Matt Harrington: 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: AuroraWebsite: http://www.webackmatt.blogspot.comOffice sought: Aurora City councilAge: 48Family: Two daughters 19 and 25 years of age.Occupation: Business,Political and Reality Television Consultant My firm advises in many areas of Real Estate development and Investment from apartments from low income families to luxury condo development, along with boutique Hotel and Casino development.Education: 1998 - 2003SUFFIELD UNIVERSITY *Master Degree program: Political Sciences*Bachelors Degree program: Business Administration *Associate Degree program: Political Sciences1995 #8211; 1997NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITYAssociate Degree program:CCivic involvement: *2003-2010 CAN-TV SHOW: Co-Host and Ex-Producer of Community Matters:A live weekly Television show promoting the community mined leaders. Of the Business, Politics, Sports Celebrities discussing the Top topic of the day, to inform and educate and entertain an audience of 20,000 weekly viewers. CAN-TV, channels are show in over 1 Million Chicago-land households daily. *2005 #8211; 2007 Vice President Illinois Cook County Board Ancient Order of Hibernians: The A.O.H. is one of the largest Irish Catholic Non-Profit organizations in the United States. . Originally founded in Ireland in the early 1600#146;s, its primary efforts are to raise money for national and local organizations. For example Misericordia, the Special Olympics, as well as local food pantries and homeless shelters.*2003, 2004 2005Vice Chairman for the 23rd Police District: Officer Appreciation Day:This is a local community and business base event sets aside a day for the local police district and their Officers to show the neighborhood great appreciation for their hard work and dedication that officers provide every day in their community. *2002, 2003 2005 Uptown Community Executive Director for the Chicago Mayor#146;s Safe Night Event.This is a campaign soliciting local business, large and small within the area for products and funds to hold an alternative event for families and the communities to celebrate the Holiday New Year session without the danger of drugs, alcohol or the fear of violence and interference from gangs.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NOCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 * Help for Jobs Economic Development: I will work hard, for our city to bring in new big and small businesses and encourage growth in our downtown, business and metra districts. I believe we must target and assist small to medium size businesses to open and relocate to our city in order to create new opportunities and jobs as well as increased tax revenues. By utilizing existing state and federal grants, we can develop and improve Aroura#146;s infrastructure. In addition, I will encourage our city, township, and chamber of commerce to find better ways to work in partnership with the community and their Development Corporation so that we can revitalize our Riverfront area.* Help for our Cities Budgets Crisis:I will work, to fix the mismanagement of our resources and cut out the fat and inter-department waste of voter#146;s funds from our city#146;s budget. The answer to the state of Illinois#146; and our city budget crisis is not just smaller government. We need smaller more efficient government. I will be a tireless advocate, and work for the revamping of mismanaged and bloated state and city departments. I believe this is a necessary first step towards lowering property taxes, increasing programs and improving services for the citizens. We need not add to the hardships that higher property taxes would create for people already struggling to make ends meet.* Help in bring about change Inter Governmental PartnershipsI will bring the change we need to our city and reduce the redundancy of a bureaucratic and inefficient city government, in order to bring forth a better way to provide youth and senior service programs to the people of Aurora. Helping Our Schools Parks:I will partner with the elected schools boards, because the people on these boards know what their needs are and how best to utilize the funds for their district. Children learn best when there is a close collaboration between school districts, parents and cities. We must all make sure the lines of communication are open and that our children#146;s education and safety are always a priority. Key Issue 2 *Better ways to registration and tracking of Convicted Child Sex Offenders: We will work, to seek out with local county and state authorities for the funding to upgrade our efforts in addition, infrastructure. To allow our police department to have the technical ability to install GPS Tracking of convicted Child Sex offenders. This will help in monitoring the whereabouts of these felons 24/7. In addition, over time lead to better control of the registration of sex offenders, lower the threat to our children, and keep the cost down to police department. We need a better way, and that way starts today.*Help end Gang and gun Violence:We will work, with all state officials on the behalf of passing legislation, for a requirement of ballistics fingerprinting registration That will help keep, the guns out gangs members hands and lower the chances of are children being involved in a drive by or random shooting.* Help Bring about better securities at all are schools:We will work, to increase the safety for children. By correcting the distribution of our police and security officers to patrol the school, playgrounds and parks, this will keep the gang valance and sexual predators away from our children and our community.Help Bring Back Grip Funds:I will work on getting more back in regards to the1505 Federal drug forfeiture Funds we will regain The hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars lost to our state and it cities these past few years. Moreover, bring back these key funds to our community schools, help add other new programs for our youths and seniors, these funds will also help keep our taxes from rising.Key Issue 3 *Help bring in Expert ServicesWe will work on obtaining the proficient and skillful services of a professional grant writer to help increase the amount of federal and state dollars we can receive though the many government grants programs that are available, so we may elevate services to all of our community, upgrades equipment, and rebuild our States infrastructure.I won#146;t forget who I work for: Too often it seems that our political leaders put their party or reelection needs ahead of the citizens they represent. I have always been an independent thinker, and if elected I will never forget that I work for you.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My ability to look outside the box and ask why not, along with the ability to come up with new creative ideas to benefit business and our community at large.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.To High,people are going outside of the community and the state to buy items, which causes our local business to close and people to loss their jobs. which bring about a more homesforeclosed on and the heart and soul of a community ripped apart.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.Gun and Gang violence, the increase of newly released sex offenders that have move into Aurora and the lack of technology and the ability to properly monitoring them. ""refer to the above replies"". in Issue areas.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?Paid lobbyist and newly formed paid committees.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Here is my 4-steps plan:1) Eliminate the Parking Meters from Aurora's downtown and revamp the layout of the downtown street parking to be angled in order to increase the number of spaces. This convenience from the increased parking spaces will entice visitors to visit Aurora#146;s downtown business districts and help promote our local establishments. 2) Work with the business owners along the Riverfront, so that the docks can be placed at their businesses to allow and promote small motorized and non-motorized water-crafts to dock along the river and increase patronages to these businesses. This will also generate more interests to the area, which will re-energize our downtown economy and create more jobs.These docks will be paid in partnership by the business owners and advertisement sponsors. And, with additional grants by the city#146;s, state and county business development grant funds.3) Also, I recommend an additional source to bring in needed revenues to our city by implementing a regular City sticker and an E-City sticker that has the ability to sell advertisement on its reverse side.By offering two choices in City stickers, using the I-Pass model, we can offer an E-City sticker that contains a double-sided LCD screen: the front will have the current sticker logo which can be downloaded annually at half the cost of a regular window sticker. The reverse side of the E-City sticker will show advertisement. The traditional sticker will have only a permanent ad for the duration of the sticker#146;s effective year, while the E-City sticker can have a multiple advertising function, along with an emergency alert fascist.Our E-City sticker can also offer anti-theft and car location services, for the customers at a small monthly cost. In turn this would help the drivers to lower their yearly car insurance cost as well as peace of mind to the auto and E-City sticker owner.These city stickers alone can help boost 3 to 5 million dollars of new revenues annually for the city, while the Riverfront docks can also bring in another 2 to 3 million dollars per year to our city.4) Work with our State elected leaders and gaming commission to bring about a real change in gaming revenues I believe Illinois does not need more casinos. We need to introduce a new market to our state. We should look at allowing a sport booking license which will be owned by the cities in which the casinos resides. Then, this license can be leased out for an upfront payment and with an ongoing percentage from the revenues.This can bring in multi-millions of dollars, not just to the state, but to our city. Overall, it will increase jobs in the local community and help with lowering taxes and adding funding for Schools, Police Fire as well as other civic and senior programs.