Ram Bhatia: Mount Pleasant Village Board Trustee #5

Racine County Eye asked candidates to fill out a questionnaire so that our readers could learn more about them. These are Ram Bhatia’s answers.

Ram Bhatia

What motivated you to seek office?
I first decided to run for the Mount Pleasant Village Board in 2018, to bring much needed civilized leadership and help lead the village to be poised for significant economic growth, to put in a structure and well thought of business policies to increase productivity at the Village Hall so that we best use our tax dollars. Hold the line on taxes and be a “trustee” of the taxpayers.

Since my election, I have been a leading voice on the village board to bring about the above mentioned changes. I am very proud of the current state of the village. At $6.26, we have lowest tax rates in 13 years, our community is safe, and we have been investing in parks & recreation to provide quality of life to our residents.

We have achieved a lot, but our work is not complete. We must continue to explore alternate revenue sources to reduce the burden of property taxes. We must continue to move the village of Mount Pleasant forward. That’s why I am seeking re-election.

What do you think Mount Pleasant’s strengths are?
The biggest strength of Mount Pleasant is our citizens. We have a very engaging community, that supports the economic growth we are achieving.

Second: Our policies and procedures, lowest tax rates and the infrastructure we have built are huge attraction to the developers and the new citizens who want to relocate and build this community, add to our strength.

Last, but not least, under the board’s vision and the leadership of the village administrator, the village staff is comprised of dedicated professionals who are experienced in the municipality’s management, and work with the community to help implement the growth policies. Our dedicated professionals are huge part of our strength.

What do you think Mount Pleasant’s weaknesses are?
Location-wise, we don’t have the advantage like the City of Racine has to be on the lakefront. Mount Pleasant does have a small portion of lakefront, but that is not the hub of tourist attractions.

We also have a very small number of residents who do not wish to see any growth, any development. They do not have any vision for the community. No one knows what they stand for, except they stand against everything. Their continuous disruptions stand in the path of continued growth.

If elected, name three priorities you would want to focus on during your term.
1. Find ways to reduce the property tax burden, and foster economic growth; particularly to bring in compatible large industry in TID 5 area.
2. Invest in quality of life via parks & recreation, and better roads.
3. To keep our community safe by supporting and investing in police, fire and EMS.

If you are proposing any new programs, how would you pay for them?
As a trustee, I would like to continue to focus on future growth and developments to reflect the needs of the community, as outlined in the Village of Mount Pleasant 2035 Comprehensive Growth Plan adopted in 2021, and Parks and Open Space Plan, 2050.

Few specific projects of focus are: Reduce clear water entry into the sanitary sewer system which includes Cozy Road and Chicory Road; Lampark Creek Improvements; 90th Street reconstruction to name just a few.

All major programs and projects shall be paid for via careful and strategic budgets planning.

If you are proposing cutting services, please explain why that would be a priority.
I am not proposing cutting services. However, I do believe in operational efficiencies to improve performance, thus reducing the costs of services, and increase the return on tax payers’ equity.

Did the Foxconn project benefit the taxpayers in Mount Pleasant? Please explain your reasoning.
Yes, absolutely. 

The Foxconn project has enabled the village and County to upgrade and build the infrastructure including I-94 corridor and access to the TID 5 areas, water capacity, sewer system, electrical capacity. These improvements have been done without any impact on the property taxes or fees to the Mount Pleasant residents. The resulting TID 5 area has put Mount Pleasant as prime land on the global map for major manufacturing development, which are likely to significantly add to the tax base, and economic growth of our entire region.

Why should people elect Ram Bhatia?
I am a visionary leader. I generate ideas and solutions. I have an entrepreneur mindset and always strive for better and more efficient ways to achieve goals. I believe in creating a vision for long term economic growth while maintaining a balance between growth and quality of life.

I have brought my leadership skills to the Mount Pleasant Village Hall to put in place structures and business policies so that we best use our tax dollars, hold the line on taxes, and be a “trustee” of the tax payers. My desire is to work with the legislature to explore alternate revenue sources and reduce the burden of property taxes for municipalities in the State of Wisconsin.

I listen to all pros and cons, evaluate data and make my decisions for the overall good of the entire community.

As your trustee, I stand as an independent voice of reason, good fiscal management, and vision for the long term growth of Mount Pleasant.

With your support and confidence, I hope to continue to serve my community.