Matthew Anderson: 2025 candidate for Batavia City Council Ward 6

Bio

Office sought: Batavia City Council Ward 6

City: Batavia

Age: 40

Occupation: Project manager, general contracting

Previous offices held: None

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council respond to it?

The most important issue for the city of Batavia in the coming years is supporting our local small businesses and fostering economic development.

Through partnering with the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and Batavia MainStreet, we must find ways to bring more investors into our city so we can not only support our current local businesses, but also provide opportunities for new businesses to grow.

We need to remove barriers that stunt growth and look for ways to become investor-friendly. One recommendation would be to convene panels of local developers and general contractors to ask them what separates Batavia from our surrounding communities, both positive and negative, and use those responses to highlight areas of improvement.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

I believe the city of Batavia is in good health financially. Our general fund and utility reserves, with the exception of electrical, are well above recommended levels — enough to a point that we could utilize some of these reserves to help incentivize investors to come to Batavia and start businesses here.

As we have large-scale construction projects on the near horizon like the police station and dam, we also need to balance the additional staffing needs for public works and fire department due to city growth and turnover.

Tax increases and/or levees should not be the first option, but last resort. While some of these capital projects may require some short-term debt, our strong financial standing will allow us to absorb these payments with little or no impact to residents.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community 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?

The five-year strategic plan has identified many infrastructure upgrades that are needed but we must balance those needs with overall spending, especially unforeseen costs that were not budgeted.

While completing a large capital project in one phase may be more cost effective in theory, it may pose too much of a strain on our city budget. By working with city staff to identify smaller phases for these projects, we can balance addressing immediate needs with fiscal responsibility.

Moreover, as our world continues to grow its reliance on technology, we will need to ensure our electrical grid has enough capacity to support not only current loads, but also long term growth. GRIP grants through the Department of Energy are just one way to fund many of these upgrades, without posing additional tax burden on residents.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your city council.

While I'm a newcomer to politics, getting multiple groups of people to agree on a general path forward to accomplish a shared goal is something I do on a daily basis working as a general contractor.

Every subcontractor has a different path to success (in their eyes) and will fight to ensure this path remains unburdened/uninterrupted by others.

To be a successful project manager, you must get the team to realize there is a shared goal/path to success the entire team can achieve, if working together. Sometimes this means concessions from some or all parties, but you continue to focus on the shared success outcome.

Everyone on city council has a shared goal of making the city of Batavia better for future generations and I believe that all members of council (and the city of Batavia at large) can find common ground to achieve this.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My wife and I moved to Batavia almost nine years ago and have loved raising our four children in this town. Over the past five years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many amazing families while coaching my older boys in basketball, baseball and football. Whether it's at the ballpark, at the playground after school or just in the driveway, I’ve participated in many open and candid conversations about this community and how we can make it better.

Professionally, I’ve spent the past 16 years in general contracting, managing projects ranging anywhere from $50,000 up to $250 million. With a degree in civil engineering from Purdue University and as a licensed professional engineer with the state of Illinois, I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to city council as we navigate many infrastructure and capital funding projects in the coming years.

I believe this professional experience, in addition to my ability to interact and listen to members of our community, will make me a successful alderman.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

As a city we have to find ways to drive economic development, especially in the downtown area. Whether it is finding a more streamlined/efficient process for construction permitting or looking at ways to better utilize city-owned property, many of the ideas I've shared with neighbors residents cannot be just attributed to me as others have had similar thoughts.

Many of our parking spots are prime locations for additional storefront, especially on River Street, and I believe there are opportunities to work with developers to re-purpose these areas for the betterment of the city and continue to fuel economic growth.

Businesses like the Acquaviva, Study Shelter, and Grainology Brewstillery also provide a niche market many of our surrounding towns do not have. We need to lean forward when supporting these local businesses and use them as our foundation for growth but also as our differentiator from other communities.