Nazneen Hashmi: 2023 candidate for Streamwood Village Board

Bio

Town: Streamwood

Age on Election Day: 62

Occupation: Auditor & Adjunct Professor

Employer: Robert Bosch & IIT

Previous offices held: N/A

Q&A

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

A: The most serious issue facing our community is the raising of taxes to support our village's infrastructure and services. Both locally and nationally, we are facing staggering inflation and companies are slowing down hiring in anticipation of a looming recession. We need to anticipate the worst-case scenario and help save residents money by freezing any new tax levies.

Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?

A: The Village of Streamwood currently has a balanced budget so I would describe the state of our current finances as maintaining the status quo.

Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?

A: As for my top three priorities with our tax dollars, it would be investment in our emergency services, investment in public works including the Police Department and investment in green infrastructure. Residents usually don't have an issue investing their money into something if they see a positive return on their investment. I want residents to be able to see their tax dollars at work for them.

Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?

A: I have studied the local municipal budgets over the past decade and in my private life, I have managed to save multiple organizations millions of dollars through my audits. Unfortunately, our municipality has the same problem as other municipalities: bloated, top-heavy, salaries for administrators. There is no reason a municipal village manager or mayor should make equal to, or more than, the Mayor of Chicago. That money could be going towards police and fire, street repairs, upgraded lighting, and other public investments.

Additionally, our emergency responders are forced into overtime without rest after coming off of overtime. This is a similar situation to what occurs in Chicago, with bloated budgets to cover the cost of overtime and exhausted responders. We need to increase our staffing numbers to help reduce stress and costs.

Q: 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?

A: Streamwood needs to continue to invest in updating its emergency response infrastructure and our streets to help reduce congestion. However, I don't believe a "pay-as-you-go" system is the best way to handle these types of improvements. Pay-as-you-go, relies too heavily on the financial health of other levels of government to help fund local improvements, without creating reserves for us to be self-sufficient. Essentially, pay-as-you-go is about arguing how to slice up one pie, rather than making your own separate pie.

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 village board or city council.

A: My management and negotiation style is collaborative, working towards solutions that benefit all parties involved. As an corporate auditor and budget & procurement professional I have worked collaboratively with many departments and stakeholders to effectively negotiate and reach common goals. This and my leadership experience on various non-profit boards has helped me develop a management style that prioritizes teamwork, listening to stakeholders, assessing budgets, negotiating agreements and making decisions. My experience and skills as well as my passion for our community will allow me to effectively serve the Village of Streamwood as a Trustee.

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

A: What makes anyone a good candidate for this job? I provide a new and unique perspective to the Board, but additionally I also bring years of budgeting experience. I can find ways to make operations efficient without being too costly and ensure that the taxpayer's money is being utilized properly and positively. We often place too much weight on incumbency, but incumbency can lead to complacency and an inability to think outside the box. My experience, while different, is not lacking.

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

A: One idea that I think needs to be considered is how to make the Village of Streamwood a greener, more sustainable and vibrant community. I would like to see the Village consider projects like:

1.) Bike paths and connecting missing sidewalks to make the Village safer and more walkable for recreation and accessibility.

2.) Planting more trees, native plants and providing spaces for community gardening to protect our natural environment and habitats

3.) Providing electric vehicle EV chargers in public parking lots

4.) Making our public spaces and building as sustainable as possible.

5.) Creating a Sustainability Commission comprised of interested citizens and a Village liaison to discuss and implement change.

The climate crisis in an existential threat to all and I believe our citizens will be well served by having the Village of Streamwood become greener and more sustainable.