Editorial | Bruce Norman Stier (D) – Wayne Township Board
It was a warm Monday morning in September. My wife and I were leaving Schaumburg, Illinois (about 1 hour west of Chicago) to return to Ft. Wayne.
In Schaumburg we noticed signs everywhere seeking job applicants, “good wages with benefits and chances for promotion”. One hour later we entered Chicago. We then noticed that the transportation, including local trains and bus systems, ended at the edge of Chicago. This meant a struggling family could live more inexpensively inside Chicago but would still have to pay more to get to work weekly. A weekly commute could cost the household earner hundreds of dollars.
Assuming there are many such working families in Wayne Township, I discussed this with my co-board members and our Trustee. The result was gas vouchers, especially for working families. Many of our neighbors are able to eke out enough to afford shelter, food, and hopefully medications for the kids, but, if they can get gas assistance on an emergency basis they can get on their feet, financially. That’s why gas assistance is not a handout but a hand-up! And that’s what your township government is all about!
Getting this done does not build dependency – it ends dependency while helping to build families. And believe me – it works!
Other advances we’ve made are cutting our share of the state-imposed tax levy for 3 out of 4 of the last years. Higher bills come in part in other government entities within which you live because of carbon powered heating and air conditioning of public buildings, especially the county. But Wayne Township was able to reduce expenses in part by switching from carbon powered heat + refrigeration to solar. Can you imagine a heat and refrigeration bill of 350 or 450 dollars a month? That’s what the cost was in April & May 2025 for a 12,000 square foot building. We did it!
Going forward our plans are to address this homeless issue in communion with the city.
This is not about political success for one individual – it’s about a small responsive and local governmental unit that needs to function for you – both taxpayers and families in need. Please check out the candidates running this year. Is a given candidate proposing ideas that will increase emergency services, especially for working families? Are they working to hold down costs? Or, is that candidate spending his or her time criticizing those attempting to initiate needed emergency assistance and reduce taxes as we have?
You know, doing this job well does not require slick marketing and IT work. It requires serious public servants wielding a No. 2 lead pencil well.
We are not a welfare agency; we’re talking here about emergency relief of up to 90 days.
I’m Bruce Norman Stier, Waynedale bred at St. Therese, Maplewood School, Bishop Luers, and of course, Barrett’s 5 & 10, Voors Jewelry, and Al’s Restaurant. Please give me the honor of re-electing me in the May 5, 2026 Democratic Primary.
Thank you,
Bruce Norman Stier
Wayne Township Board Member
Authorized & paid for by Stier For Wayne Township – Bruce Stier Treas.
Publisher’s Note: In an effort to inform readers about local politics and encourage voter participation, The Waynedale News invited all candidates in the upcoming election, relevant to our readership area, to share information about their background and goals for the office they are seeking. Candidates were asked to keep their editorial focused on their own qualifications and not on attacking opponents, in keeping with our positive outlook and unbiased approach to news. Candidate submissions in this section are paid political advertising. Publication of these editorials does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by The Waynedale News.
However, this is just one of the candidates who accepted the opportunity to introduce themselves to you! We encourage readers to use all of our political editorials as a part of their research, learn more about each candidate, and most importantly, vote on or before May 5 at their designated polling location. More information is available at allencountyinvoters.gov.
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