The three candidates vying to become Granville's village president, Jared Baker, Lucian Verd, and Randy Borio, recently offered up their experience and their plans in a recent Q&A session with the Putnam County Record.
Baker, a current village trustee who owns and operates a lawn care company as well as working at James Hardie Building Products, said he would like to see more people attend board meetings and become involved in their local government.
Baker, an Illinois Valley Community College alumnus, said he would like to make Granville more appealing to both commerce and potential residents. He said he plans to work with the board and adhere strictly to the village budget to make conscientious decisions and manage public funds wisely.
Additionally, Baker has said that he would like to see more transparency in Granville village operations and keep tax rates low.
Baker said he isn’t planning on making any major changes to the operation of Granville, and instead plans to focus on improving the systems already in place. He has promised to serve the public with integrity and to remain available to the public.
Verda, a retiree who served as a member of the Granville Police Department for nearly two decades and as the superintendent of Granville Public Works Department for 14 years, has also served on the Granville Village Board and was the coordinator for Putnam County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency for several years.
Verda offered a straightforward list of goals he would pursue if elected, including funding and repairing public roadways, continuing the progress made on the revamping of McCoy Street and replacing infrastructure such as water mains. The infrastructure replacements would be conducted in both a timely and affordable fashion, said Verda, who touts his experience as the main reason voters should choose him for village president.
He said he plans to make any changes deemed necessary by the village board and the village president’s office while maintaining a balanced budget. He also promised to listen to citizens' concerns and to work in a hands-on manner to resolve any problems brought to his office.
Borio, who has worked for the past 40 years at American Nickeloid Co. in Peru and currently serves as the financial secretary for United Steelworkers Local 4268, is a graduate of LaSalle-Peru Township High School. Previously, Borio served three terms on the Granville Village Board and has chaired the Water and Sewer Committee during each term.
In addition to his public service experience, Borio is the worshipful master of the Granville Masonic Lodge and president of the Putnam County Rotary Club.
He said he plans to continue to work on the McCoy Street resurfacing if elected and focus on two local business districts which he considers Granville’s biggest assets. His main goal is to focus on the McCoy Street plan and see that through to completion while ensuring the village is responsible with taxpayer money.
In addition to helping boost local business, Borio wants to ensure that village employees receive proper safety training that includes basic first aid and CPR. He said he plans to be fiscally conservative with taxpayer money, and noted that the current village board has done an excellent job of managing the limited financial resources of Granville.
Borio said he doesn’t foresee any staffing changes and says he wants to keep the village momentum moving forward.
He said he believes voters should choose him based on his experience and his willingness to work with board members and do what is best for the village and its residents, whom he says should all have an equal voice in government. He promised to give his best to the 1,400 residents of Granville.
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