Election 2013: Michael (Mike) Bruno — 'A Voice Experienced in Historic Preservation'

MICHAEL (MIKE) BRUNO — GENEVA 1ST WARD ALDERMAN CANDIDATE

Name: Michael (Mike) Bruno

Position Sought: Alderperson – Geneva’s 1st Ward

Campaign Contact Information

• Website: www.MikeBrunoGeneva
• Email: Mike@MikeBrunoGeneva.com
• Phone (H): 630-232-0839

Home Address: 522 Fulton Street, Geneva, IL

Family Members

• Wife: Debbie Bruno (Since 1988)
• Son: Adam Bruno (Age 20)

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Engineering College), 1987, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Current Occupation and Employer: Owner of technology consulting firm, 1st Layers Consulting Corp.

Political Party Affiliation: Independent

Why are you seeking office?

I have been serving the city and working with staff for some years now and wishto extend that level of service. After years of friends saying that I should run for office, it seems that now is the time to make that commitment.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

If I had to pick just one point; I would have to say that I have seen a waning of support and understanding of Historic Preservation’s role is in the city. Given how central preservation is to city identity, tourist attractiveness and economic vitality, I wish to guarantee a voice experienced in historic preservation is represented on the council.

What do you think are the top three challenges facing Geneva today?

Economic growth, budgeting and historic preservation

If elected, how would you address those top three challenges?

Economic growth: careful and thoughtful management of State Street zoning, redevelopment of Mill Race Inn and the East State corridor, the new industrial park space and Randall Road.

Budgeting: Play the long game and, to the extent we can, be confident that expenditures will return more value to citizens than the outlay. New or discretionary services will be at the request of the citizenry.

Historic Preservation: My long experience on the Historic Preservation Commission and working with city staff and studying municipal planning has given my unique expertise. Geneva is the gem that it is, in large measure, because of thoughtful application of Historic Preservation principles. It has been central to making Geneva the tourist destination and economic engine that it is. It has also helped make it some of the most desirable business and residential real estate in the region. I will act as an experienced voice on historic preservation matters for the City Council to help maintain that which we value.

What do you think are the top three challenges facing the 1st Ward?

Taxes, Downtown Vitality, Historic Preservation

If elected, how would you address those 1st Ward challenges?

Taxes: While the city represents just 8% of a property-owners tax bill, I will strive to follow the tradition of cautious and pragmatic spending alive. Geneva is already recognized as delivering better services for less money than surrounding communities.

Downtown Vitality: I would pursue careful modification of zoning and investor solicitation to help bring robust pedestrian traffic toward and across the river. There use or redevelopment of the Mill Race Inn property is critical and I will work closely with the rest of the City Council to that end.

Historic Preservation: I will give voice to our thoughtful and pragmatic Historic Preservation Commission with my unique understanding of how preservation benefits downtown, the city as a whole and its residents both inside and outside the 1st Ward and Historic District.

What sets you apart from the other candidate?

I have lived 30 adult years in the 1st Ward. I have roots to 1903. I have raised a family. I have owned homes. I have invested in my homes. I have paid property taxes. I am an engineer and am attuned to parsing evidence and analyzing complex situations. Being self-employed, I have the flexibility to adjust my schedule to accommodate the events and needs of the 1st Ward.

Issue 1: What will you do to enhance economic development in Geneva?

I will pay particular attention to creating a pedestrian attractive retail corridor to connect downtown vitality up to and across the river. I will work with staff to entice the most valuable tenants to our new industrial park. I will pay close attention to our East State Street corridor to foster investment there.

Issue 2: What will you do to hold the line on property tax increases?

Geneva has few opportunities for physical growth in the short term but we do need to pay to bring infrastructure and services to service that growth. It is understood that that growth (and its expense) will, in the long term, yield greater return than the outlay thereby reducing the burden on the taxpayers.

New or discretionary services will be based on resident demand. I promise to be cautious and evidence-based with all spending items before me, but I will not sign any pledge that might feel good in the short-term but might compromise our long-term economics.

Issue 3: How will you use technology to improve city government?

