am in agreement and support the creation of this ad hoc committee. I believe this is a common sense approach, and I fully support the effort.
Q: Equalized property values in Monroe's five Tax Increment Districts (TID) fell by about $6 million total last year. If a TID does not raise enough tax revenue annually and does not have enough excess funds to meet its debt payment, the city must pay those shortfalls from its general fund. This was a concern during the budget meetings this past fall. What should the City do to help generate tax revenues specifically for these districts and to increase business, industrial and job growth in the city in general?
A: The question has no easy answers, given the current economic climate in the state. We all know that economic growth is the key to paying off the TIDs. The city needs to continue to work jointly with the Chamber of Commerce and the Green County Development Corporation to encourage businesses to come to Monroe and prosper. The city council is working hard to promote growth and promote Monroe as a retail shopping and manufacturing center.
Q: Mayor Bill Ross has said, what is good for Green County is good for Monroe, and therefore, he has worked with Green County Economic Development Corporation, Green County Department of Tourism and other county offices and municipalities to promote economic growth in the area. The opposite saying, what is good for Monroe is good for Green County, could also be true. Monroe Main Street, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cheese Days Committee have worked to promote more tourism to Monroe. What should the city do to help promote Monroe - its history, its products and its recreational opportunities - as a destination for more visitors?
A: We have Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce and Green County Tourism promoting Monroe as a place to visit. We need to promote our new look on the downtown square and build on our rich heritage of cheese making and the dairy industry.
The Destination Center project that is currently under consideration is very exciting and could be a very big boost to the tourism industry in our city. The committee heading up this project is very enthusiastic and believes it has enormous potential. We, as a city, need to continue to fully support these efforts.
A: The mayor is creating an ad hoc committee after the April 5 election to address the financial issues that the City of Monroe will face during the next budget cycle. It is my opinion that city and community input is needed, because we all will need to make sacrifices in order to balance future budgets. I am in agreement and support the creation of this ad hoc committee. I believe this is a common sense approach, and I fully support the effort.
Q: Equalized property values in Monroe's five Tax Increment Districts (TID) fell by about $6 million total last year. If a TID does not raise enough tax revenue annually and does not have enough excess funds to meet its debt payment, the city must pay those shortfalls from its general fund. This was a concern during the budget meetings this past fall. What should the City do to help generate tax revenues specifically for these districts and to increase business, industrial and job growth in the city in general?
A: The question has no easy answers, given the current economic climate in the state. We all know that economic growth is the key to paying off the TIDs. The city needs to continue to work jointly with the Chamber of Commerce and the Green County Development Corporation to encourage businesses to come to Monroe and prosper. The city council is working hard to promote growth and promote Monroe as a retail shopping and manufacturing center.
Q: Mayor Bill Ross has said, what is good for Green County is good for Monroe, and therefore, he has worked with Green County Economic Development Corporation, Green County Department of Tourism and other county offices and municipalities to promote economic growth in the area. The opposite saying, what is good for Monroe is good for Green County, could also be true. Monroe Main Street, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cheese Days Committee have worked to promote more tourism to Monroe. What should the city do to help promote Monroe - its history, its products and its recreational opportunities - as a destination for more visitors?
A: We have Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce and Green County Tourism promoting Monroe as a place to visit. We need to promote our new look on the downtown square and build on our rich heritage of cheese making and the dairy industry.
The Destination Center project that is currently under consideration is very exciting and could be a very big boost to the tourism industry in our city. The committee heading up this project is very enthusiastic and believes it has enormous potential. We, as a city, need to continue to fully support these efforts.