Meet Your April 5 Candidates: Chris Hanusiak, Niles Trustee

"All politics is local" and "The closer to home, the greater the impact on your pocketbook" are two truisms in politics.

The candidates in local elections affect how much you pay in taxes, and what you get for your money, more than candidates in Springfield and Washington, D.C. 

So who are these folks who will impact your life and money? Find out here.

Accessibility: Citizens need to be able to contact their elected officials to voice their opinions, so Patch is noting how accessible they are. Chris Hanusiak's contact information is not listed on whitepages.com or anywho.com. 

Chris Hanusiak, Candidate for Village of Niles Trustee

1) How would you assess the state of the village's budget? How should it balance the budget?

The trustees are currently tackling the problem of balancing the budget, and it certainly is not an easy task. To avoid tax increases, cuts have to be made with expenditures being kept to previous levels. The process involves specific item by item consideration. Remember, “balancing” means income = expenses. The difficulty is compounded by the uncertainty of traditional revenues streams like sales taxes, etc.

2) What needs to be done to maintain or improve Niles ' business, retail and industrial climate in the future?

Business climate in our metropolitan area is a function of our regional and national economies. We have absolutely no control over those influences, and are subject to changes in them. Local businesses are affected by purchases of goods and services by our residents, and their disposable incomes are affected by inflation rates, employment levels, state and federal income tax rates and so forth…all things Niles trustees can’t control. As community leaders, the trustees promote the “climate” of Niles in terms of working to maintain a stable population through village services and commercial opportunities; these are the things which attract businesses and keep them here. The Quinn Administration with the connivance of the legislature two months ago raised not only personal income taxes, but corporate taxes, and businesses are now contemplating moves out-of-state. Even children know that nobody should kill geese that lay golden eggs. Citizens can’t move just like that, and so must suffer from the effects. Does anyone think that the trustees can patch serious complicated financial problems created decades ago by state officials? By Congresses and presidents who kick the can down the road? Now I have to ask a question: What have the large metropolitan newspapers and TV channels done to EXPOSE the phonies who “run” our state and federal government?  To expose incompetent blabbermouth politicians and deal-makers who have wrecked our economy? I’ll give you the answer…NOTHING!

3) What, if anything, does the village need to do to adequately fund police and fire pensions?

Only one thing has to be done…maintain the actuarial funding level.

4) Briefly tell us what, in your background or education, has prepared you to make a contribution on this board. Can you offer an expertise that would be a resource to other board members?

I am a business owner in Niles who knows what it means to develop and stick to a budget. I know the concerns of the residents and I am not afraid to take on the tasks and challenges by stepping up to the plate.

5) What is your top issue (or two or three) and what's your position on it (them)?

The top three issues are money, money, money. There is a fourth issue, too…money!

6) Is there anything else would you like voters to know about your positions on issues, involvement in the community or point of view?

I have been pounding the pavement for years, years before I even became a trustee with the same mantra: Get competent people to make decisions and administer government at equitable levels of expense. It’s that simple. I take the long-term view of decisions, and think out alternatives to plans and ideas. Day-by-day patch work is as inefficient as putting scotch tape on a break in a water main.  I wish more citizens would get involved in local affairs, but I don’t see such a thing happening soon.