Bradford Miller: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Bradford Miller

City: Naperville

Office sought: Naperville City Council

Age: 39

Family: Wife, Gina, two daughters, Audrey and Addison

Occupation: Attorney

Education: LL.M. Master of Laws, The John Marshall Law School, Juris Doctor, The John Marshall Law School, Bachelors in Political Science, Illinois State University, Oxford University (St. Catherine's College), Oxford, England

Civic involvement: Loaves and Fishes, Operation Support Our Troops, Naperville Jaycees, Naperville Chamber of Commerce, St. Raphael

Previous elected offices held: Precinct Committeeman

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? N/A

Website: www.millerfornaperville.com

Facebook: @millerfornaperville

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

I believe taxes and development are the biggest issues right now. Taxes are high enough in this State. I will fight any tax increases. Making government more efficient and cutting waste will always be my priority before asking anyone for more taxes. When it comes to development, we need to take into consideration all aspects of it and listen to the concerns of the nearby residents. Development can have a positive impact on our economy but will also sometimes have a negative impact on traffic, schools, density, and the environment. A good City Council will look at all of those factors before approving any plans. I will also make the re-development of the East Ogden area a priority. That area has been neglected for too long and it needs to be a priority moving forward.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

As a small business owner (I have my own law practice), you have to wear many hats and you have to be an effective leader for your business. Balancing budgets, taking care of your employees, and enacting plans for the future are all things you have to do when running a small business. As a City Councilman, I will bring that skill set with me. The people of Naperville need someone to look out for them to make sure their tax dollars are not being wasted and the services the City provides are top notch. They also need someone who will listen to their concerns. Our government should serve and listen to its residents and I will make all of this a priority.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board or city council.

By nature, I am practical and respectful. I believe I can lead on issues without getting into a shouting match or getting personal. I welcome all viewpoints and in the end my decisions will always be based on what is best for Naperville. I will work with people on all issues to move things forward. I'm sure there will be disagreements, but I hope that we all can get behind what is best for Naperville.

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 people want?

As a whole, we are much better off than most cities of similar size. We have a great credit rating and I consider Naperville to be a bright spot in a dismal financial landscape statewide. We can always do better and we should always strive to do better - our residents deserve that. To ensure services are kept at the right level, we need to grow our tax base and economy to bring in more revenue. More economic activity will bring in more revenue. We have historically done a good job at that and I believe we can keep doing that.

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

Other than bringing more attention to the needs of the Naperville train station and commuters, there is one business I've noticed that we do not have in Naperville. Given our climate, I think an upscale indoor water park hotel similar to a Great Wolf Lodge would do well here. The nearest one from Naperville is at least 45 minutes or more away. Bringing a business like that to our City would bring jobs and money into the City through the hotel and service taxes. Businesses around the hotel (like restaurants) will also benefit.