Election 2025: Manhattan Village Trustee Candidate Tom Biscan

MANHATTAN, IL — The consolidated election is set for April 1, with Manhattan's mayor making a push for a second term and going up against a longtime trustee.

Mayor Mike Adrieansen heads up a slate with current trustee Justin Young and joined by newcomers Jennifer Bahena and Clint Boone for trustee, and Becky Bouck for clerk. Their slate is not named.

On slate "Manhattan First," current trustee Dave Beemsterboer tops the ticket in his bid for mayor, with new face Paula Gibbs, and former trustees Tom Biscan and Mike Naughton seeking trustee spots. The slate does not include a clerk candidate.

The board will inevitably be shuffled a bit, with Trustee Ron Adamski not seeking re-election, and Beemsterboer forgoing his seat to for a shot at the mayoral one. Those elected will join trustees Tom Doyle, Lucinda Neighbors and Bob Dilling, whose terms expire in May 2027.

Patch provided candidate questionnaires, with answers now published in candidate profiles.

Early voting begins March 17.

Candidate:

Tom Biscan

Campaign website:

Manhattan First

Office sought:

Village Trustee

Town/City of Residence:

Manhattan

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No.

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

Railcar Customer Service for 40 years

Previous or current elected or appointed office.

Three terms as a Manhattan Village Trustee and one term as Park Board District Trustee.

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

Manhattan is at a crossroads over the next four years. We have just topped 10,000 residents. Residential and commercial developments will be seeking Manhattan out for further development opportunities during the next four years. I feel working on various developments in my past three terms has provided an excellent basis for what we should be looking for…such as cost-cutting shortcomings presented by the developer, etc. I have seen it all. I will always take a “Manhattan First” approach when reviewing these issues before they ever come up for adoption by the full Board. Communication between Trustees is critical and will be a must for me.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

After three terms, I have the experience and common-sense thought process needed to make informed decisions. Candidates not on our slate have little or no experience and would be very vulnerable to voting “yes” to whatever the current Mayor proposes. That is why electing David Beemsterboer as the new Mayor is critical to independent thought. Manhattan needs a true back and forth exchange among Trustees on all new development ideas.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Only one candidate is currently running for re-election as a Trustee. This candidate has an open ethics complaint/violation that has not yet been adjudicated.

In my three terms on the Manhattan Village Board, I never conducted myself in a negative manner that would warrant such an ethics complaint. I have been a Public Servant and not a politician. This is the difference of how I have conducted myself versus the current Board member (with an ethics complaint/violation that is pending resolution).

Describe the other issues that define your platform.

• Be a PUBLIC SERVANT and not a politician!
• Work openly and transparently with Mayor Beemsterboer and fellow Board members.
• Apply common sense ideas to all issues.
• Use a “Manhattan First” approach when considering new development.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

12 years common-sense decision making that kept taxes as low as possible and also maintained the safety of our community for residents. It all began when I joined the Village Board and cut my teeth on the ultra-large Lakewood Homes Residential Development of over 7,000 homes! It was because of the hard work that I and other Village Board members exhibited that Lakewood eventually decided against locating in Manhattan. We saved our town from this large eyesore of a development. This was a true eye-opening experience.

Why should voters trust you?

I have 12 years of honest experience on the Manhattan Village Board that speak for themselves. Voters have learned to trust my COMMEN-SENSE decision making process and my positions show this. That is why I am a public servant and the Trustee that you can trust.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Finally, gaining a new long-term border agreement with the City of Joliet and achieving a final (positive) resolution to the whole North Point Development. This will be a very heavy lift, but I believe with Mayor Beemsterboer’s guidance, this is within reach.

The current Mayor has wasted the last four years and done nothing to resolve these issues, other than finally joining a lawsuit at the 11th hour last November just in time for campaign season! It is also hard for the current Mayor to negotiate with these parties when his own campaign has accepted donations from unions that are actually pro-North Point.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

COMMON SENSE!!! That is really how I see it. For example, the Village contributes annually to “dial a ride” from Pace to assist those residents in need who need rides to a doctor/etc. This is a very good expenditure of government money. Then there is an opposite…$500 the Board spent last Christmas to create a Christmas video for “Elf on the Shelf”. This is an expenditure that various organizations could fund privately, and not ask the Village to pay for. Everything adds up. This is how I would keep taxes low for Manhattan residents.

What are your thoughts on the crime rate in your community, and what more can be done to combat crime — especially violent crime — in town?

I would like to build on Manhattan’s low crime rate by providing our Police Department with all of the tools they need. Having the ear of the Police Department at all times and knowing their needs will be critical to providing the department with their wishlist for day to day operations.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development?

The Village hasn’t really had a policy on development for the last 4 years. Certain restaurants that have closed have been “backfilled” with new owners, which is good. Although McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts opened after I left the Board in May of 2021, the whole development process for these 2 businesses was well-along at that time I left the Board. I had met with McDonalds on 2 occasions before leaving the Board, trying to get them to locate in Manhattan.

Not many new businesses have opened during this time, and Manhattan could really use a good pharmacy. I would definitely make this a high priority! A Manhattan First approach!

Finally, we should market all land owners of industry-zoned land as a whole. This would hopefully be another way to bring prospective new businesses to Manhattan.

When it comes to development, what are some key areas for improvement or additions you feel are most wanted by residents? What will need to be done to make this happen?

Like myself, I feel the Village Board should take a “Manhattan First” approach to new development. It must be needed, necessary, well-thought out and offer the Village positive benefits (such as a pharmacy). I have the experience to work with David Beemsterboer to make this happen.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

A Village employee recently received a salary increase over and above what the Board had previously approved for this employee. This was not approved by the Board and the Mayor. When brought to the current Mayor’s attention, he dismissed the Board’s discussion of the unapproved raise and failed to withdraw this “additional” raise and the raise continued. This is open denial of Board action! It is very wrong and should not be allowed to stand!

There is a real choice in this election. You can select youth and inexperience. Or, a TRUSTED PUBLIC SERVANT who uses a “COMMON-SENSE” approach solving issues and a “MANHATTAN FIRST” approach when reviewing all new development.