Corey Dixon: 2023 candidate for Elgin mayor
Bio
Town: Elgin
Age on Election Day: 40
Occupation: Government administrator
Employer: Kane County Sheriff's Office
Previous offices held: Elgin City Council since 2017
Q&A
Q: What do you consider the primary responsibility of the community's "chairman of the board?"
A: To provide vision, leadership and take on the responsibility to execute our collective strategic plans/goals that are desired by residents no matter what side of the city they live on; all while providing the ability to make tough decisions and advocate on residents' behalf.
Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in coming years and how should leaders respond to it?
A: The most pressing issue is lead pipe replacement, which is a public health issue and if it goes on for as long as what's being estimated, it could become a public health emergency. This isn't the doing of the city, as lead pipes were commonly used in residential construction decades ago, but now it is the responsibility of the city to correct the issue.
As mayor and the leader of the city, I'll be charged with the responsibility of responding to this issue and actively working with the city council and city staff to find the resources and solutions to fix this problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. I welcome the task and the challenge.
Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?
A: Very good, but there's still room for improvement. City staff, particularly the finance department, has done an excellent job of securing a AAA bond rating.
This feat alone saves the city an enormous amount of money every year. The finance department has also set aside millions in reserve, which has placed our city in an even healthier financial position, which was demonstrated through the pandemic.
What's on the horizon is a property tax increase if we don't increase revenues. I plan to stop this from happening when elected as Mayor by working with our economic development partners to devise a plan to increase revenues by further diversifying our streams of income and then by embarking into new streams of revenue, such as cannabis dispensaries. Securing new streams of revenue will keep off tax increases.
Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?
A: 1.) Lead pipes replacement 2.) Homelessness, houselessness, affordable housing 3.) Economic development
Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?
A: I don't believe this is required in any specific area of spending, but we can always look to be better financial stewards of taxpayer's dollars in all areas. There are some one-off occasions that require a second look, but generally speaking, the city council has been fiscally responsible and risk-averse.
Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?
A: By far and without a doubt, the most important infrastructure project happening right now is the replacement of lead service lines. This affects most city residents, mainly those on the east side of our city. It has to be paid for with money from within our budget, reserves, state and federal funding sources.
Even with financial restraints, not only does it need to be paid for, but we have to look for ways to expedite this project. What we really cannot afford is having residents wait years upon years before they are not consuming or using water contaminated by lead.
We cannot afford for our city's children/most vulnerable to be adversely affected by this crisis. If we absolutely had to select a project to place on the back burner, it'd be the North Grove Redevelopment. This endeavor is vital to our downtown and necessary for the vertical growth of our community, but it's not nearly as important as replacing lead pipes. When I'm mayor, both will receive my full attention.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: I have a vision for what this city can become in the next 20+ years and beyond. What makes me the best fit for mayor is my ability to work with people to achieve common goals as a team. I enjoy leading and executing strategy as well. Furthermore, I love the people in our city! I love our diversity and all of the cultures that make us Elgin!
From the far east side to the far west side to everything in between, I enjoy every facet of our city. It is with this love and joy that I serve. And when I'm elected mayor, I will not depart from this love, nor will I ever forget why I decided to serve this community in the first place.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
A: No one is talking about becoming a cognitive city - which is a community that leverages technology in order to become proactive by predicting which city services are needed before they're actually required. This type of technology exists in mostly urban settings, which is Elgin and has been shown to provide long-term cost benefits to municipalities. This is the type of outside-of-the-box thinking that we need now, but also in the future!