Michael Buettner, candidate for City Council Ward 2 in Belleville, IL
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More on the election for Belleville City Council Ward 2
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Name: Michael J. Buettner
Political party (if applicable): Independent
Age as of April 6, 2021: 62
Campaign website or social media page: Facebook
Office seeking: Alderman Ward 2
Are you an incumbent? No
Previous offices sought: Alderman Ward 2
Occupation: Retired director of Probation and Court Services 20th Judicial District
Education: Master’s degree from Maryville University in organizational management
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Alderman Ward 2 2015 to 2019, member Belleville Elks Lodge
Who are your top three campaign contributors? I am not accepting any campaign contributions. I am personally funding my campaign so I am not beholden to any person, politician or political party.
Why are you running? Ward 2 residents and the city of Belleville need a truly independent alderman who has the interests of the residents and what is best for the city as the top priorities.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? Safety and crime prevention is always a top priority. Residents want to feel safe and secure in their homes, in their neighborhoods and when traveling around the city. The city must ensure the resources of the police department are being utilized in the most efficient way to not only solve crimes but to prevent them. If elected, I would call on the administration to do a complete and thorough audit of the police department to ensure the current staffing, assignments, and command structure is the best utilization of the resources currently available.
Why should people vote for you? I am the only truly independent candidate for alderman. My loyalty is to the residents of the ward unlike my opponents who are backed by the current mayor or the county board chairman wanting to take control of the city. I will work for the residents of the ward, do what is best for the city and work with the administration not for it.
Belleville Tax Increment Finance District 3, or TIF 3, is expiring this year. Do you agree with the proposal to extend the expiration date for another 12 years? Why/why not? I will vote against extending TIF 3. It is time the property taxes the residents are forced to pay to simply stay in their homes be reduced.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on parts of Belleville’s economy. How would you grade the city’s response and, if you are elected, what would you do to help businesses and residents? The current administration’s response to the pandemic was and is a complete failure. The city’s as well as the county’s response, which is also complicit in destroying our local economy, handling of the pandemic was completely political. Other county and city administrations stood by their local businesses and stood up to the governor whose response did nothing but destroy the economy of the state. If elected, I would call on the administration to stop the draconian restrictions and allow businesses and individuals to make decisions on how to handle their response to the pandemic in a safe and responsible manner. If it is safe to enter a crowded box or grocery store, it is also safe to go to a small retail business or restaurant or bar. I believe all jobs and people’s livelihoods are essential.
What is your opinion of how the Belleville Police Department handles public safety in the city? Do you think the city needs more or fewer police officers? If you want additional officers, how would you fund that cost? I continually ask myself when was the last time you as a resident had a conversation with a Belleville police officer, had an officer stop and introduce himself or herself to you while you were in your yard or had a interaction with an officer if it wasn’t a response to an emergency call or a complaint about a neighborhood problem. Do you even know the officers who patrol your neighborhood? I worked in and with law enforcement my whole career and am the son of a state trooper. I will always support law enforcement. I just get the feeling that there is a disconnect between the police department and the residents of the city. Police officers are here to protect and serve the community as public servants, I believe we have a professional police department but I am not completely sure it is working at its highest potential at this time. As I stated before until a complete audit of the operation of the department is done, a decision if additional officers are necessary can not be made.
Belleville has offered various tax incentives to support businesses in recent years. What are your plans to increase economic development in the city and how would you use tax incentives? Belleville must have a full-time professional economic developer. The city needs to define what it is; a bedroom community, retail hub, tourist destination, retirement community, residential community for families, manufacturing, office and professional suburb of a major city. I believe Belleville is a combination of all of these and must market itself as such. The problem we have is the current administration has stifled this great city’s potential. Why does the county seat, a city of 40,000 residents not have a 21st century hotel. Why do other cities around us have upscale apartment complexes and residential neighborhoods, retail developments and new hotels. Belleville has a reputation of not being business friendly and hard to deal with when it comes to development. This has to change. We need to work with developers in a way which benefits the city, protects residents’ property values and rights and has a positive effect on the neighborhood and surrounding area. We have to work with developers in a way that is profitable for them to complete their project in the city. As of now there are to many disincentives to starting a project in the city. Working with developers through tax incentives is fine but we need to ensure the city has a positive return on its investment though increased sales tax, property tax and jobs. We can not sit back while other cities’ populations increase and their businesses thrive while Belleville’s administration has nothing but excuses. It is time for solutions not excuses!
This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 9:53 PM.