| | As our community grows, the biggest long-term issue we face is how we'd like it to grow. What do we want our future village to look like? What strengths do we have to build upon? What weaknesses do we need to address? I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you.
BUDGET: For the next two years, of course, our biggest short-term issue is how we survive in a struggling economy. All of us face this struggle -- as individuals, as employees, as business owners, and as a village. What will we cut? What can we do more efficiently? What are the opportunities during this period?
TAXES: There is no support for any property tax increases. With flat property values and no growth, that means the village revenues will be flat.
UNIONS: The village will have to hold personnel costs in check. There is no other mathematical option. But this must be done cooperatively with the village's union representation. This cannot be a unilateral decision that is forced on the village employees who work hard to make this a good community.
PUBLIC SAFETY: This is one of the village's most important responsibilities. Our safe neighborhoods, where families can raise their children, are a key reason families come to McFarland to live -- and they will be key to McFarland's future growth. Our volunteer fire fighters don't just fight fire. They're also a part of our community volunteer culture. Our EMT's are excellent. They’re one reason why seniors locate in our community. But are there public safety efficiencies we can explore together?
DEVELOPMENT: Our developers are the business leaders who will ultimately make real any sort of vision we might have for the future of this village. That doesn't mean we compromise zoning, planning and efforts to guide economic development. What it means is that we consider our developers as partners in our growth. I look forward to frank discussions with developers about our visions for the future, including infill (the McFarland Center), Highway 51, the historic downtown and, of course, how we will grow to the east.
SCHOOLS: These aren't the responsibility of the village, but they are perhaps McFarland's most important asset, influencing families’ decisions about where in the Madison area to live. We have a small, high-quality school district that regularly draws "choice' students. I'd like to work with school leaders, including teachers, to help the village and schools cooperate whenever possible.
PARKS: We have 66 acres of parks, more parks per capita than almost any area community. And we have lakeshore. How do we boast about this as we “market” McFarland as a place to live and do business?
A lot of the difficult decisions to be made in the next two years will require leadership, a willingness to study and understand the tradeoffs, a willingness to look beyond village borders for answers, and an ability to bring people together to help make decisions. I believe that I have those qualities.
I can virtually guarantee you that we won't always agree. I can also guarantee you that my vision is to listen to -- and work with -- as many of you as possible to help build a village in which we're proud to live and that we’ll be proud to leave to our children.
Mike Flaherty
Candidate for Village Board Trustee
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