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Tom Glass: Candidate Profile

Naperville City Council (2-year Terms)

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: NapervilleWebsite: http://www.glassfornaperville.comOffice sought: Naperville City Council (2-year Terms)Age: 38Family: Married, four childrenOccupation: President of a metal finishing company that employs 150 on the west side of ChicagoEducation: Bachelor of Science in Business Management, North Central CollegeCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Transparency of local government. The city of Naperville has unlawfully made decisions behind closed doors with complete disregard for taxpayer input. The people of Naperville deserve to be informed of how their tax dollars are being utilized, and deserve to be able to oversee open meetings. Open meetings should be held at times and places that are convenient for the public, not for the city's management.Key Issue 2 Fiscal responsibility. The city has spent taxpayer money on non-viable technologies, and also directed money at what were supposed to have been private ventures. We cannot afford to accumulate more debt. The city's electric utility provides some of the most expensive electricity around, yet we maintain it. The city has it on the books as a $300+ million dollar asset, that we should sell the electric utility to someone that can better manage it, and pay off the existing debt, and fund the deficiencies in our pension funds so that those that have served the city can count on the retirement plan they were promised being there for them.Key Issue 3 We need to stop making the same mistakes that have put us in such a financial situation. Current employees should continue to participate with the compensation plan they have, but new hires should be brought on with a defined contribution plan such as a 401K and be paid at prevailing market rates.Questions Answers There are increasing concerns about safety in downtown Naperville, especially on weekend nights. Is the city doing enough to promote downtown safety and, if not, what other steps should it take?The money that is collected via the SECA tax should be used to provide additional policing during the late evening hours downtown instead of being spent funding the Carillon or the DuPage children's museum. Instead of escorting smart meter installers to arrest Naperville moms, the police would be better utilized patrolling the downtown area at night.What is your vision for the continued development of downtown? Are there types of businesses you would like to see in the central business district or other parts of the city?The code should reflect what is allowed and what is not, and we should not deal with every situation by exception.Has Naperville's image gotten better or worse over the past four years? What are two things the city needs to do better?Naperville's image has declined in the past four years as the current management has violated FOIA laws and the Illinois Open Meeting Act to avoid public discussion on issues that are unpopular with residents. The city needs to hold those employees accountable that violate the law instead of promoting them. The city also needs to begin balancing our budget including funding the pension liabilities at 100%.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The electric utility should be monetized so that the residents of Naperville have access to affordable energy.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Selling the Electric Utility.