Being in information technology since the mid-1980s, I am uniquely qualified to help staff vet such initiatives. I would like to see great expansion of digital access to city services such as on-line payments, paperless billing, on-line service, and problem reporting to various departments. A recent [and overdue] software upgrade will help us deliver those services. I would like to see greatly expanded electronic communications for traffic, weather, power issues and events. If we could keep it close to revenue neutral, I would like to investigate an intergovernmental agreement to bring electronic access to households that may not have such access. With broad enough access, we may be able to eliminate large record-keeping cost centers.

If you could take back any action of the past four years, what would it be?

I would have liked to see the city (vis-à-vis the Plan Commission) deny the special use of a drive-through for the Pure Oil Building. While the current owner has done an exemplary job of restoring the structure, the addition of another bank at that corner is a pedestrian impediment. I feel that pedestrian traffic and long-term vitality of the blocks west of Fifth Street have been appreciably diminished.

Do you think longtime residence in a community is an asset for a Geneva alderman?

While I don’t believe length of residence is a bright line division; living 30 adult years, raising a family, owning homes, paying taxes and observing the growth (and attempted growth) over that time offers clear advantages in understanding the city and its values.

Who are your three top campaign contributors and how much did they donate to your campaign?

Save for one $50 donation, my campaign has, otherwise, been self-funded.

What is your top accomplishment of the past four years?

I helped raise public awareness of the threats to (and value of) the Pure Oil Building which (in conjunction with my deliberative role on the Historic Preservation Commission) resulted in the preservation of a historic gem.
Geneva’s downtown charm cannot be measured in a handful of discrete projects. As an Historic Preservation Commission member for 11 years I have been party to hundreds of incremental efforts that, in aggregate, strengthen and improve our downtown charm and vitality.

Describe your leadership style and how it will apply to your term in office.

I am good humored and will meld the serious nature of the City Council with a personable, casual and matter-of-fact nature. It is a rare exception that I don’t have excellent relationships with my peers. I am open to ideas and positions and compromise. If the facts are on my side, I will defend my position vigorously.

Do you think there should be term limits for the position of alderman? Why or why not?

I don’t see term limits being an issue with Geneva’s City Council. We seem to have adequate turnover amongst our alderpersons and I can’t think of an instance where any political machine has arisen to undermine the public’s representation. My feeling is that, of our long-serving council members, they are there because they have been good servants for their constituents.

What have you done to support or enhance historic preservation in Geneva?

In my 11 tenure on the Historic Preservation Commission, I have been at the epicenter of every important issue in maintaining our historic downtown. I (and the commission) have done this through the judicious and careful application of the Secretary of Interior guidelines. I have actively worked to deflect efforts that would compromise the ability of the city to defend its historic assets. I have begun a person effort for public education on the facts and myths of historic preservation. I would hope to formalize that public education effort when on the City Council by working with the planning and preservation staff.

Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign.

My great-grandparents (the Berrettinis) settled on North Sixth Street in 1903. I began visiting Geneva in the late 1960s to visit my grandparents well before we were considered a Chicago suburb. One could cross State Street with their eyes closed with little risk. Any vehicle going west of Randall Road was almost certainly a tractor or a pickup truck. I played on the same cannons at Wheeler Park and the courthouse where I took my own son to play. I have lived in all of the Tri-Cities, but only fell in love with one. I have worked my entire adult life in Geneva. I met my wife in Geneva and we raised our son in Geneva. We have owned homes here and paid taxes. We have seen Geneva grow and succeed where many communities fail.

As a do-it-yourselfer, my wife and I invested heavily and restored several homes in the city. Our present home downtown was considered a “teardown” by most people with the siding and porch falling off and buckets upstairs from leaks in the roof. In 2000, we received a preservation award from the city. That attention led me to applying for an open seat on the Historic Preservation Commission, where I became a student of preservation and municipal planning. I know how municipal planning and preservation work to make a better community.

My wife and I are fiscally cautious. We only JUST replaced our 13-year-old car for a 5-year-old car when we could have purchased new. I plan on bringing that pragmatism to the City Council.

I hope to bring my experience, expertise and passion to the City Council in serviceto the 1st Ward and the city as a whole.

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