Civic Engagement Personified in Former Village Trustee

Most local governing boards have a gadfly, a person who’s always in the know about what’s going on, or at least trying to figure out what’s the latest update. In New Lenox, that guy is 78-year-old Bill Walter.

During a town hall meeting the Village Board ran earlier this year, Walter stood up to ask a few questions. Nelson Road extension? Electricity aggregation? Old lumber yard? He doesn’t need to say much more; he knows the background for each of these issues and many more in the village. But instead of calling a board member to get his questions answered quickly, he likes waiting until the meetings.

Knowledge about the issues, their history and who can make what happen doesn’t come naturally. Since moving to New Lenox in 1998, Walter has been a staple in various organizations and at village board meetings, whether its been to tape them for Channel 6, make decisions at them as a fill-in trustee or, as he does now, to ask questions as an interested citizen, something he thinks more people should do to get involved.

Civic engagement was a part of Walter long before moving to New Lenox. He bought a heating and air conditioning business from his father in 1968, and his first big taste of local government was when he had to work with the planning commission to move to a new location that had the proper zoning for his shop. He kept going to the planning meetings until eventually he was appointed to commission.

“I’ve always been involved in something or other,” he said. “I got involved because my dad was involved with his business. To be in business, you’ve got to be involved. You have to be able to meet people.”

He was also a founding member of the Dolton Chamber of Commere in 1976, helped with redevelopment projects for the downtown area and served as a village trustee from 1991-94. He learned lots through these roles, but said a lot of his lessons came through his three years in Korea with the U.S. Army.

“I learned how to work with people and how to lead people, and that all came from my Army service,” he said. “That led to me wanting to be involved in the community.”

When he moved to New Lenox with his wife, Shirley, to be closer to their daughter’s family, he got involved immediately by taping board meetings for Channel 6 and joining the and the Rotary Club. He picked up on New Lenox’s history and major issues by meeting people and reading the paper, and word started to spread about his involvement, too, and his civic role grew rather organically. He was asked to join the Park District Board to fill a vacancy in 2002, and later appointed to the Village Board, where he served until losing an election in 2007.

He’s particularly proud of his time with the 911 Commission, which helped move the Lincoln-Way dispatch center from the basement of the to the Frankfort Township office.

Despite being retired and off the Village Board, he’s stayed as involved as ever and encourages more people to do the same. He’s on the economic development commission, which shares opinion on possible business projects in town, and is still active in the VFW. He’s been to just about every board meeting since losing the election in 2007, except for maybe a few when he was sick. Besides tinkering with items in his basement workshop, keeping up on local issues is what keeps him active.

“The changes here have been good,” he said of New Lenox’s growth since he moved here. “It’s a wonderful community.”

But he’s got his questions and complaints, and he’s often the only one sharing them with the village at meetings, something he wishes more people would do so they could stay informed and make educated decisions.

He cited the village’s recent as an example of a good thing that got negative feedback because many people didn’t get involved. That was something residents voted on, and the village publicized it numerous ways and also held town hall meetings to explain it.

“How can you not know what’s going on?” he said. “I guess that’s human nature. (The politicians) have got to keep them notified, but there should be more people who go to these meetings. They’ll comment online but don’t have the gumption to say it at a meeting.”

Walter will be at the board meetings for as long as he can, and he welcomes company. A recent issue he noted was the planned Nelson Road extension, which would open a path between Illinois Highway and Haven Avenue. It’s a project he’s happy about, but in regard to the village’s to pay for it, he said, “I know there’s other ways, but it’s not for me to say.”

He backtracks. It is for him to say, just not now, though he will likely stand up and say something at the board’s next meeting Sept. 12.