Nicole Milovich-Walters, Candidate for Mayor of Palos Park

PALOS PARK, IL — For the first time in 16 years, Palos Park residents will be selecting a new mayor on April 4. The current Commissioner Nicole Milovich-Walters is running for mayor. The mayoral seat is the only contested seat in the upcoming local election.

Name: Nicole Milovich-Walters

Age (as of Election Day):54

Town/City of Residence: Palos Park

Office Sought: Mayor of Palos Park

Family: I am married to Todd Walters, and we have two daughters, Alexandra and Sydney, and two pups, Remy and Milo.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Only myself. I have been Commissioner of Public Works and Recreation in Palos Park for 16 years.

Occupation: I am an attorney, as is my husband. We have a family law practice based in Palos Park. I also have a pre-employment screening company located in Palos Park with approximately 13 employees. I have been in business since 1995.

Campaign website or Facebook or other social media: My campaign website is Palos Park First and Palos Park First Facebook.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: In 2003 I was appointed to the Palos Park Recreation Advisory Board. Following that in 2007 I was appointed to fill a vacated seat on the Village Council and became Commissioner of Public Works and Recreation. I ran in the 2009 mid-term election, and have been Commissioner ever since.

The most pressing issues facing Palos Park are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

There are four items that I would list as pressing issues: public safety, continued financial stewardship, supporting our senior population and inclusion of new residents.

Public safety is paramount to the residents of Palos Park. Palos Park historically has been a safe and quiet Village, but this has been because the Village has devoted significant resources to public safety. We have been blessed that Chief Joe Miller is our Police Chief. His experience and ability to lead is what makes him the best at his job. I will continue to support his efforts by careful budgeting, supplying needed equipment and training. Our support to our officers is evidenced by the Village’s investment of approximately half of our general fund budget into the police department. I would also work to enhance our CERT, COPS and Cadet programs as additional support to our police department. Additionally, I would like to enhance our community engagement. Our police department does a fantastic job of involving residents by offering Coffee with the Cop, visiting residents that live alone and providing accessibility and I would like to engage as many residents as possible in this unique community policing approach.

Our Village has a small budget, and it is imperative that we continue to be good stewards of the Village’s financial resources. With the addition of Cog Hill and Wu’s House restaurant in recent years, the Village is becoming less reliant on revenue from property taxes as well as funds received from the State of Illinois. Our budget has greater room for investment in roads, drainage improvements and other public projects. We must be ever diligent to review and control expenditures and seek additional sources of revenue, including grants.

Support for our seniors is critical. We have a large population of people over the age of 55. The reason most people move to Palos Park in the first place is because the homes are on large lots and not on top of each other. As people age, sometimes getting around is not as easy resulting in less social interaction. Therefore, it is important to keep our seniors active and engaged. I would continue the Senior Club that is run by our very own Village Clerk, Marie Arrigoni, but with greater Village support. The Senior Club had grown so much it was becoming a lot for Marie to handle. It now deserves and requires greater Village support. Additionally, I recently attended a legislative breakfast on aging. It is critical we make our residents aware of the services offered by Pathlights and AgeOptions, wonderful organizations that provide support staff, meals and much more. I would also continue to support our police department in its efforts to check on our population through “You’re not Alone." This program involves the police cadets checking in on our senior residents, develop rapport and make sure they are doing well.

