Kevin Flanagan, Elmhurst Ward 1 Candidate

ELMHURST, IL — Kevin Flanagan is one of three candidates for the unexpired two-year Ward 1 seat on the Elmhurst City Council. Here are his responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Kevin Flanagan

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I do not have any relatives that work in politics or government.

Education

Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Elmhurst College- I mean University

Occupation

Vice President of Commercial Services for a large commercial moving company; 4 years in my current role and another 15+ years in the industry.

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/Flana...

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

West Leyden Class of 1996- President. I was also voted "Class Clown" and "Most Fun to Be With" in high school.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our local economy. Both our residents and small businesses have been struggling through the pandemic and as we come out of it, we should do all we can to assist and ensure we all land on our feet. If we can rein in our spending and find new sources to diversify the source of our tax revenue, we can offer temporary concessions that will help alleviate some of the tax burden that falls on residents and small businesses.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I do support Black Lives Matter and I think the Black Lives Matter movement and demonstrations resulting from the two mentioned events have brought much needed awareness to the inequalities that POC still face today. I fundamentally agree that change is needed and these all too common events of police brutality need to stop. Where my views differ from the BLM movement is regarding the policies to bring about this necessary change. I think change needs to come from within police departments and not against police departments.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other on the board's support of racial equality.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

I do favor a local mask mandate, and it irks me that this is debatable. It has nothing to do with personal rights, liberties, or political agendas. It has everything to do with me and my consideration for my neighbor, my coworker, my mother, my sister, my uncle, my barista, my friend, and their health and the health of everyone they encounter.
I do favor certain measures that may limit operations due to social distancing concerns, but I was 100% against the shutdown. Many businesses did it right and implemented unprecedented efforts to mitigate risks. If you want to penalize businesses, penalize those businesses who were complacent with such efforts.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

I think local government should do all they can to stay out of the way and just offer whatever support and resources may be requested in terms of logistics, communication, and cooperation, to those in the medical field and others qualified to make the difficult and complex decisions.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I do not know enough about the other candidates to formulate an analysis of the differences between us.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The current officeholder was appointed and has only served a few months, so I don't think it's fair to offer a critique of her record.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Hoop houses! This remains a contentious issue and for good reason. I think the city made a wrong decision. Elmhurst is not a HOA so why is there concern with what someone does in their backyard (as long as it does not create a nuisance or a safety issue)? I feel the city opened a can of worms when they effectively banned hoop houses and now they are dealing with the unintended consequences of such actions, now having to police other noncompliant structures such as gazebos. The code they reference is outdated and should have simply been updated to allow for hoop houses and gazebos.
I also do not agree with the city's "wait and see" approach regarding marijuana dispensaries or their ban on slot machines. These are potential sources for tax revenue that are going to surrounding communities rather than for the direct benefit of our community. Why? I would rather take a dollar of tax revenue from gambling or a dollar that smells like some stanky weed any day over the dollar from my neighbor's wallet or purse.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I would cite my academic career and my professional career as successful track records of my ability to achieve and perform at a high level with limited resources.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

I would consider my term a success if I can accomplish the following:
Make city council meetings entertaining, so it draws more interests and involvement from our community.
Continue to support making the on-going flood mitigation efforts a priority during my term.
Reverse the hoop house ban.
Allow marijuana dispensaries in Elmhurst, so I don't have to go to Villa Park to get gummies and the whole diversify the source of tax revenue thing.
Give establishments the authority to decide if they want to allow slot machines.

Why should voters trust you?

They shouldn't. Trust is something that you earn, and I haven't done anything to earn their trust just yet. I'm asking for the opportunity to earn their trust by accomplishing the goals of my campaign. If you agree with these goals and believe I am the right candidate to accomplish them, I would appreciate your vote. If elected, I hope I can earn your trust over the terms of my elected office.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

As alderman, you are part of a team elected to be custodians of the taxpayer's dollars and as such, we should do all we can to ensure maximum value is returned for the spending of such dollars. We should be consistently looking for opportunities to cut costs without compromising the services and efforts provided. We should also look at ever opportunity to diversify the source of our tax revenue. Both of these efforts help to alleviate the burden placed on the taxpayers.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

If elected, I am committed to serving the full term of office. I love our community, I love the block on which my family and I reside, and with 2 small kids, we have long-term intentions to remain a part of this community.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Party."- Pete Harmon

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I care about the well-being of my community and I take great honor in being able to help people. If elected alderman, I would have the opportunity to do both of these things. I think that at times in the past, there has been a disconnect between City Council, their decisions, and the community they represent. I intend to change that. Rather than take to social media to voice my displeasure, I want to throw my hat in the ring for consideration, hopefully gain your support, and directly influence those decisions in the future with plans to rectify the decisions made in the past. If I should happen to have some fun and offer you some entertainment along the way, so be it!