Nicholas Dzierzanowski: 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: West ChicagoWebsite: http://votenickd.comOffice sought: West Chicago Mayor (4-year Term)Age: 42Family: Married, two sons 12 and 10Occupation: Chief Engineer at the Monaco Hotel-Chicago, a Kimpton Hotel. I have worked at the Hotel Monaco for 15 years.Education: #NAME?Civic involvement: -Cub Scout leader, Pack 110, 2006 to present -Volunteer Scout Leader on the Council and District level, Three Fires Council-Fox Valley District, Member of Activities Committee, Roundtable Committee, and I am the Training Chair for the Fox Valley DistrictElected offices held: -Alderman, 7th Ward in the City of West Chicago, 2003 to present -Precinct Committeman, Wayne Township, 35th Precinct, 2004 to present -Municipal Representative, District 6, DuPage County Storm Water Management Committee, 2005 to present -Chairman, West CHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I will work with all property owners and businesses to help them proactively market our community's assets locally and nationally. This will increase sales tax revenue, helping our City maintain the same level of vital services our residents expect and deserve without raising property taxes. I want to put together a round-table of business owners, current business property owners (developers), members from the Chamber of Commerce, key West Chicago staff members, and a citizens group to discuss the development needs of our community and how we can find ways for the City of West Chicago to help us meet those needs. We can then formulate a plan to promote business development and enhance our relationship with current business owners in West Chicago.Key Issue 2 I want to ensure that every neighborhood has equal police patrols. As the Alderman for the outlying subdivisions, the number one concern from the North and Northwest side of town is the lack of regular patrols. I have fielded questions from the middle and South ends of town about this same concern, as well. I will work with the Police Department to find ways we can make our residents feel safer through greater visibility of our patrol cars.Key Issue 3 Our City staff members who work in City Hall are doing a great job. I want to enhance our City's image by providing customer service training for these staff members. I have an 18 year career in the hospitality industry and want to set our City apart from the surrounding towns by bringing the hospitality mentality into City Hall to provide the residents and customers with a better experience. This will also win over potential business owners by being different from every town around us.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have a proven record of accomplishments as an Alderman and leader for the past 10 years: -I led the fight against a second Waste Transfer Station being sited in West Chicago, in my Ward, less than a mile from 752 houses inside our City limits. -I testified on behalf of my Ward at the St. Charles Plan Commission Public Hearing for the movement of the Super Walmart to a site that shares a boundary with my Ward. It would have directly affected the West Chicago neighborhood to its East. The move was voted down. -My Ward was experiencing numerous unexplained power outages. As Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, I led an investigation into ComEd's infrastructure and worked with ComEd to upgrade and repair their equipment, leading to a much more reliable power grid for the residents affected. -I requested an ordinance to manage the numerous flyers and newspapers left on private properties. Together, the City Council drafted and passed the West Chicago Solicitor's Ordinance. -As Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, I ensured that the necessary infrastructure improvements were completed in a timely manner so that the Quiet Zone Designation paperwork for the entire City was filed with the FTA (Federal Agency). The designation is currently pending with the Federal government. -I have been a strong advocate for the residents of the 7th Ward on the Council level, and a strong advocate for West Chicago on the County and Township level. I will continue to be that advocate, for the entire City, as Mayor. In my professional career, I manage and maintain the operating systems and facilities of a $25 million hotel. I am responsible for a $300,000 department budget. I manage a department with 5 employees. I have the professional management experience and knowledge to manage City Hall and run our city. With extended family scattered around the United States, I have visited and spent time in a number of small towns throughout the country. I have seen things that might work in our town and things that we can improve upon. I have talked to city leaders in some of these towns and learned different ways to manage development, sales taxes, infrastructure, and city services. As Mayor, I can begin to share and act on some of these ideas. I will be the top salesman for our City. I want to promote, both on a regional and national level, the great potential our community has to offer to prospective developers. We need someone who is a proactive thinker and who has fresh new ideas on how our town will develop over the next four years. I am that person.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.The present sales tax rate is just right. We have all endured tough economic times and to increase our sales tax rate is not appropriate. That said, the amount of sales tax revenue we are taking in is too low. We have the potential to bring in much more sales tax revenue if we would develop some of our land and fill our empty storefronts. We can do a much better job attracting business to our town by going out and seeking new businesses. Right now, we wait for developers and business owners to come to us. By increasing sales tax revenue, we can maintain the same level of vital city services to our residents that we all deserve and expect without raising property taxes. We can keep our sales tax rate the same, increase our sales tax revenue, and keep our small business owners happy and thriving, and give our residents more shopping options.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 biggest public safety concern my friends and neighbors have is inadequate and unequal police patrols in all neighborhoods. Our Police Department went to 12-hour shifts so that we can have more officers patrolling our streets. Unfortunately, from what I hear from the residents of my neighborhood, of my Ward, and of our City, there doesn't seem to be any more police patrols on the streets. Their presence is unseen. I will work with the Chief of Police to figure out what other strategies we can use to increase the police presence into every neighborhood in our City. We want people to feel safe, and something as simple as a squad car driving down the street a few times a day makes them feel that way.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?Over the last seven years, we have streamlined and cut our budget by approximately five percent each year. These reductions have not impacted any of our City services to our residents. Based on my experience over the last several years, I do not believe there are additional areas of our budget we can trim. Doing so will take away vital city services. This is way I want to increase sales tax revenue by expanding shopping choices in West Chicago, thereby increasing our revenue stream into our City budget.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?There is a not-for-profit group who is raising $10 million dollars of private funds to build a natatorium,(10-lane, 50-meter Olympic size swimming facility)in the Fox Valley area. In talking with this group, they are looking to place this facility near the Pheasant Run Resort on the West Chicago/St. Charles border. The estimated revenue stream from this project is approximately $3.5 million per year for the region divided into hotel taxes, concession taxes, event fees, sales tax revenue for existing businesses, and the exposure of West Chicago to people from all over the country. They want to host National level swim meets, State level meets, host area swim teams for practice and meets, and perhaps have a recreational swim program for local residents. The State of Illinois has the largest swimming program in America. The need for this facility here in Illinois is real. Our State level meets are currently held in Wisconsin. I will work closely with this group and help them find the 15 acres of land in West Chicago needed for this facility. When built, it will bring national attention to West Chicago through the media coverage of the events. This will make West Chicago a destination for people from around the country, bringing people from all across Illinois and the United States to West Chicago.