Chris Trzeciak, EP Village Trustee Candidate Invites You to 'Join the Conversation'

As most of you are aware, Election Day is April 7, 2015 in Evergreen Park this year. This year’s race will include candidates for both local school districts (the high school Dist. #231 and the elementary Dist. #124). In addition, the Evergreen Park library and of course the Village of Evergreen Park local government itself will be participating. I will be running in this election as a hopeful candidate for a Village Trustee position. I am very excited about this race because as a life-long resident of Evergreen Park, I believe this election offers voters a truly unique opportunity to effect some positive change.

I am first and foremost a firm believer in the democratic system of government. Therefore I have set as the primary goal of my campaign, the objective of generating interest in community business, the election, and ultimately increasing voter turnout. Whether I win your support or not, I think it is absolutely critical that more and more residents of our neighborhood take an active interest in community affairs and participate in elections. While I will be working diligently between now and the election to earn your vote, I am also hoping to stimulate some meaningful conversation about our community and the issues we are facing. In that spirit, I have drafted this brief position piece and hope that you will consider joining me in the conversation on my Facebook page and website.

I have been serving on the Evergreen Park High School Dist. #231 Board of Education for the past eight years and am presently serving as the Board President. In that time, I know that the Board has thought long and hard about the best ways to open the communication channels between the Board/Administration and Parents/Community. Our various efforts to do this included a public strategic planning session, open forums to discuss capital spending projects, student board members, and student run board meetings to name only a few. I believe that this has resulted in increased communication and improved relations, but there is still much ground to cover. I routinely hear individuals citing Board meeting dates and times as the most direct way to have your concern raised. This opportunity does of course exist at any public body meeting as it is required by the terms of the Open Meetings Act. I do agree that this is certainly one method to voice an opinion, but I challenge the notion that it is perhaps the best or only way to have your voice heard. I have learned after eight years on the Board of Education that if you truly want to get feedback, generate conversation, and hear what people are thinking then you have to get out there ask some questions. Many people are simply not comfortable standing in front of a Board of elected officials in such a formal setting and addressing a room full of people. For my first topic, I would like to hear your ideas on how the various bodies of our local government can better improve communication. Ultimately I want to discover what methods might provide residents the least restrictive opportunities to present their ideas, ask questions, and raise concerns. I thank you for your interest in my campaign and look forward to hearing from you.

Please visit my website at www.ctfortrustee.com or find me on Facebook and “join the conversation”.

Regards,
Chris Trzeciak, Candidate