Sparta Village Council Candidates
(in alphabetical order)
What do you believe is the Village's biggest challenge over the next four years, and what specific actions would you take to address it?
Dave Cumings
Controlled growth is perhaps the priority for the coming years. It is complex, divisive, and challenging with varying aspects like population, commercial, industrial, downtown transformation, and housing. The council’s part of the transition in the coming years includes budget management, ordinance application, communication, resourcing for information, grants, updates and planning, and coordination. Various ideas, constructions, and overall village/city activities flow through the council. The village/city can’t build, but it can encourage, research, maintain wise and flexible leadership in the overall function of Sparta’s growth. Its wisdom and insight along with the community input, is critical leadership in our goal of controlled growth.
Amy Elliott
The biggest challenge for the village over the next four years is going to be the role AI plays in governance. We need to establish when and how we are going to use AI as a village council and potentially what large language model we feel is best for supporting us. Any digital information we have is vulnerable because AI can affect computerized systems. The village needs a plan for how to balance the efficiency AI can provide with the desire to keep our ideas human. AI can influence public opinion and we need to create clear expectations for the village residents on how it will, or will not, be used.
Tom Peoples
I believe the biggest challenges in the village the next four years are building trust with the community. The council needs to be transparent and actually listen to the community that voted us into office. We also need to put a stop the constant bickering between the village and the township boards. We are all residents of Sparta and need to treat each other like it.
Robert Whalen
(Village President)
Our village’s biggest challenge over the next four years is upgrading aging public infrastructure. Specifically, our water, sewer, and road systems. While at the same time keeping pace with our community's growth. To address this, I will continue to execute two specific actions. First, I will prioritize aggressively pursuing state and federal grant opportunities to directly fund high-priority utility replacements without putting an unfair financial burden on our local taxpayers. Second, I will continue utilizing our modern master planning tools to ensure new developments pay their fair share toward infrastructure connections, keeping our village robust, safe, and debt-free.
How will you balance the need for economic growth with protecting the character and quality of life in our community.
Dave Cumings
Balance, need, and protecting. Diverse concepts with differing measuring criteria and various people involvements such as village//city population, resources, and government. Council is a type of monitoring to find the elusive balance. Council needs to encourage, by its methods and spirit, ideas and investment through the application of ordinances, appropriate levels of permitting and developing processes, working to assist with in its charter. At the same time, evaluate and protect against ideas and investments that violate the interests of the community as a whole, without hindering inevitable innovation and cultural creativity.
Amy Elliott
I believe the best way to support economic growth while complimenting our village's character is to continue to encourage our own residents to be entrepreneurial. When our own people want to invest in creating growth here, they're intrinsically going to represent the things we believe in. We need to continue to invest in being walkable to those businesses, activities, and events while also offering appropriate parking.
Tom Peoples
I believe we need to be smart about growth in our community. There is definitely a need for single family houses. I don't think we need apartments. We need permanent residents where people are going to raise families. We have plenty of undeveloped property to build housing and for manufacturing and business. We also need to develop our area parks to be a gathering place for the community
Robert Whalen
(Village President)
Balancing economic growth with preserving our community’s character requires strategic planning rather than unchecked development. My approach focuses on encouraging smart, managed growth that strengthens our business district while protecting our existing neighborhoods. By utilizing updated zoning ordinances and master planning tools, we ensure new investments enhance our village layout rather than overwhelm it. True quality of life means maintaining safe streets, beautiful parks, and a vibrant local economy. My 24 years of leadership will ensure we continue to welcome business investments that add value, and keep our village a wonderful place to live.
What steps would you take to ensure taxpayers dollars are spent wisely while maintaining essential services?
Dave Cumings
All village/city spending is based on a careful, intense oversight, and development of the annual budget. All spending reflects this annual budget. Council approves it’s annual budget before the budget year begins and protects it for the whole year. Council receives a monthly comprehensive report for our review of all transactions. Council’s fully in the know of Sparta’s finances. For many years, the auditors compliment Sparta for its financial records, financial controls, and for maintaining among the highest fund balance among all their municipal clients. They say Sparta is in good hands and that is no mistake.
Amy Elliott
We absolutely must ensure the necessary infrastructures we have for our basic needs (like water) are met first and maintained. If there are potential new projects or new problems that could use taxpayer money, I would look at the benefits for the community as a whole. How many people will be affected by this investment? Is this something that's lacking in our village? Is this something that needs repeated support or is this a one-time cost? How do I anticipate the residents would feel about this use of taxpayer money?
Tom Peoples
As a current council member and as someone who serves on several committees, I review the financial statements from the committees every month. I research every request for a need and if it isn't feasible I try to make a compromise to make everyone happy. If there is something that I don't understand or have questions about I ask and get the answer so I can make the best decision. The money that is being spent belongs to the taxpayers and we need to be fiscally responsible with that money. It doesn't belong to any committee or council. It belongs to you the residents.
Robert Whalen
(Village President)
With 24 years on Council, six as Village President and 12 as Finance Chairman fiscal responsibility has always been my priority. To maximize taxpayer dollars while protecting essential services, we aggressively pursue state and federal grants—securing $5.9 million over the past 3 1/2 years—to fund major infrastructure without raising local taxes. In fact, our village millage rate has never increased during my 24 years of service. Second, we use multi-year Capital Improvement Planning to forecast maintenance, preventing costly emergency repairs. My deep institutional knowledge ensures our village budget remains transparent, balanced, and focused entirely on enhancing our community’s quality of life.
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