By Press Times Staff
Voters in west Howard will have the chance to vote for village trustee in a contested race April 2.
Craig McAllister, who represents Wards 15-17 and was first elected two years ago, will be seeking another two-year term while being challenged by Brian Miller.
McAllister is a lifelong resident of Howard, having always lived on Milltown Road.
He is a 1994 graduate of Bay Port High School, and employed as a technician for his family’s business, McAllister and Sons Transport.
Miller owns and operates the Monkey Tailz ice cream food truck. He is a veteran and father of four.
The Press Times reached out to each candidate and gave them the same questions with a word limit of 100 for each answer.
Craig McAllister
Why should people vote for you?
People should vote for me to continue having someone willing to represent them on local matters.
The western side of the village is a constantly changing landscape that continues to pose unique challenges to many residents.
Good representation can often find solutions to many of these challenges.
I also enjoy working closely with the village board and staff members to continue to make the village of Howard an excellent place to live and work.
What’s the biggest issue facing Howard?
The biggest issue facing the village of Howard is the widespread growth and often the lack of infrastructure to support the growth.
Many residents are bearing the burden of supporting this growth through special assessments that are becoming way too financially overwhelming.
My desire for a second term as trustee is to continue to find a solution to solve this issue as the village continues to grow.
What is the best way to spur development of the Village Center?
The best way to spur the development of the Village Center is to continue to create ways of getting both the residents of Howard and our neighboring communities down to the Center to see the growth and enjoy the atmosphere and activities associated with the Village Center.
The expanded walking paths also tie in the beautiful Meadowbrook Park.
What changes, if any, need to be made to the village’s policy on special assessments?
Special assessments are a complicated issue that need to continually be worked on.
As the village continues growing these assessments are becoming overbearing to the residents affected by them.
I was a member of a special committee that worked towards easing some of the burdens given to residents paying these assessments.
I look forward to the opportunity to continue working on finding solutions to create more fairness in how special assessments are created.
Brian Miller
Why should people vote for you?
Being married with four kids, I relate to most of the village’s current and future demographics.
I think outside the box to solve issues and am not afraid to voice my opinion.
I will bring a business mindset with military style leadership, values and beliefs.
I served my country for eight years in the Army, served with the Howard Fire Department for eight years, and was a deputy sheriff with Brown County for 10 years.
I am currently a small business owner and have a strong background in public safety.
What’s the biggest issue facing Howard?
One of the concerns in Howard is the lack of kid-friendly restaurants or establishments.
Having kids, if I want to go out to eat to a place that is not fast food or bar-type atmosphere, I must leave the village.
I want residents to stay in the village and spend their money here.
I believe we need to attract people traveling through the village on Interstate 43, Interstate 41 and State Highway 29 to stop and eat or be a must-stop destination.
Another big issue is traffic flow, particularly Lineville Road and Velp Avenue from Riverview Drive to Glendale Avenue.
What is the best way to spur development of the Village Center?
Advertise it, not many people know what the Village Center is much less where it is located.
The village needs to be aggressive finding developers that would be a good fit for that space.
I’d tactfully give incentives to businesses that invest in the village.
I’d target businesses that work in conjunction with each other with the concept where one goes the other goes.
No more apartments, next development needs to draw people for food or entertainment to fully reach its potential.
The village needs to host different events that get people there and spend money advertising on social media.
What changes, if any, need to be made to the village’s policy on special assessments?
I believe in fairness and common sense for special assessments.
If a property owner wants to create a subdivision or improve the area, it should not be a cost to other property owners that would be impacted.
Especially when the property owner or developer is going to profit.
If you live in the village it should be common sense that improvements are going to be needed and made.
Special assessments need flexibility especially in funding or increased taxes.
Larger projects might need to be a case-by-case situation if it’s going to have a increased financial impact on property owners.