After six months of campaigning, standing in front of the Zion Post Office for twelve Saturdays in a row, and knocking on over 2,000 doors all the while going on foot throughout the city in the snow and the cold for another three months, talking with hundreds of people and passing out literature. After carefully crafting opening and closing statements, detailed factual proposals, and posting videos on YouTube.
After all this outreach, and speaking and effort, listening to homeowner after homeowner decry the high taxes that they have been paying, and how they don't know if they can stay in this town.
After all this, 473 citizens had the courage to vote for something new, a vision for the future.
13.55% of the votes cast for the office of Commissioner were given to me, and to those people I am deeply grateful for the validation they gave to my efforts.
I had hoped to repay them with the next four years of dedicated service, but that is not to be. Now that this election is finished, I will place my focus on serving the people of Zion and Winthrop Harbor as a Trustee of the Lake County Public Water District, and do my best to ensure that their water service is as safe and affordable as possible.
Beyond that, I will not speculate. The future is always filled with opportunity and possibility, we just have to have the courage to work for it.
Thank you for your support, and as always I look forward to hearing from you.
Attention to voters that expressed interest in attending a forum on Property Taxes that was tentatively scheduled for this week. There were some problems booking a meeting room at the Zion Benton Library, and an alternate venue hasn't been confirmed yet. We hope that we can still hold an informational meeting about this issue before the April 7th election, please watch this page for updates and announcements. If you have any questions, please let me know at fischerforzion@gmail.com
Two years ago, when I ran for office the first time, I paid for everything out of my own pocket. This time around, the circumstances are a bit different, and I could use some help getting the word out about the campaign.
If you can spare a few dollars, please go over to my website: www.fischerforzion.com , click on the Donate button and make a secure payment via PayPal.
This is the second of my video commentaries about my campaign platform, the transcript as prepared follows:
Introduction
Welcome.
I’m Christopher Fischer, candidate
for the office of Commissioner in the City of Zion Illinois. This is the second
in a series of commentaries about my campaign platform and my vision for the
future of Zion.
High property taxes are the top
concern of almost everyone I talk with. The large number of foreclosed and abandoned
homes in the city have diminished our tax base and placed more of the burden onto
fewer homeowners. High tax rates discourage
the very home sales and new business development we need to establish a solid tax
base that can support the public services we expect and deserve.
Proposals
There isn’t an easy solution to this problem, but dealing
with it will take innovation, determination and decisive action on the part of
our city government.
That is why I offer the following
propositions for action if I am elected, with the goal of helping Zion begin to
break free of a fiscal cycle that is stifling future growth and development.
To address the burgeoning costs of
our aging infrastructure I propose that Zion join with our neighboring
communities of Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor in developing a regional
infrastructure improvement project that would qualify for funding under the
federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority. Enacted by Congress in 2014, this law provides
special low-interest loans for large water and wastewater infrastructure
projects.Obtaining alternative funding
to fix our very real infrastructure needs while also easing some of our tax
burden should be a priority for the City. More importantly these infrastructure improvements
would provide some much needed relief to our neighbors who currently can’t use
their basements due to backups and flooding.
In growing our local economy, we can
create the jobs and revenue that will help alleviate the tax burden on the
individual homeowner. If Zion had a
greater ability to offer businesses incentives to locate here, we could
overcome the economic barriers that drive them to other communities, including
those on the other side of the state line. To achieve this I would encourage
the city to apply for Enterprise Zone status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone
Act.Once granted, Zion would then have access
to the taxing and regulatory tools necessary to help establish new businesses
here and build long-term growth in our local economy.
Additionally, I propose that the
City lobby our State Legislature for certain amendments to the Enterprise Zone Act,
in consideration of our unique status as a host community for the Spent Nuclear
Fuel Storage Installation, which will be located on the site of the former Zion
Nuclear Power Station.
I propose amending the Qualifications
for Enterprise Zones to include long-term nuclear material storage in the same
criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site.
I also propose amending the zone duration
standards in the Act by granting Zion an automatic renewal of the Enterprise
Zone status, until the spent fuel is moved to a permanent site by the federal government.
These amendments would be moderate
first steps towards compensating for the detrimental effect of the nuclear storage
site on the future development of Zion’s Lakefront.
I believe that by building upon
existing law, my proposals offer a realistic means to help Zion build a
foundation for growth and development that will help ease our overall tax
burden, and provide for the quality public services we deserve.
Conclusion
If you agree with me that Zion
needs new leadership with a vision to move the city forward, I ask for your
support.Please share this message with
everyone you know who cares about our community and let them know there is a
real choice on the ballot this April.If
you have a question or suggestion, please contact me at fischerforzion.com, I
look forward to hearing from you, and I look forward to seeing you on Election
Day, April 7th.Thank You and
Good Day.
I was recently interviewed by Julie Wernau, a journalist with the Chicago Tribune about what transpired at the recent meeting of the Zion Community Advisory Panel to the nuclear plant decommission. I was quoted about our concerns for the completion of the project and the future development of the lakefront. Here is the quote:
"That lakefront is key to
any future development," said Christopher Fischer, who is running for Zion
city commissioner. "We want the lakefront to be a point of attraction, to
bring visitors, to try as much as possible to make it a showpiece for the area.
Having a bunch of empty buildings and the storage pad there is a
hindrance."
I will be making some proposals for action related to the storage site, property taxes, and economic development in my next video commentary.
The field for the April Election has been set. Here is the
list of candidates, as published in the Zion Benton News
for January 1, 2015.
Candidates for Mayor:
Kasey D. Burton, 2701 Salem Blvd.
Charles Fitzgerald, 1818 Gideon Ave.
Al Hill, 2111 Edina Blvd.
Christine McCullough, 4203 Barberry Lane, 2C
Beverly Ann Mull, 2902 Gilead Ave.
Shantal R. Taylor, 4100 Sarah Drive.
Candidates for City Commissioner:
Patricia Ayers-Stephen, 1713 Gilead Ave.
Richard L. Cochrane, 2122 Gilboa Ave.
Christopher Fischer, 2100 Ezekiel Ave.
Frank A. Flammini, 1300 Wilson Ct. (Incumbent)
John Idleburg, 1804 Gilead Ave.
Mike McDowell, 2314 Edina Blvd.
Jim Taylor, 1503 Barnhart Ct. (Incumbent)
As for my competitors in the Commissioner race, I look
forward to seeing their proposals for the future of Zion. My platform has been
available for months. Now, let's see if they have enough respect for the voters
to put their ideas before the public. You can read my platform at www.fischerforzion.com