My fourth pressing issue is how to better engage new residents. We have a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as e-news but I believe we can reach new residents more effectively. I will form a volunteer committee that provides an old-fashioned “welcome to the community” visit. I would have the Village put together welcome packets that contain all the places you can find information about happenings in the Village and information about our schools and businesses. The “Welcome to the Community: group would distribute the information, let the new resident know all about the different opportunities available to engage with other residents in their community and answer any questions the newcomers might have.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I have 20 years of experience working within the Village on government boards. I have the institutional knowledge and have demonstrated the leadership to be Mayor of Palos Park. I am supported by the current Mayor, John Mahoney, and every living former Mayor, including Caroly Baca, Jean Moran, Don Jeanes and Willard Lager, because they understand that the role of Mayor requires experience in Village matters.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district? As I am Commissioner now and running for Mayor, I would say that Mayor John Mahoney has been a strong leader for the Village. The Village is in far better financial condition than when he first came to the Board twenty years ago and I came to the Board sixteen years ago. We have been able to increase investments in road and drainage projects. We have grown the number of community events we offer to provide our residents the ability to engage with other residents. We have been able to increase our reserves to more than 50% of our fund balance, when based on GFOA standards the Village only requires 25%.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I have an extensive list of goals and objectives. Given my extensive experience as Commissioner, I know that all these things are possible because we have been doing them for years and succeeding.

I believe in supporting and investing in our police department by providing competitive salaries while supplying necessary equipment and mandated additional training. I will continue to invest in our road and bond program. I will be an advocate with Cook County and Illinois Department of Transportation to ensure roadway maintenance for our State and County roads is provided. I will continue to grow our recreation department offerings and expand our small-town community events and work with other area recreation departments and McCord, Palos Fine Arts and the Center Farm to build opportunities for our residents. I will continue to be a fiscally responsible steward of the Village financial resources as I have for the past 16 years. Additionally, I will continue to lobby aggressively in Springfield for programs and policies beneficial to Village residents. I will continue to support the Arts in our community through our support of McCord Palos Fine Arts and the Village Players as well as our local schools as I did when my children attended the Palos public schools. I will expand our methods of reaching residents with information about Village events and meetings, not only electronically but also through more personal engagement to better reach all residents.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I believe there are many accomplishments that support my ability to be a successful Mayor of Palos Park. My dad passed away when I was 19 and attending college. I pushed to and did finish my Bachelor of Science degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison school in 3 1/2 years. Following college, I attended John Marshall Law School, and I started my company at the same time. I steadily grew my business, which is why it is thriving today with 13 employees. In addition, I am a partner in our family law practice. As Commissioner, I have worked closely with the mayor. I over saw the construction of our underground water reservoir, multiple road improvement projects, including the current three-year, $3 million project. I have consistently worked to create a balanced budget and built a reserve fund balance. I created a self-perpetuating source of revenue to provide much needed funds for infrastructure improvements. I was integral in the annexation of Cog Hill, Ludwig Farms and Mid Iron Golf.

Why should voters trust you? My heart is in Palos Park. I grew up here and find it rewarding to serve my community and make a difference.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? There are many things that I would like to accomplish but bringing the infrastructure necessary to the western portion of the Village, while continuing to undertake massive road improvement projects without increasing fees to the residents. Thise accomplishment would position the Village for thoughtful and careful growth west of Bell Road to help ensure the future fiscal viability of the Village. The other item that would make my term a success is to keep growing our small-town community events, such as the Autumn in the Park festival that I started with the help of Village staff. Lastly, the expansion of our connection and contact with our seniors, new residents and existing residents.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? I believe in being conservative with our tax dollars. This policy has allowed me, with the Village Council, to have 63% of our fund balance in reserve. Our Village policy (based on GFOA standards) only requires 25%, but having built this reserve allows the Village to move forward with infrastructure improvements.

In what ways can intergovernmental relationships with state, county and other local governmental agencies be strengthened or improved? I have a great relationship with the Mayors of Palos Heights, Palos Park and Orland Park. I have also developed strong relationships with State Representatives Fran Hurley, Kelly Burke, as well as Senator Bill Cunningham. In additionally I have worked very well with Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison. I also have a great relationship with those serving on the school boards for District 118 and District 230. This has allowed us to communicate well when issues or needs arise. I would continue to strengthen those relationships and look forward to building new connections with those people that represent our resident’s interests.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family? Of course not. My intention, if elected, would be to see the current projects through to their conclusion, to bring a perspective regarding the needs of the Village and what the residents are looking for and mentor and build the future leaders of the Board.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Think before you speak and do what’s right, not just what’s easy.