2022 Spring Election Candidates-Belleville Village Board
There are three open seats on the Belleville Village Board and five candidates for the positions.
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Cheri O'Connor
Age: 54
Occupation: Director of Finance Services, School District of Belleville
Years lived in village: 50
Incumbent? No
Have you been on the village board or held any other public office before? No.
Why are you running for village board? The Village is experiencing financial difficulties. To cover Belleville's deficits, the board has continually raised our taxes. The Wisconsin State Journal lists Belleville as having the highest taxes on a $250,000 home for Dane County villages at $5,537.14. I will use my experience with budget development, financial management, and tax levy reports to help review the Village's current finances to find ways to save the village and its taxpayer's money.
What issues do you find most important to the village board? List your top three priorities: Fiscal responsibility - Our resources are limited. Every dollar we spend in one place is a dollar that cannot be spent in another. We need to be sure that our limited resources are being used in the most efficient way possible. We can review current spending practices to eliminate waste and find ways to get the most out of taxpayer's money.
Planning Ahead - We need to think five, six, seven or more years ahead. The decisions we make today have consequences that impact us for decades to come. Short-sighted decision making hampers the Village's continued growth in the future. By adopting plans that evaluate and examine all of the consequences, short and long term, we can help ensure that the choices we make today do not prevent Belleville's growth in the future.
Adaptability - The world is constantly changing and the Village needs to be able to adapt with it. While we can never know how it will change, we can prepare ourselves to face those changes when they occur. Approaching all of our problems "the way things have always been done" does not give us the best results. We should not be afraid to try new solutions to solve our problems.
If you could reverse one village action, what would it be? I would reverse the Parkland Dedication Agreement in our westside development of Baker's Woods Phase 1 and 2. The development agreement required the developer to pay park improvement fees but not require dedication of greenspace for parks. This development was marketed as affordable housing for young families. Young families bring young children. Without a neighborhood park, fewer families will choose Belleville when deciding between alternatives. This problem is worsened by lack of sidewalks connecting Baker's Woods to the rest of the Village.
Any additional comments? Belleville is a great community. This community is in my blood. My parents owned several local businesses. I grew up greasing potatoes for the Community Picnic, helping at the EMS pork chop dinner fundraisers, watching, and later playing in, summer slow pitch leagues. I've raised my family in Belleville. I'm extremely vested in Belleville and can't wait for the opportunity to make it even greater.
