Jonathan Trapani: Candidate Profile

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: Rolling MeadowsWebsite: http://www.trapaniformayor.comOffice sought: Rolling Meadows MayorAge: 28Family: Married (Christina), no childrenOccupation: Teacher, Proviso West High School Head Men's Track and Field Coach Head Men's Cross Country CoachEducation: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004Civic 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 My top priority as mayor would be to attract new business to the city. Bringing in new business would generate new revenue and help reduce some of the tax burden placed on the citizens. In order to accomplish this, we must work together with local organizations such as the Rolling Meadows Chamber of Commerce and Roosevelt University to draw in new businesses that would be a good fit for our community. Specifically, I would like to target small businesses that would be looking to hire local employees.Key Issue 2 Another priority of mine as mayor would be to form better relationships with the city employees. These men and women make Rolling Meadows what it is and without them our city literally would not run. Despite this fact, it is my opinion that lately the Council has placed the blame for all the City#146;s financial problems on the employees. I believe the Council must share some of this responsibility given the fact that it was the Council who ultimately approved all budgetary decisions. We must re-establish the trust between the City Council and the employees of Rolling Meadows.I would like to work together with all of the City#146;s departments so that we may solve our various problems in a manner which all can accept. In my 28 years of living in this city, each and every city employee I#146;ve met, whether they were police, fire, public works, finance or community development, appears to have the best interests of Rolling Meadows and the citizens at heart. We must do all that we can to ensure we remain a community which attracts the caring employees we are accustomed to and allow those employees to return to providing the quality of service which Rolling Meadows is known for.Key Issue 3 I would like to help foster an increase in citizen involvement in city government. Unfortunately, many people who I have spoken with are not aware of the issues our city is facing. We must do a better job of informing our citizens of just what exactly is going on. Most people simply are not going to attend council meetings or contact their Alderman unless they have strong feelings one way or another. My desire is to tap into the thoughts, ideas and wishes of the silent majority. One way I feel we can achieve this is by creating a monthly survey system which could be tied in with the payment of our water bills. The results of such surveys could then be reported by Ward to the corresponding Aldermen, thus allowing the Council to obtain a better sense of the citizens#146; wishes. I also would like to establish open office hours, which would be updated and posted regularly, to provide citizens an opportunity to share their comments, thoughts and concerns directly with me.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have lived in Rolling Meadows my entire life and I know the citizens and employees have a great deal of pride in this city; as do I. I have no political aspirations beyond Rolling Meadows, this is the city I care about and these are the people I want to serve. I will not use this position as any type of stepping stone, all I wish to do is be a voice for our city and see that Rolling Meadows remains the community that so many of us remember fondly from our pasts.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I feel that the present local sales tax in our community is right where it needs to be. Currently, our tax is on par with most of, if not all of, the surrounding communities. If the sales tax in Rolling Meadows were to be higher than the neighboring communities, we would run the risk of making us an unfavorable destination in the minds of some businesses.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The only concern that has been brought to my attention in regards to public safety has been speeding on city streets, particularly while young students are making their way to school or waiting for the bus to pick them up. Certainly, this is a valid concern, as every child deserves the right to get to and from school safely. I know that the police department is aware of this issue and has already begun addressing it.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 budget of Rolling Meadows has been trimmed extensively in recent years. To cut any additional monies from some areas could create an inability for certain departments to provide the level of service which residents are accustomed to. However, one area I would like to take a closer look at in our current budget is the use of outside engineering firms. We must take a hard look at the use of such firms on a case-by-case basis to ensure that our need is absolutely vital, before we decide to obtain their services.One area of the budget which I certainly would like to see additional funds given to is public service and infrastructure. However, given the current economic times, I understand that increasing the budget in this manner must wait until the economy improves.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?As I have mentioned previously, I feel that establishing a regular system of surveys would be a great way to obtain feedback and input as to how the citizens of Rolling Meadows want their city to be run. These surveys could either be returned via mail or taken online, depending on how one chooses to pay their monthly water bill. It is my belief that this would be a great way to gauge citizen support for various potential city projects and spending. Yes, we have Alderman elected to represent the people, but far too many of our citizens are unaware of what is even being discussed at City Council meetings. How can we expect our citizens to share their opinions if they aren#146;t aware of what is being discussed? I believe that the people of Rolling Meadows do not want Aldermen making their decisions for them, but rather want Aldermen to vote based on the wants and needs of the people. I feel that this idea would allow the Council to have a better sense of what the people think and care about, rather than being forced to make decisions based on the input or complaints of a few.