What is the first thing Bonnie would do?

from Bonnie Alicea 10/26/2010

What would be the first thing you would do as Trustee?

Answer:  Leverage my strengths by ensuring that current Village functions (parade, carnivals, fests) offered to the residents are no longer money losing ventures for the residents.  Currently many of them are losing money due to poor accountability and planning.  This past year we cut funds from the parade, fireworks, and other local activities, even though we raised sales taxes and property taxes.  The taxpayers got less for their money.  Leadership was lacking and so were a proper strategy, game plan, and accountability into each event.  We cut money, instead of finding ways to profit from these events.

We want the residents to come out to the events and enjoy them. We would like to have these events for the sake of a good community gathering place.  To continue them, known losses for these events need to be placed into accountable hands and marketing needs to be done to ensure that those costs and additional costs can be brought into the activities.  Funding like Corporate Sponsorships, low bid vendors, outsourcing potential losses, and bidding wars are a few ways to accomplish this.  If these events made money, instead of losing money, the taxpayers could see this positively affect the dollar amount on taxes each year.  I think there is much that can be gained in focusing our attention to ideas like profiting from losses of losing ventures, instead of making cuts.  All it takes is accountability and creativity. 

As a trustee, I feel the same about losing businesses like the Golf Course.  In accountable and creative hands, I believe we can turn a profit and lower taxes.  This would be my first focus as a Trustee, since I have the knowledge and expertise in these areas to make a difference and lower taxes.