Bill Dwyer (FPR): "Why are you running?"

With the support of my neighbors and the consent of my wife, I made the decision to run for commissioner in late August. Since that time, I have spoken to many residents of the village and discussed a variety of issues. The discussion for some revolves around a specific issue, such as “homes for parking,” while others have more broad concerns, such as preserving the “character of the village.” During each conversation, however, I am invariably asked the same question that Bill Dwyer asked in today’s Forest Park Review: “Why are you running for commissioner?” Make no mistake, this is a different question from “why should I vote for you” or “what makes you a good candidate.” This question, as my cousin Bill Dwyer put it, means “what is in it for you.”

Try as I might, I have not been able to come up with a concise, one sentence answer. I have lived in this area for almost my entire life (grew up in South Oak Park), and in Forest Park since 1999. Like many others, I have grown to love this village and have been blessed with extraordinary increases in my property value. I have seen Madison Street grow, as well as several large developments and condo conversions. As I look around, I see a lot of new faces and a lot of change. Change can be good, but just in case, I want to be in a position to make sure it is.

I have a vision of Forest Park that is inviting to families, and supports its local businesses. I envision block parties, such as my block has held for the past several years, and children playing on sidewalks. I see a vibrant Roosevelt Road retail district that complements the boutiques and restaurants along Madison Street. In my ideal village, residents not only feel comfortable telling their elected officials what they want from the village, they feel an ownership that compels them to do so.

I have no aspirations of a new address along Pennsylvania Avenue, nor am I trying to fill a void in my soul. As clichéd as it sounds, I feel that I have the ability to affect change in a positive way, and I feel enough of an ownership in the Our Village to ask for your chance to do so.