Jeffrey Nejdl: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Jeffrey Nejdl

City: Mount Prospect

Office sought: Seeking Village Trustee

Age: Age 23, 20 year resident

Family:

Occupation:Temp Agent and Fresh Thyme clerk in Mount Prospect

Education: Harper Associate in Arts (2015) Concordia University Chicago BA History, Minor in Education (2017)

Civic involvement: Student Government all 4.5 years in college, senator and sustainability committee director.

Previous elected offices held:

Incumbent: If yes, when were first elected? Write-In Candidate in 2019

Website: jeffsstory.com

Facebook: Jeff Nejdl for Mount Prospect Trustee

Twitter:

Issue questions

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

Downtown development is at the forefront. Already under construction are two new residential complexes. According to village documentation, Park Terrace Elmhurst & Central and 20 West along Northwest highway, will bring approximately 85 new units to downtown. Near 100 new residents will call downtown MP home. With this new wave of residents, I would envision the need to redevelop and attract new businesses. It is too ambitious for the board to approve so many new multi-residential complexes before seeing how the two new ones perform. Seeing the success and struggles can be lessons for future residential complexes. Having buildings become mixed use of commercial on the first floor and residential above will be an advantage to achieving the downtown success. Keeping a focus on steady success with commercial and residential development side by side will be key for the village.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I am a committed member to my community and neighbors with my young perspective to the future of our village. I have been regularly attending Board and committee of the whole meetings, coffee with council events, and strategic planning workshops as a resident to learn the details of why certain decisions are made. I feel all perspectives are important in this process. Most importantly I go to those events to connect with other residents of MP. I have volunteered my time in MP and love being a resident. I want to make more commitments into the progress of our village. Seeking the opportunity to be a village trustee is one way I see myself helping MP among many more avenues.

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.

I want to become a leader who seeks the information to make a sound and rational decision after listening well to all perspectives to topics. The right information is key to making decisions to help progress the village. I would strive to establish good relationships with community members. They are my neighbors and being accessible to them is a top priority as a public servant. Being a leader and a great trustee is dedicating the time and effort to follow through on projects or topics the board works on. It is so important to see through what the board works on.

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?

Our budget is in good standing. We have a very excellent bond credit rating from Standard and Poors of a AA+ rating. The previous boards and village staff have worked together to ensure that rating is maintained as well as being fiscally responsible with maintaining adequate reserves. The budget discussions come to me as a representative of the MP tax payers to ensure the staff is making recommendations that benefit the residents at a high standard that has been set.

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

I want to bring more sustainability and green programs and policies to MP. Our public works has already been recognized at the state level for recycling programs and efforts made. A resident based committee should be formed to set benchmarks for the board and staff to see through. These goals will start small and more will begin a new culture of being environmentally conscious. In time, it would be ideal to find ways to bring green investors and businesses to MP to form partnerships that are mutually beneficial. There are some residents who have brought up at Coffee with Council about more advocacy for sustainability actions, the subject has already been growing but needs to reach a new level with board and staff support.