Why I'm running for re-election

Photo: Joe Lewnard - jlewnard@dailyherald.com

Today I am announcing my candidacy for re-election as Mayor of the wonderful Village of Schaumburg.  For the past seven years, I have held this position working hard to provide the leadership to ensure this village runs as efficiently and financial responsible as possible.

When I first ran for Mayor I promised to decrease property taxes, reduce the amount of time it takes to fix residential streets, and hire a more diverse work staff that more reflects the 21st century makeup of the community. I kept those promises. Since my election, I have reduced the villages share of the property taxes by 5% or held the line every single year. All while increasing the spending on the repair of local residential streets by $2M a year reducing the length of time it takes to fix a failed street from 7 years to 2 years. In addition, the village has hired more employees with minority backgrounds in the Police Department and behind the counter staff to more represent the current diversity of the village.

While reducing the property taxes or holding the line on property taxes with no increase, we have also improved and added to the amount of bike paths and sidewalk repairs making the village a more walkable and friendly place.

During Covid, I provided the kind of leadership that kept businesses, restaurants, and retail alive and operating. Since then we have brought many new businesses to the village such as Fogo De Choe, HMart, Wheels (1000 employees?),  ADP (2000 employees), hundreds of residential units to Veridian on Motorola, state-of-art entertainment with Andretti Go Karting, and many events at conv center bringing outside visitors to the village that shop in our stores, eat in our restaurants, and sleep in our hotels.

Why do I tell you this, cause Schaumburg generates the third highest retail sales tax funneling more than $200M to the state of Illinois every year. We have the third highest number of restaurants. The third highest number of automobile dealers, and a Woodfield Mall that just keeps working at 98% capacity. This just doesn't happen. It happens because you have leadership that cultivates the business climate in Schaumburg so as to make Schaumburg the kind of inviting place that businesses want to be. Having a vibrant business climate, brings revenue that pays for our schools, our library, our parks, and our police and fire departments all without increasing property taxes on residents.

Maintaining Schaumburg as a vibrant place to live, work, and play has always been my goal by making it a safe place to be every day.