Name: Justin Nickels
Age: 23
Location: Manitowoc, Wis.
Why we care: In April, Justin Nickels survived two run-off elections — not to mention countless FourSquare jokes — to be sworn in as Wisconsin's youngest mayor ever, overseeing a budget of $80 million for the city of 36,000.

You worked at a local grocery store before you were elected mayor. How much did that pay?
I was a customer service rep at Copps Grocery Store. That paid $8-ish per hour. As mayor, I make $72,400 annually.

Did you have to ask people for money during your campaign?
I first ran for City Council in 2005, and I funded that with $1,000 of my own money. I was running against a 16-year incumbent and I won with 58% of the vote. When I ran for mayor, I had to do more fundraising. It was hard to ask for contributions, especially in this economy, but people were willing to support me. The cost of that campaign was about $40,000.

What's your role in managing Manitowoc's $80 million budget? Can your budget plans be opposed by the City Council?
I write the budget and send it to the City Council for review. To create the most recent budget, I sat down and worked with department heads for two months. It's frustrating when you have ten people with their own ideas about what the budget should look like, but this time the Council didn't change it drastically.

What are your budget goals for Manitowoc? Are you dealing with debt?
The current budget I created includes a 0% tax increase, no layoffs or service cuts, and we're beginning a process of reducing our debt. In fact, this is the first time in over a decade that we are paying off more debt than we incur. We negotiated new health insurance plans for our unions, which has amounted to huge savings.

Generally speaking, how has the economic crisis impacted Manitowoc?
We have 10% unemployment now, but we are holding our own with what we have. We're a manufacturing city that's turning toward green jobs. We still have our manufacturing base, but as we add new companies, it's green jobs that are starting to pop up.

Has being responsible for an entire city's finances made your more careful with your own?
I've always been fiscally responsible. It isn't that different in my personal life.

Fiscal responsibility aside, what's your favorite thing to splurge on when you have a little extra money to spend?
I bought a home this summer and right now I'm spending a lot to fill it with furniture. I'm focused on getting it done, so that's my splurging!

Do you still hang out with friends your own age?
I do.

Does it seem like they have a different perspective on money than you do?
Yes. They aren't thinking about finances much because most of them are still in college and don't have full-time jobs yet.

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