Diana Alfaro: 2025 candidate for Elgin city council

Bio

Office sought: Elgin City Council (Vote for 4)

City: Elgin

Age: 40

Occupation: Latinx Business Development Manager

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?

A strong local economy is vital as we navigate rising inflation, consumer prices, and economic uncertainty. A weakening economy threatens jobs, increases poverty, hurts local businesses, reduces infrastructure investment, and diminishes our quality of life.

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor highlights the severity of inflation — egg prices surged 53% over the last year, a 15.2% increase from December to January. These price spikes are forcing residents to carefully reassess their spending habits and financial priorities.

As a council member, I would make strategic investments aimed at these economic results:

1. Create joint awareness campaigns to promote economic assistance programs.

2. Enhance our business climate to retain, attract, and grow companies.

3. Address retail sales leakage — Elgin Development Group's 2021 Retail Market Analysis, Elgin residents spend about $240 million outside our community.

4. Strengthen our physical and organizational infrastructure.

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?

Elgin's financial strength is evident by our exceptional bond ratings. Our city maintains a healthy reserve fund while operating on a budget that eliminates unnecessary spending.

On city council, I will collaborate with fellow council members and city staff to be financially responsible. This means maintaining low utility, sales, and property taxes while ensuring our community receives essential services. We must balance these competing demands thoughtfully to limit the tax burden on our residents.

We can strengthen our financial position by addressing retail sales leakage and fostering business growth throughout Elgin. This strategy would fund key priorities: upgrading water infrastructure, establishing a fire station in Highland Woods to ensure timely emergency response, and maintaining appropriate staffing levels to serve our growing community.

Through innovative solutions and careful planning, we can meet these needs while preserving Elgin’s legacy of strong fiscal management.

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?

Water infrastructure is a critical priority for our community — addressing safe, clean water is a fundamental right. Our focus must be on removing all lead pipes, maintaining water treatment plants, and ensuring our distribution system meets the highest reliability standards.

To fund these essential upgrades without burdening taxpayers, we need innovative financing solutions. One significant opportunity lies in addressing our retail sales leakage — about $240 million in annual resident spending occurs outside our community. By recapturing even a portion of this spending, we can generate sustainable funding for critical infrastructure improvements.

While economic uncertainties may require postponing some non-water-related capital projects, strategic planning and creative funding approaches will maintain momentum on essential water infrastructure upgrades. Through careful prioritization and innovative thinking, we can ensure Elgin’s water system serves our community safely for generations.

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.

My approach to policymaking is thorough and community-focused. I believe in comprehensive research, including studying the outcomes of similar policies in other communities to learn from their experiences. I actively seek diverse perspectives, engaging deeply with stakeholders to understand their priorities and concerns throughout the policy development process.

My commitment to inclusive governance means ensuring all affected parties are well-informed and have meaningful opportunities to shape decisions. I maintain open communication channels and respond promptly to questions and concerns. This collaborative approach, combined with rigorous analysis, leads to more effective policies that truly reflect community needs and values.

This experience in building consensus and making data-driven decisions will serve our community well on the city council, where my priority will be ensuring that policies authentically represent our residents’ voices and aspirations.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I am uniquely qualified to serve on Elgin's city council, bringing a powerful combination of professional expertise, deep community roots, and proven public service experience. As a bilingual leader and U-46 graduate, I understand firsthand the transformative power of community support.

Qualifications include over 10 years in federal regulatory compliance in higher education, 9-plus years in community engagement, and 5-plus years driving economic development at the state level, focusing on removing barriers for marginalized business owners.

My leadership approach combines data-driven decision-making with deep community engagement. With degrees in Political Science, Latin American/Latino Studies, and International Public Service from DePaul University, I combine academic knowledge with practical experience.

My ability to bridge communities, navigate government systems, and drive inclusive growth makes me ideal for helping shape Elgin's future on the city council.

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

To strengthen Elgin's economic future, I propose creating a pilot City Economic Development Advisory Group. This diverse coalition would unite local business owners, workforce development experts, artists, freelancers, nonprofit leaders, planning and zoning commission members, stay-at-home parents and city staff to shape our economic vision. The purpose of this pilot is to:

1. Review and enhance city programs, policies, and ordinances

2. Develop strategies to increase local spending by Elgin residents and neighboring communities

3. Expand community engagement in economic initiatives

4. Identify and address emerging economic challenges

This inclusive approach ensures we tap into the collective wisdom of our community. Economic development is key because it powers everything from infrastructure to job opportunities and reducing those experiencing homelessness. This plan emphasizes transparency, community input, and measurable outcomes for Elgin’s long-term prosperity.