Benjamin Marcum: 2023 primary candidate for Aurora City Council-6th Ward
Bio
Town: Aurora
Age on Election Day: 43
Occupation: Outreach and data manager
Employer: State of Illinois
Previous offices held: None
Q&A
Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council respond to it?
A: Soft on crime policies have been implemented by leaders of the city of Chicago and Cook County. This approach emboldens criminals and we are seeing violence spill over into the western suburbs. With the recent passage of the SAFE-T Act out of Springfield, the Kane County Sheriff and State's Attorney have warned of the negative consequences these policies will have on our community.
As the city of Aurora continues to grow, it is imperative that the Aurora Police Department is given the resources needed to keep our families safe. After speaking to my friends in law enforcement, they are afraid to engage in basic police work due to the unintended consequences of an accidental misstep. One misstep could cost them their job or worse. Police officers have begun to "pull back" on arrests. We are seeing experienced police officers retire early and departments being left short-handed to protect their community. Now, standards are being lowered and we could up with underqualified officers.
Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?
A: The city of Aurora's finances as exemplary. The redevelopment happening in Aurora's downtown and far east side is triggering a windfall for the city's coffers. This is a perfect example of the benefits reaped by homeowners in a booming city. The 2022 budget did not raise the levy for the first time in a decade. Unfortunately, the development is not happening here in the 6th Ward. We are being left behind due to the complacency of an incumbent alderman who no longer has the energy and enthusiasm to do the job. The Aurora of 1985 is no longer the Aurora of today.
It's time for a new voice and a new vision for our city. After working with the Illinois legislature for over a decade, I've built relationships with leading business groups such as the Illinois Manufacturers Association, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the National Federation of Independent Business. I will utilize these contacts to help bring robust development to the 6th Ward.
Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?
A: My top priority is economic development in the 6th Ward. We need to highlight the Lake Street corridor which was a thriving artery to Aurora's downtown decades ago. It's now a string of unhealthy fast-food restaurants, pawnshops, laundromats, and currency exchanges. We need to bring more restaurants with healthy choices, fine dining, and another grocery store. The funding of our first responders will be a top priority. This is literally a matter of life and death. We need to endure that the APD and the AFD have everything they need to protect the 6th Ward.
Candidates always talk about funding for our most vulnerable. A report was released this week by Aves 4 Independence which places Illinois in the bottom ten of states serving the disabled. The issues cited were the extraordinary number of people waiting for services; overuse of outdated institutional settings; high staff turnover rates and low numbers of individuals with disabilities finding suitable employment I have a plan.
Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?
A: When the city is operating with a budget surplus in the multi-millions, it's difficult to say that they aren't being prudent. However, with a half-billion-dollar budget you can ALWAYS find areas of waste, fraud, and abuse. I was raised to turn off a light when you leave the room. I clip coupons out of the stack that arrives in my mailbox every week. I use a Southwest Airlines credit card for every purchase to afford to take Molly on vacation every year. I despise debt. I pledge to be the most miserly fiscal watchdog on the entire city council. I look forward to examining the city budget when it arrives on my desk to find areas of savings.
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 project(s) can be put on the back burner?
A: The Hollywood Casino move from downtown Aurora presents an enormous opportunity to the people our city. A space that large will provide an array of options that could potentially draw people from all across the nation. It's large enough to be a convention center, a sports arena, an entertainment venue. The possibilities are endless. Again, this is another opportunity to use the contacts I've made in Springfield to act as a salesman for the city of Aurora.
I am very much looking forward to engaging with the Mayor's office, developers, business leaders, and my fellow Alderman to develop the casino site as an anchor destination of our downtown. This should be paid for exclusively with private funding. If there are incentives that the city can offer to attract a premier development, I would be open to exploring those options. If you are looking for an alderman who wants to scale things back, don't vote for me. I think big and I deliver big.
Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your city council.
A: I've worked in a legislative office with Illinois state legislators. My job was focused on constituent services. I gained a reputation as one of the most bipartisan district directors in the area. Helping people find the state services they need shouldn't be a partisan issue, and it wasn't to me. I relied heavily on neighboring legislative offices to find the resources that people need. We relied on each other to deliver. Both Republican and Democrat offices joined together to host events such as blood drives, food drives, and senior wellness events.
When your goal every day is to help people, you don't care what letter is next to their name. Some of my proudest moments have been helping guide struggling families to the services that help put food on their table. When the pandemic hit in 2020, so many single moms lost their job as a waitress, hairdresser, or cashier. I was inspired when I was able to connect them with the resources they needed.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: Based on the number of candidates, the 6th Ward is hungry for new leadership. It's time for a new voice and a new vision. I think about the energy and enthusiasm you have when you start at your dream job on your first day. Then, I think about the lack of enthusiasm you have for a job when you've had it for four decades. I have a passion for helping people. I have a track record of working with the highest level of state government in a collaborative manner. I understand what it takes to make government work.
The appeal of working in a government body that doesn't have the burdens of partisanship is totally ideal. I've built a network of business leaders all across the state that I can utilize in bringing development to our community. I have a servant's heart that wants to create new services for our most vulnerable, and I will follow through. I understand that in a 60% Hispanic district we need to do a better job of giving them a voice on the city council.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
A: I want to create a program to provide transportation services to seniors and the disabled community. I was fortunate to have the flexibility to give my grandparents a ride to their doctor appointments. Too often, seniors forgo their doctor appointments because they don't want to be a burden to their family. Recently, a close family member suffered a serious stroke. He needs an ambulance that can sometimes cost him as much as $800 round trip for a basic doctor visit.
Aurora has a budget of half a billion dollars. I can absolutely find the money to purchase handicapped accessible vehicles and fund the full time drivers to operate them. We have an opportunity to step up where the state has failed. I've been in meetings with the leadership from the Association for Individual Development. I've seen the anguish on the faces of the families who rely on their services. They are hurting. This is happening in the 6th Ward. We have the means to supplement those services. I have the will.