Priorities for a Stronger Naperville

Top Priorities for Naperville City Council

The top priorities for City Council include the IMEA contract, infrastructure, and responsible development, and public services. 

As noted above, extending the IMEA contract on a no-bid basis would be irresponsible with respect to process, cost, and our long term goals regarding sustainability. I support focusing on defining Naperville’s goals and success criteria and then putting a request for proposal out to solicit bids which we will evaluate against our defined criteria to arrive at the best solution that serves Naperville today and in the future. 

Naperville’s current infrastructure adequately supports business operations but there is room for improvement. One of the most consequential infrastructure projects facing Naperville is the city’s Roads Improvement Plan. An example of city infrastructure that hurt local businesses is the Washington Street bridge replacement, which has significantly exceeded the projected time to complete and has negatively impacted downtown Naperville businesses. When the City Council receives a bid that looks too good to be true, it is Council’s responsibility to reality test the vendor’s assumptions to ensure they can execute as promised. I am excited to dig into the data to identify the improvements that will yield the largest return for our investment and drive efficient traffic movement throughout the city to save time and cost across all of our stakeholders. 

With respect to responsible development, I would prioritize projects that expand the tax base to reduce the burden of property taxes. In particular, south Naperville is currently underrepresented with respect to a business tax base, which results in higher taxes on residents. That’s why I support carefully targeted tax incentives in specific cases where they provide clear, long-term benefits that complement versus harm existing businesses. This will attract new businesses to Naperville and reduce the tax burden.

Additionally, public services like snow removal and trash collection may not sound exciting but are critical and need to be done efficiently and well. Lastly, our city budget must prioritize public safety. I am 100% committed to ensuring Naperville is the safest place in America. I am a proud graduate of both the city’s police and fire Citizen Academies and I would use those insights to ensure our first responders continue to have the tools and resources needed to keep our city safe.

Early Renewal of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) Contract

I emphatically oppose an early renewal of our IMEA contract. The current offer on the table, extending the IMEA contract for another 20 years, is not in the best interest of Naperville nor its residents. As a steward of the city’s tax revenue, I expect a competitive bidding process to make sure the criteria set by City Council is met. This criteria includes cost, environmental impact, and service levels/reliability.  

The City Council must ensure that our future energy contract does not exchange short term cost savings for long term problems such as higher energy costs down the road, costly environmental damage, and negative health impacts that could have been mitigated with proactive investment in sustainable solutions. The portfolio of energy sources the city relies on needs to shift from our current carbon-based energy reliance to include more sustainable energy sources, which is a positive for the environment, the economy, and the health of our residents. 

City Council’s decisions on how to meet Naperville’s energy needs now and for the next 30 years require evidence-based analysis to ensure any commitment we make is in the best interest of current and future Naperville residents. My background in data analytics as well as my proven experience in managing a $53 million budget at the Park District positions me well for this challenge.

Environment and Sustainability Initiatives in Naperville

In 2021, the City Council unanimously approved the Sustainability Workplan that includes 70+ goals for how our city addresses energy, waste, transportation, natural resources, and buildings and development. While plans and goals are important, they risk remaining just that—plans—unless there is regular follow-up and accountability.

We know we are falling behind on several of our sustainability goals. For example, as of this writing, when citizens go to the city website to check the progress on our sustainability goals, the “current” category is labeled “December 2022"* and includes several items that are yet to be completed, such as developing a Green Purchasing Plan. In 2024, City Council budgeted funds to hire an active mobility consultant that has yet to be hired.

In my capacity as Park District President, my fellow Commissioners and I prioritize our Strategic Plan and receive quarterly progress reports from our Executive Director. If elected to City Council, I would push for the same reporting method we use at the Park District to track progress on our Strategic Plan to also be used for tracking progress on the concrete sustainability goals that City Council has already unanimously approved. Both the Council and the public need regular updates to ensure these plans become real accomplishments, not just talking points.

Elimination of the State Grocery Tax

Historically, the state of Illinois collected a 1% grocery tax which directly benefited local communities. The state repealed the state grocery tax in August 2024 in an effort to offset inflation for Illinois families; however, they also allowed municipalities to pass their own grocery tax ordinance starting in April 2025 with an effective date of January 1, 2026. Mitigating the impact to Naperville of the $6 million annual grocery sales tax shortfall is not a problem with only one solution. 

There are several levers that we need to consider and model to arrive at the best solution. The first step should be a review of the existing expenditures and budget to identify areas where we can reduce waste and duplicate or redundant costs to shore up some of the shortfall without compromising safety or quality of resident services. For example, we should evaluate the pace of our water main replacements and whether burying the remaining overhead power lines in our city needs to be an expense we undertake at this time. We should also analyze our other revenue sources to identify any that are priced below market. We can certainly look at underutilized assets to determine if it makes sense to sell any; however, that is not an annual source of revenue. 

Once we have completed all of that analysis we will know the true annual shortfall and then be able to work collaboratively on how to address it, which may include a grocery tax, although I want to explore all of our options before adding an additional burden to our residents. 

Working with colleagues across the political spectrum

Before elected office, I facilitated the Open Discussion Project at Anderson’s Bookshop for four years. The goal of the program was to encourage dialogue between people with different political viewpoints and promote civil discussions on divisive topics, something that has been missing from our public discourse over recent years.

I’ve brought that open collaborative spirit to the Park District board, which has resulted in being unanimously elected as Board President three times by my fellow Park District Commissioners.  

I bring a track record of a strong work ethic, dedication, and working across the political spectrum to further Naperville’s interests. I support government transparency and accountability and will ensure residents’ voices are heard. My experience in government, public policy and data analytics background, and proven commitment to transparency, civility, and accountability make me the best choice to bring a fresh, informed, and results-driven perspective to City Council.

Why am I the best candidate for the job?

I am currently Naperville Park District President, where I developed and implemented a 3-year strategic plan to set the vision and guide NPD’s purpose and priorities. I managed a $53+ million budget and broad portfolio of assets including 138 parks. I work collaboratively with my peers to serve our community and will bring that spirit and track record of achievement to City Council. 

City Council is nonpartisan and I believe that constituents want us to work together on local issues. I have seen what is possible when we check our ideologies at the door and focus on the people and that is what I will bring to the City Council.

I’m committed to maintain low taxes by expanding our tax base in the areas of town that need it most, pursue reasonable development and tax incentives with short payback periods, and deliver high quality reliable services to keep Naperville as the best place to live and work in the US.