Bryan Anderson, a political newcomer and police commissioner in Wauconda, believes change is essential to bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to government, so if he becomes the village's new mayor, he won't keep the seat warm for long.
"You're not going to be locked [out] by incumbency," Anderson told the Daily Herald.
With Wauconda Mayor Frank Bart not seeking re-election, Anderson will be running against trustee Lincoln Knight, who does not support term limits.
Anderson has lived in Wauconda with his wife of 19 years, Jill Anderson, and their 18-year-old son, Evan Anderson, since 1993. He has a long career in sales experience and says his work has prepared him to lead the village government.
Anderson joined Knight for an interview with the Daily Herald recently. He talked about his previous effort to place a measure on the upcoming ballot to impose two four-year term limits on the Wauconda mayor and trustees. It didn't make the ballot because its organizers failed to properly number the pages of the required petition.
Anderson argues against the notion that such a measure would force the village government into dealing with inexperienced officials learning about government operations on the job.
"For all of us, we didn't have the experience at doing something, and we got pretty good at doing it," he said.
For his part, Knight says term limits already exist in one form, since voters decide whether an incumbent stays in office.
A fiscal conservative, Anderson is campaigning on the promise of making all decisions involving village finances based on how they will affect Wauconda taxpayers. He says his private-sector experience has made him ready to handle the challenges of the village’s mayoral post.
Anderson has worked for Canon, Stericycle and Pure Health Solutions in sales, sales management and sales training, all of which he described as fast paced and focused on collaboration, so he is confident in his ability to work with others to reach common goals. He believes this skill set makes him an ideal candidate for working with the Wauconda trustees on village management issues. Further, he believes his emphasis on accountable and decisive leadership would enable him to push for positive measures for the village.
Anderson volunteers with the annual Turkey Trot, Bunny Hop, triathlon and fall leaf clean-up drive that helps the community's senior citizens. He is also vice president of the Friends of the Wauconda Area Library and the director and presidental nominee of the Rotary Club of Wauconda. He currently works as a Realtor.
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