About Justin Osborne

Name: Justin Osborne.

Position sought: First Ward Alderman.

Campaign contact information: josborne.firstward@yahoo.com

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

My most important priority is representing the people of the First Ward inside the Council Chambers. This representation means that the majority view will be foremost and deliberately sought. At the same time, minority views will be given respect, attention, and application wherever possible.

Home address: Ward 1, St. Charles, IL 60174

Family members: N/A

Education: St. Charles East High School, Graduated 2007

Columbia College Chicago (2007-2009)

Elgin Community College (2009-Present)

Northern Illinois University (2012-Present)

Current occupation and employer: I work as a CNC machinist for Midwest Pressure Systems in Bensenville.

Political party affiliation: Republican.

Why Are You Seeking Office?

I am seeking office to give my service to a city that has given me so much across the years, to help that city by initiating the movements that I, and many other residents, have been waiting to see for a long time, and to make real the kind of local government that I would want to live under in future years, one whose chief principle is reaching out to the people as their servant.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

My youth is what sets me apart. I’m in a unique position to have the chance to perfect my city for a family I hope to one day nurture here, not a family that I’ve already raised and sent off into the wider world. In so doing, I hope to make St. Charles a city from which no one would want to emigrate.

Issue 1: What is your ecomonic development strategy for the city of St. Charles?

My desire is to see new life in our city’s economy. I believe this can be accomplished by encouraging the birth and expansion of local, home-grown businesses, by attracting outside businesses with the chance to tap an eager consumer market, and by reinvigorating sites that have long been decaying, sites like the Charlestowne Mall and the vacant St. Charles Mall lot. This is an important process I do not want to exclude the people from, and I will consult them along the way for their opinions and for their ideas to making their city ideal for them.

Issue 2: In light of the anger over the Lexington Club controversy, what steps would you take to restore trust in city government? To increase transparency?

This restoration is the centerpiece of my candidacy, one that can be accomplished through improved interaction. There are three key features to this. The first is visibility, which needs to be practiced, not assumed. The second is communication. In an era where instant contact across vast distances has become a trait of everyday life, communication between government and the people should be more fluid than ever before. The last is accessibility, which stands alongside communication. These three features are fundamental components of good governance that I will pursue with energy and creativity.

Issue 3: What steps would you take to help resolve the complaints of alcohol-related problems in the downtown area?

This is a very tricky and complex problem that demands longer discourse. For now, it is tricky and complex because it is concerned with human behavior, wherein there may not be a full solution. However, the problem can at least be minimized by restricting the creation of new drinking establishments, by encouraging the St. Charles Tavern Association to enforce its rules, and by breeding a culture among businesses and patrons alike that values virtue and respectability above brute pleasure.

Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign.

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