South Cook News

Charles "Chuck" Wolf believes the Bremen Township government needs someone to watch over its books.

“There is no accountability, nor checks and balances within our township structure, and decisions should not and were never set up to be controlled by one person,” Wolf told the South Cook News. “Yet that is what is happening, as they continue to raise taxes that hit each and every homeowner and business in its boundaries.”

Wolf is a candidate for trustee and argues that his background as a certified public accountant would add a level of professionalism to the board.

"As a CPA, we're held to high standards of ethical and accountable proportions," Wolf said. "I will bring that to this position."

Questions about the 2011 construction of a new youth and senior building on Oak Park Avenue influenced Wolf's desire to seek office. He claims expenses related to the $1.4 million project were not properly accounted for and that an arrangement with Bremen Youth Services (BYS) to defray the cost of the youth center was recently terminated without explanation.

“No bid information or records of what makes up this amount has been provided by the township when asked," Wolf wrote in an email. "The township took out $800,000 to be paid back in 10 years and wrote up an agreement that BYS would be accountable for paying it down. In recognition of that, BYS would receive the benefit of using the building over the next 10 years at $1 per year. With three years left, why would the Township pull the plug on this arrangement? No answer on this either."

Wolf suggested that his expertise could prevent such missteps and add value to the board as it confronts township issues.

“I believe my professional background as a CPA and experiences dealing with budgets/forecasts, financial planning, cost/benefit analysis and overall analytical skill set would serve and complement the diverse skill sets of the other trustees," he said.

Wolf, who is running on the Bremen Families First party slate, said residents would benefit from the management style he learned as a certified financial officer in the private sector.

“Instead of working in a vacuum, the Township needs to take a more collaborative effective approach within each community, therefore cutting the wasted duplicated cost that currently exists," he wrote. "This in turn would free up tax dollars.”

The Bremen Families First party is a group of individuals running for elected positions in the area. They say they want to bring transparency and change to government.