As a 40-year resident and small business owner, I’ve watched Naperville enjoy enviable growth and prosperity. In that time, I’ve seen how the projects coming before City Council have gotten bigger. The dollars in play have gotten bigger. And the impact to residents—affecting community character, congestion, pedestrian safety and infrastructure demands—has gotten bigger. 

 

So too has our need to know that Naperville’s elected leaders are setting a course charted with community input, not despite it!

 

During my five years on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, I’ve heeded the voices of my community to uphold the obligations of my office, only to see my work repeatedly discarded by the City Council. I’ve also seen major projects come before City Council with compelling reasons to object to them, be it from nearby homeowners, the school district or in how many variances to the city code are needed to pass it. And yet the project gets either surprisingly strong support from the council or insufficient pushback to address the shortcomings.

 

It’s not the local government I’m satisfied with, and too many people have told me it’s not the government they’re satisfied with either. There needs to be a better balance between all the players involved in deciding where Naperville is going! I want to be your councilman and lead the way in ensuring that you’re an integral part of that process.

 

I’m Mark Urda and I'm asking for your vote on April 6 for Naperville City Council.