MOUNT VERNON – Planning and zoning plus taking care of the city’s infrastructure top the priorities of Mike Hillier, who looks to keep his Fourth Ward Mount Vernon City Council seat in the Nov. 2 municipal election.
“When we talk about bringing jobs to the city of Mount Vernon, a lot of times that has to do with what we're doing with our zoning,” the Republican candidate said.
The city is looking to change its commercial zoning to bring in more businesses. Adding businesses means more housing and more jobs, Hillier said.
“I work very closely with Area Development, Engineering, and different things just to try to see what we can do to improve our zoning or change what zoning we need to do, but still have the regulations that need to be in place to make Mount Vernon a good place to live,” he said.
The incumbent serves as chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee and said he attends zoning appeals and municipal planning meetings. Previously, he served as chairman of committees for police and fire and budget and finance.
During his time on council, Hillier said, he took part in forming the city’s storm water utility. With the tax revenue raised, the city’s storm water infrastructure has been maintained.
He filled the vacancy left by Jeff Gottke’s resignation in November 2018, finishing out Gottke's term before being elected to the position himself. He has represented the Fourth Ward since then. Before that, he served on Council from 2006-2016, giving up his seat to run for mayor in 2015.
His interest and involvement with zoning issues began before he first ran for the City Council in 2005.
“I saw a need that I don't think was being handled properly with the direct key to what the people of the neighborhoods were wanting,” Hillier said.
Now he and other councilmembers are working on a plan to improve Mount Vernon neighborhoods through community reinvestment. An idea they are investigating is possibly not taxing the improvements a homeowner makes to the home. More people would be able to improve their properties if the initiative is approved, he said.
Growth has been occurring outside city limits, leaving some parts of Mount Vernon behind, he said.
“I live in an older section of Mount Vernon. But every time we annex another property, people are moving out and we're letting our neighborhoods get down. So now we're finally looking at how can we rebuild our neighborhood,” Hillier said.
Hillier’s only opposition for the Fourth Ward seat is write-in candidate and fellow Republican Mike Miller, whose name won’t appear on the ballot.
