Kevin Kirby: 2025 candidate for Elmhurst City Council Ward 2

Bio

Office Sought: Elmhurst City Council Ward 2

City: Elmhurst

Age: 42

Occupation: Sales executive

Previous offices held: None

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

Rising costs. These rising costs combined with necessary infrastructure upgrades have put us on a path of gradual increases in taxes and fees on residents.

While we can’t control costs entirely, we can strategically broaden our tax base to reduce the burden on residents.

If elected, I intend to use my 20+ years of business experience to support the city in negotiating fair prices from vendors.

I also will actively work to support our businesses, to recruit new businesses to Elmhurst, and to help the city turn underutilized assets in to revenue generating opportunities.

All of this in service of keeping taxes flat for residents and helping the city to save for future expenses.

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?

The city has historically been a good steward of taxpayer dollars. Over the next few years, spending should be focused on necessary infrastructure updates, particularly those focused on public safety.

There should also be strategic investment in supporting and growing our local business community. An audit of current vendor contracts and the bid process in place would be a great way to ensure Elmhurst is paying a fair market price for all services.

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?

At the moment, the most important project is building a new station for our police department. The current station puts officers at risk with its poor design and crumbling infrastructure. Imagine trying to transfer an agitated suspect up a spiral staircase with temperatures soaring above 80 degrees.

We ask for the best from the department and need to provide them with the resources to achieve this.

When the top, young officers graduate from the academy, do we want them looking at Elmhurst as a last resort option because it seems like we don’t value our department?

The current funding proposal for the station that is before city council is reasonable. The finance committee has creatively proposed an increase in the hotel tax (due to their disproportionate use of police services) and the sale of a city owned office building at 180 Park to reduce the cost to residents down to close to $50 per year over a 20-year period. I believe with a focus on new revenue generation opportunities we can reduce or even eliminate this cost to residents by year 4 or 5.

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.

To be successful as an alderman you need to be exceptionally collaborative. My process starts by developing an informed opinion on the specific policy topic.

This includes using all available data points, soliciting resident feedback, and engaging subject matter experts. I would then share my findings in committee for open discussion with other council members to move toward a consensus opinion.

I am someone who has a bias toward action and will constantly strive to ensure we are getting things done and not getting stuck in a constant state of deliberation.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A successful 20-plus year business career that has afforded me the opportunity to be featured in Forbes, Reuters, and Bloomberg based on my ability to generate revenue and create solutions for some of the nation’s leading companies.

I’m a graduate of the Elmhurst Citizen’s Police Academy, have been an active participant in the Downtown Planning workshops, and have attended city council meetings both virtually and in-person over the past year to ensure I have an understanding of the issues and can support the existing work of the council on day one.

I am also the father to a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, so I have patience, can work with others, even when one of us might not be having our best day, and know how to compromise.

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

Elmhurst’s primary source of funding is via sales tax on goods sold. I am the only candidate talking about revenue generation and recognizing the potential to save residents money and fund needed improvements by enhancing our local business community. Why not let our friends from neighboring towns help us fund Elmhurst’s amazing future?