Chris Mondi: Candidate Profile

Back to Elburn President One Term

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: ElburnWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mondiformayor/Office sought: Elburn President One Term Age: 44Family: Wife and three childrenOccupation: LaborerEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Personally, I have lived in the community for the past 12 years. I have concerns about the way this community is run and I am tired of complaining. My professional background makes me ideal as I have inside knowledge having worked for the Village previously. I have also worked for a neighboring community and the state so have insight into best practices that we should be considering. In addition, I owned a small business so understand the needs of those trying to make it in the local environment. My professional background and commitment to this community make me an ideal candidate.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 budget needs a thorough review. There appears to be excess expenditures with little to no benefits. Items such as snow removal, utility bills, lack of community development and the overall appearance of the downtown and community need to be addressed.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The entire budget should undergo an in-depth review to see how resources should be appropriately allocated. Based on my initial review, administrative costs could be trimmed. Some of these costs could be reallocated to community services that people want and need for the safety of the community. For example, during the last two accumulating snowfalls in December and January, there were numerous complaints from residents about the lack of snow removal and the conditions of the streets. Although we have not had a major snowfall since to see if these complaints are being heard, the Village should have a proactive approach on things involving the safety of the community rather than waiting for issues to arise and residents to complain. There should have been a snow plow plan in place to begin with to avoid these concerns. It is the Village's responsibility to ensure the safety of the community.Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board or city council.I am a passionate leader who believes in bringing people together to achieve common goals. Open communication is key.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Nothing has changed in the last couple of elections. It seems that we have become complacent accepting the status quo. It is time for something new, which I provide. My good idea that no one is addressing is to change this complacency. We need to alter the path we are currently on and become the community we know can be.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The other issues that should be addressed is the lack of transparency for the community and the lack of community involvement. We need communication to go both ways. We need to hear the voice of the community as well as ensure they are informed on the issues facing the Village either through meetings, website and/or social media. The current website is out-of-date, hard to follow and lacks necessary information. There is very little social media presence, and meetings have been poorly attended. This all needs to change.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.No current leader inspires me as everyone seems to be out for themselvesWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?That hard work pays offIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have no regrets. Everything has been a learning experience that has shaped my life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?World Religion - it helped me to learn there is a big world out there with different people who have similar wants and needsIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?If you truly believe in something, stand up for it and fight for it.