Steve Weber: 2025 candidate for St. Charles City Council Ward 5

Bio

Office sought: St. Charles City Council Ward 5

City: St. Charles

Age: 47

Occupation: VP of Sales

Previous offices held: 5th Ward Alderman since 2021; former Kane County Board member

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council respond to it?

Infrastructure investments are the most serious. Every single resident and business owner is impacted by this. We as a community must support and invest in our infrastructure. It is especially critical with water that we keep it safe for drinking and also critical that we treat it correctly so it is safe when it goes back into the water system.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

We are very fortunate that we have a solid tax base that helps us maintain a great credit rating while also allowing for us to continuously invest in public projects. However we must be mindful of our borrowing and continue to pay down debt.

All of our department heads do a great job of keeping budgets as tight as possible and we must continue to find ways to be as efficient as possible and be willing to adapt as future technology evolves.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

The largest project we will have to face fairly soon will be the replacement of lead water lines. This comes to us by way of an unfunded federal mandate that will cost St. Charles taxpayers approximately $85 million.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your city council.

I have been an elected official for 8 years now and have held multiple chairmanships and leadership positions with all being voted on by my peers. I am open-minded and respect others’ opinions and thoughts.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I love my community and have been involved in trying to make it better everyday since me and my family moved here 21 years ago. I take the trust voters have put in me for the past 8 years seriously to serve them and represent them. I am an active listener and always available to my constituents.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

Underground walkways to cross Route 64 and the river would be cool!