Residents and Small Businesses at Risk
Naperville’s working class residents and small business owners are at risk. We need to protect them from the dual threat of decreased affordability and increased use taxes.
Facing Challenge
At the height of the pandemic, I oversaw the Chamber leadership team in conducting a survey of 155 local businesses and found that nearly a third were within two months of permanently shutting their doors. By no means are we out of the woods.
Planning for Naperville’s Future
In preserving our economy and planning for Naperville’s future, we need to:
Stop the Upward Creep of Use Taxes
I will not vote to impose additional sales taxes, which have a disproportionate impact on working class families, and makes Naperville a less appealing place for people to shop when compared to nearby communities. It would be misguided to impose further taxes on our already struggling retailers, when they have already suffered so much from the pandemic.
Land Development
I support responsibly managing the conscientious development of our remaining parcels of land. This means considering LEED certification, green space, impacts on walkability, and traffic mitigation strategies. I realize that many stakeholders are involved; I plan to listen to different perspectives, respect all sides, and make the best decisions possible.
Invest in Infrastructure and City Services
There are many ways to address budget shortfalls, but deferring maintenance or cutting valuable city services such as public safety would be a poor long-term economic choice. I want to continue to invest in keeping this an outstanding community. An example of the exemplary services Naperville residents have come to expect is our Fall leaf collection service, which is the envy of many other communities. While it is not always an easy program to maintain, I believe it is a worthwhile investment to help incentivize residents to make easy, environmentally sustainable choices.