Mike Isaac: 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.IsaacForNaperville.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: www.facebook.com/IsaacForNaperville/Office sought: Naperville City Council Age: 34Family: My immediate family consists of my spouse, Adam Stachowiak, and twin boys, Keegan and Kaleb. Our twin boys will be three years old on February 7th. I have lived in Naperville for the past 13 years. As a married father of two young sons, I am committed to the success of my businesses and the community of Naperville, where I am raising my family.Occupation: CEO and CFO, Third Party PetEducation: BS of Business Administration in Finance and MarketingCivic involvement: I am currently a board member on the City of Naperville Financial Advisory Board. As a member of the City of Naperville's Financial Advisory Board, I was appointed by the mayor to serve as an adviser and sounding board on issues of municipal fiscal management, sound business practices and economic development for the City of Naperville.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What should be the city's role in promoting availability of housing for people of all ages and income levels in Naperville? What should be more important in making decisions about proposed housing developments -- the opinions of neighbors or the housing needs of the community as a whole? Why?I believe there needs to be a concerted effort on the part of City government to encourage a mix of housing to serve all ages and income levels, and part of the planning for that begins with the planning and zoning process. That process must remain dynamic and responsive as the needs of market and population changes. While it is important to consider the interests of neighbors in creating suitable land use models, particularly in infill and redevelopment situations, the zoning process and City professional staff provide careful consideration of appropriate uses in the context of traffic, access, density and impact on surroundings. In addition, the Planning and Zoning Commission offers additional insight and considers neighbors' concerns. I believe neighbors must be listened to and respected. And compromises can be found on some occasions. However, ultimately, if Naperville is to grow and remain vital for generations to come, we must provide housing stock for changing populations with changing needs. That will be in the best interest of the entire community, providing a solid tax base and a diverse population, as well as ensuring that the housing stock and amenities available will encourage economic development and keep multiple generations of families living in town.How should the city prepare and pay for major expenses in its public utilities such as water, wastewater and electric service? How can this be done within the current financial principles of passing structurally balanced budgets, reducing debt and increasing reserves? Should those principles remain, or do they need to be changed? Why?Just like any household, the City must maintain a balanced budget, reduce debt, and build reserves for emergencies and future expenses. Developing principals that structure a means to achieve those goals is something the City staff and we on the Financial Advisory Board have worked hard on, and I am support of those principals for our long term financial health. And like any household, rates for utilities and their delivery change over time and affect the budget. Working within the constraints of any budget plan requires some give and take, and we have made choices to pay for utilities as changing needs have arisen. I believe we also need to be smart shoppers, seeking the best rates for our utilities. So while we have entered into some long term agreements in the past to provide utilities through group buying, I think revisiting those agreements periodically to ensure we are able to take advantage of the best rates for utilities is warranted.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?I have just graduated from Naperville's Citizen's Police Academy, and that experience has shown me the incredible professionalism and dedication of the Naperville public safety team. I believe our force is well prepared to protect the community in the coming years. Naperville is a leader among those investigating and prosecuting cyber crimes. Naperville's force has cooperated with the County and surrounding communities to help fight the heroin epidemic through training, the administering of life-saving Narcan, the development of Connect for Life to divert opiate addicts to treatment not prosecution and the development of a prescription drug take-back program. The Department works with multi-family housing owners and residents to ensure safe crime-free residences. The Department's public safety officers are providing mentoring as well as security for our students in the public schools. I am proud of the number of preventive initiatives that have been developed to mitigate crime in Naperville.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?In my business, we look for efficiencies and productivity. With the advantage of investments in technology, are we able to save on headcount? Are we working smarter, implementing new procedures that might streamline and allow for greater efficiency in either headcount or materials/equipment needed to deliver service? Are there ways we can partner with others to more efficiently deliver service- perhaps through more intergovernmental agreements? This way of thinking can benefit the public sector, and I intend to continue to look for ways to invest in both tools and ideas that will make us be more productive and trim costs.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Our economic development efforts need to focus on the current and future market demands, not past business models. We are sitting on big, empty office buildings and obsolete shopping areas. We need to think about how businesses are working now, how technology has changed the physical needs of retailers, corporations and entrepreneurs. Now we must examine what next-generation businesses need to grow in the 21st Century. I want to see current businesses and workers thrive today, but I am also concerned that my 2-year-old sons will have jobs, business opportunities and the infrastructure and amenities they need to continue to live and work here in 20 years.We need to redefine commercial opportunities that address a shrinking big-footprint office and retail market. We need to recognize what some surrounding communities already have- in this age of technology, we will see virtual work spaces, call-centers, fulfillment operations, co-working spaces and "pop-up" business models replace more traditional models. Our community needs to plan for that, incentivize for that and market for that. I believe the City, working with the Chamber of Commerce and Naperville Development Partnership, area colleges and universities, our school districts, libraries, Choose DuPage and WorkNet workforce development board can be a connecter and catalyst supporting new business models, new employee skills and training models, and new infrastructure to attract and retain makers, job creators and entrepreneurs. We need to consider mixed-use development, live-work-play development and transportation-oriented development that connects workers and companies with business and cultural resources in Chicago.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As Chairman of Naperville/Aurora Citizens for Lower Taxes, I helped pass the advisory referendum on government consolidation with a 90% approval. To me, this means that the vast majority of Napervillians are in favor of measure like consolidation that will eliminate service redundancy and allow for tax savings for property owners. I will continue to look for ways to make government work smarter not bigger, while still delivering the quality of services that make Naperville a community in demand.I am concerned that we must continue to find ways to promote more efficient, cost effective transportation throughout the community, while making the most of parking resources, including central parking facilities, commuter parking and outlying "kiss and ride" options. This will benefit residents, commuters, workers and businesses.I am committed to working with the City to maintain our focus on sustainability in use of resources, provision of energy and disposal of waste. Our environment is precious to us and even more, we must protect if for our children.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bill Gates is my inspiration. Mr. Gates is a business leader that has implemented some incredible ideas that changed our world forever.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The biggest lesson I learned at home growing up was respect and honesty. These are the foundation of a healthy long term relationship.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?If I had one do-over it would be to spend more time with my parents and grandparents. Spending time with family is extremely important.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject in school was history. I believe in learning from lessons and applying information to help with future decisions.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?For my kids to embrace set backs as they are an opportunity for us to reflect and approach a situation with a new view.