Hanusiak, Przybylo Argue Over Golf Mill As they Vie To Be Mayor

This is Part 2 of a two-part story.  Click here to see Part 1. 

Andrew Przybylo and  Chris Hanusiak, who are competing to be Niles mayor in the April 9 election, ignited some sparks Wednesday in a debate, sponsored by the Journal & Topics. 

Read on to see where they disagreed.

Was $100,000 to televise board meetings worth it?

Moderator Amy Kruppe, superintendent of Niles Elementary School District 71, read off this question on the value of televising board meetings, written by an audience member.

Andrew Przybylo responded that transparency is important but that he had no idea it would cost $100,000. (The video system was researched and recommended by the village's Information Technology staff).

"It is expensive, I get it," Przybylo remarked. "But people play to the cameras. We should have better decorum, better rules at the village board meeting."

Hanusiak felt televising the meetings is instrumental in providing transparent government to residents.  "We want citizens to see what’s going on in the village," he said.

"My personal opinion is that Andrew doesn't want transparency. People need to see the mayor, see trustees, see what they’re voting on. So we can see what their money is being spent on and being spent for. All the surrounding villages have cameras, and for the last 15-20 years. We need to keep moving forward, not taking steps back."

Przybylo agreed the cameras are there to stay. "It’s a lot of money at a time people are out of work," he said. "But leave them there." 

Does Przybylo have enough time in his schedule to be mayor?

One questioner posed a question to Przybylo, asking if he will have enough time to devote to the mayor's job, since he works full-time at a Cook County position. He also has been working at the business he owns with siblings, White Eagle Banquets. 

"That occurred to me," Przybylo said, adding that his kids are grown, but time spent on mayoral duties would be hard on his wife. "Realistically, my time at the White Eagle, I’m going to cut back on that. I will have some office hours at the village, and evening hours and I’m even thinking about being there on Saturdays."

The mayor was never meant to be a full time job, he said, adding he is always a phone call away.

Hanusiak was not convinced, saying he read a newspaper article quoting Przybylo as saying he would perform the mayor's duties on the weekends. 

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"He has a full-time county job that requires him to be there during the week. I have my business (Royal Kitchen and Bath Cabinets)  here in the village of Niles five minutes from village hall. I understand being mayor will take 20-30 hours a week. Are we going to ask our employees to work overtime on Saturdays or Sundays?  We have to be there. There has to be oversight," he said, adding that due to lack of oversight, trustees did not find out until years later about illegal $100,000 bonus payments the village made to outgoing employees. 

How Much Should Village Intervene To Help Golf Mill Shopping Center?

One questioner asked about the village's decision to not declare Golf Mill a "business district" under the Illinois legal definition, and pass a 0.25 percent sales tax increase on merchandise sold there. 

Background story: Golf Mill asks for tax increase to fund improvements

"Golf Mill is the crown jewel of Niles," Przybylo said, explaining that after the last flood at the mall, stores were closed for three days.

"All they were asking for was a special tax district.This whole board voted for a ¼ percent sales tax increase to abate flooding. All I was going to do was take some of that money (for Golf Mill). The village was going to control that money," he added.

Hanusiak differed, saying Golf Mill flooded because the mall's owners did not do adequate upkeep and maintenance over the years, and the village should not have to tax shoppers to help the mall pay for that. 

"I was on that tour (of the mall) with Trustee Przybylo," Hanusiak said. "They're a property management company. Four times they flooded; why didn’t they fix it the first, second or third time? That caused some of the issues for their own flooding." 

If the village had, in effect, allowed Golf Mill to impose an extra 0.25 percent sales tax, collected it for them and turned it over to mall management, Hanusiak said they were not even planning to use the money to expand or revelop the mall.

It would be used to replace existing businesses, he said. 

Przybylo countered that the mall was intending to put two new stores on the Milwaukee Avenue side, and put a water reservoir underground.  

"Golf Mill generates 10 percent of the revenue for Village of Niles," he said. "Ten percent, think about it. It could be higher."

Hanusiak cautioned that not even all of Golf Mill's anchor tenants liked the idea to raise taxes at the mall, because it would drive customers to other businesses.

"A representative from Kohl’s came (to a village board meeting), and stated citizens are smart-- that quarter percent sales tax increase would push people away," he said. 

Several businesses have requested a 6B (tax break). What would you put in place?

Background stories:

Niles grants business a tax break

Finance director says 6B helps village recoup more revenue that if property sat vacant

In response to this question, Hanusiak said the village just needed to develop a fair process for businesses to apply for a Cook County 6B tax break.

When those businesses pay less, other business and homeowner taxpayers have to pick up the burden and pay more, he said.

"We need to bring businesses in. But our focus should be on making sure buseinseses don’t leave," Hanusiak said. "When they leave, they become vacant, they go to Cook County and ask for a tax reduction."

Przybylo responded, "It’s true, there was a company that wanted a 6B in December and they were turned down, and it’s apparent they (his opponents) still don’t understand despite the fact the (village of Niles) finance director gave a talk saying it was a win-win for employment and for the business.

He noted the village has now established criteria for businesses to get a 6B tax break, and said the business, JohnsByrne, owned by the Gustafson family, which applied for the 6B in December, has now received it.

"It (the JohnsByrne/Gustafson deal) could have gone south, but it didn’t. He came back and got it," Przybylo said.

Hanusiak countered that the deal for for JohnsByrne/Gustafson was not denied, only pushed back. 

"It did not affect Gustafson at all," Hanusiak said. "Based on information we got from our finance department, I absolutely understand what a 6B is. That business is probably going to save about $1 million (in property tax). Somebody has to pay and and that gets pushed out to somebody else."

Przybylo maintained,  "You don’t push it off to somebody else. If anybody thinks letting buildings sit vacant and not letting people have jobs is good, they don’t understand."

Earlier: