Joseph Connell: 2021 candidate for West Dundee village president

Bio

Village: West Dundee

Age: 47

Occupation: Landlord, real estate, insurance inspector, ex public works worker. I did Uber and Lyft on weekends before COVID-19.

Employer: Self-employed

Civic involvement: Not given

Q&A

Q. How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state and federal authorities?

A. As Village President of West Dundee, my role is to follow low-cal, state and federal guidelines in regards to COVID-19, while balancing the needs of local business. In our village, we have a large number of small Mom & Pop businesses who need to remain in operation in order to continue to be open in the future. These small businesses are the backbone of our village and they are the livelihoods of many of our residents. Supporting business and maintaining health standards is a very important part of the Village Presidents role.

Q. Did your town continue to adequately serve its constituents during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could be done better.

A. The Village of West Dundee did do a good job of serving its residents during the pandemic. Initially in March, there was little known of transmission and what could be safely done. As more information became available the departments within the Village adapted their normal procedures to those of the new normal, allowing for the residents to still receive the services they have come to depend on - all while maintaining safety.

Q. In light of our experiences with COVID-19, what safeguards/guidelines should you put in place to address any future public health crisis?

A. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became obvious that West Dundee was unprepared to support the residents well in regards to their safety. For the future, the Village should work to ensure that they have some medical facilities that could be used for rapid testing, medical care, or vaccine distribution. Additionally services should be added to allow for the support of those residents who cannot afford necessary safety measures. Depending of the needs of the community, local fire stations could be used as distribution sites for PPE as needed.

Q. What cuts can local government make to reduce the burden of the pandemic on taxpayers?

A. There are a number of positions within the local government that have a high cost with minimal reward. The salaries of these positions should be reduced to a reasonable level in order to reduce the burden to the taxpayers.

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

A. In general, any existing infrastructure projects should continue after cost review. Additionally, there are a number of residential streets are in need of repair and have been for a few years. Local streets should be prioritized and the yearly road maintenance budget should be used to systematically move through the list over the years to ensure that all roads are in good condition. Most importantly however is to collaborate with Brookfield Properties, and Rouse Properties (owners of the mall) to work on its rebirth. This rebirth will take a number of years to complete and the planning stages should start soon.

Q. Do you agree or disagree with the stance your board/council has taken on permitting recreational marijuana sales in the community? What would you change about the stance, if you could?

A. No one would disagree that a Recreational Marijuana dispensary would bring additional revenue to the Village. Having a marijuana dispensary in the Village does send a mixed message to the children of our community. Due to this fact, if West Dundee was to allow a dispensary to open up within its borders location will be very important. Current regulation bars a dispensary from opening within 250 feet of a school, day care, or residential area. I do not believe this is far enough. Any dispensary should be located within an industrial park, to ensure that it is at a safe distance from children and families. The income derived from these sales should be invested for 3 years before they can be used by the city. After three years, this money could be used for infrastructure and other projects that would benefit the citizens.

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

A. West Dundee has had their traffic light cameras for many years now. These cameras bring in minimal funds for the village while costing money to administrate. These cameras should be removed in order to make West Dundee a more welcoming place for visitors and shoppers alike.

Q. What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A. As a lifelong West Dundee resident, the prosperity of the Village and its residents is very important to me. More focus needs to be placed on retaining the business we have, and to grow additional business going forward.

My answer is going to be different from Mr. Nelson's. This is coming from my heart ... I'm lifelong resident, Blue collar worker, I can relate to the normal everyday problems that people have. They need a face that they know. A familiar face that they see around town. I'll be more hands on "personable" like I have always have. I love this town and I Know this town love me. So I'll be ready on day one to be the next Village President.