Steve Chirico: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: NapervilleWebsite: www.chiricoformayor.comOffice sought: Naperville Mayor Age: 54Family: Spouse- Julie Children- Lauren Voit, Jenna Cole, Dana Chirico, Tara Cole, Austin Chirico, Jonathon Cole, Kayla ChiricoOccupation: Business OwnerEducation: Graduate Naperville Central High School Attended 3 years at Northern IL- major political science.Civic involvement: Boards and commissions- 360 Youth and Family Services SECA Commission Naperville Responds For Katrina (originally) and For Our Veterans (Current) Friends Achieving Solutions Today (FAST) City Boards and Commissions- Naperville City Council, Downtown Naperville Alliance, Naperville Chamber of Commerce Legislative steering committee and general member (25 years), DuPage Mayors and Managers, SECA Advisory Liaison to Council,Elected offices held: Naperville City CouncilQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I believe every Naperville resident needs to ask themselves who will provide the leadership that will protect their family by providing safe neighborhoods and who will promote an environment whereby their schools will continue to deliver a great education. As a Naperville City Councilman my number one priority is public safety. I have worked to build trust with our public safety organizations and I am very proud that the City of Naperville and our Police and Fire Departments work together as a team to deliver the highest standards of safety. In fact, Naperville was ranked as one of the safest cities of its size in the country. I have also worked hard with the business community to attract and retain businesses which brings tax revenue to our school districts. A properly balanced community that has the right mix of business and residents provides the resources necessary for a quality education without placing the entire burden on property taxes. During my time on City Council I have worked to attract good, quality businesses to help expand our tax base. We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go. Residents need to ask themselves which candidate has the vision to lead Naperville into the future. Who will provide for our public safety and our schools and who will promote smart growth while at the same time being a good steward of our environment? I believe the clear choice is me.How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services that people want?The 2016 budget is in the process of being scrubbed. During the last workshop the city staff said there is a 12 million dollar gap. It is not unusual for the city to start the budget process with a large gap and slowly work their way toward a balanced budget. During the financial crisis Naperville made cost cuts and used savings to balance the budget. This was a good approach given the residents were under financial stress. That being said, it was a short term solution. Today Naperville is in a vastly different scenario. Although the city has done a good job of cutting costs and monitoring expenses, there is no longer a savings available to pay for ongoing operations. As a result, Naperville is faced with deferring maintenance or taking on debt to continue providing quality core services. Using debt (savings, deferred maintenance or bonding) for general operations is a bad idea as a long term financial strategy. This strategy is exactly what has gotten our state into a financial crisis. In order to provide the services that our residents want and expect, we must first ensure that we are operating at the most efficient level possible. Then we need to develop business friendly policies so we can expand our tax base and increase revenues organically.How would you handle the role of liquor commissioner? Would you actively punish liquor license holders for violations that occur at their facilities? What type of punishments do you think are appropriate and what actions would you take to keep downtown night life safe?The priority of liquor commissioner is public safety. We have learned that the city cannot always control misbehavior. Rules must be followed and enforced to establish proper expectations from our business owners and proper obedience from our guests. Discretion must be used by the Liquor Commissioner whenever a fine is administered to make sure the fine is reasonable and effective. The City of Naperville has recently taken several steps to curb illegal activities in our downtown business district and, so far, it appears the changes have had a positive influence on our downtown. Virtually all year over year crime data has come down. That being said, if a liquor establishment continues to ignore the rules and places our residents and guests at risk, the liquor commissioner must use his or her authority to protect the public. I believe there should always be a graduated punishment; beginning with a reasonable fine, moving to a more substantial fine and then, if the behavior continues, ultimately the loss of the liquor license for a period of time (or if needed, indefinitely). It's also important to remember that there will always be misbehavior that is not attributable to our businesses. We must listen, use a measured approach and be fair when issuing discipline.The top three goals in the city's strategic plan are adding more government services to the website, improving traffic flow and increasing two-way communication with residents and stakeholders. Do you think these are the best three priorities? If so, why? If not, which other topics would you prioritize and why?A few notes on the current goals identified by the city: â#128;cent;Technology- Naperville is clearly lagging when it comes to E-services. By modernizing the public's electronic access we will provide better service, more transparency and a more efficient service. â#128;cent;Traffic- According to the resident satisfaction survey, traffic was the lowest scoring category. This topic is a double edged sword; Naperville is fortunate to have a vibrant community and we welcome our guests, but the city still needs to provide a safe and efficient transportation infrastructure for our residents. Naperville has just completed the 95th Street bridge extension and we are in the middle of the Rt. 59 expansion. Additionally, we have the North-South signalization management system on our radar for 2015-2016. I think traffic flow needs to be one of our top goals. â#128;cent;Communication- This category is probably the most important yet underrated, or flat out ignored, municipal responsibility. There are so many tools available to communicate with the public, but we also must be respectful of privacy. Naperville started "Naper Notify," but it is a volunteer program. Currently, 10,000 residents receive Naper Notify - a good start, but we need to communicate with each and every resident when their safety depends on it.As the mayor of one of the state's largest cities, what role can and should you play in pursuing issues of regional importance that extend beyond Naperville's borders?The Mayor of Naperville should work with the regional Mayors and legislators to form coalitions in an effort to lift our entire region. In 2010 when the legislative maps were redrawn, Naperville was broken up into many state house and senate districts. As a result, we decided to change our legislative strategy to embrace our new broad base of representatives and create a voting bloc that can be used to further the interests of Naperville AND our neighboring communities. This strategy has served the community and our neighbors well. When Naperville joins together with other large cities like Aurora, Joliet and Elgin it becomes a very influential coalition in Illinois. We need to continue to work on that.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Illinois is facing many challenging years ahead while our state works through the remedies of our current problems. Undoubtedly the municipalities will feel the pain associated with the changes that are clearly in the future. One of the concerns is that the state will eliminate the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). LGDF provides vital revenue to Naperville and if eliminated it will leave a substantial hole in the budget. As Mayor I want to be prepared for these changes and minimize the impact on our residents. This can be done by good planning, honest communication and responsible budgeting. It will take courage to navigate through the next four years, but I believe my vision will lead Naperville through our state's recovery and position our city well for the future. As Mayor I want to be prepared for these changes and minimize the impact on our residents. This can be done by good planning, honest communication and responsible budgeting. It will take courage to navigate through the next four years. I believe my vision will lead Naperville through our state's recovery and position our city well for the future.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Mayor PradelWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I watched my Mom work long hours raising her children. I believe the biggest lesson is a strong work ethic, followed by a positive attitude.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I believe that all of my decisions have led me to where I am today. No regrets.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Astronomy- This class and professor opened my mind to the universe. I find comfort in looking up at the night stars.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Follow your dreams.