Public Safety as a Community Value - A Video Commentary

This is the third in my series of commentaries about my campaign platform, discussing the idea of Public Safety in our community.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to share them here, or email me at fischerforzion@gmail.com
I look forward to hearing from you.

Candidate Questionnaire - Sneak Peek

When I started this blog, one of my goals was to help demystify the processes behind elections and local government. With that in mind, I just completed responding to a set of questions sent to me by the Zion Benton News for their candidate profile. I don't know yet when it will be published, but I thought I would go ahead and share it with you now, to give you a sense of the format.  I have done some edits, removing a section on personal information, and adding the Q and A identifiers. The two questions on taxes and economic development are really parts of the same issue, and that is why I gave one answer to both. Enjoy! If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. - Christopher Fischer

ZION-BENTON NEWS/BARGAINEER

DIVISION OF UNITED COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

2711 Sheridan Road, Suite 202; P.O. BOX 111

ZION, IL 60099

847-746-9000; Fax 847-746-9150

Dear candidate:

The Zion-Benton News will run candidate profiles for local government offices in the April 7 election in the next few weeks.  Please take a few moments and fill out the questionnaire below. We ask you return the completed form as soon as possible. If you have not already submitted a photograph, please include one with this form.  If you need a photo, contact our office at 847-746-9000 to arrange to have one taken.  Return the completed form by E-mail to mona@zion-bentonnews.com or mshannon@kenoshanews.com., or mail or drop off at 2711 Sheridan Road, #202, Zion, IL 60099.Thank you.

ELECTION INFORMATION

Qualifications:

To the public I offer the experience and judgment acquired in over thirty years of professional life. For the past sixteen years I have been employed within Human Resources at the American Medical Association.  I also have over a decade of management experience in the Private Security field, and I am a U.S. Army veteran where I served as an Intelligence Analyst.

Q. Previous government/community involvement?

A. Currently I serve as a Trustee on the Lake County Public Water District Board, which oversees the operation of the Filtration Plant providing water for Zion, Winthrop Harbor, and the Illinois Beach State Park. In the 2013 election, a new development plan for Zion was part of my campaign platform, and today I am a member of the Comprehensive Development Plan Steering Committee which is bringing that very idea to life.  I also support community building initiatives such as the Bridge Builders outreach program with the Zion Police Department, and the Coalition for Healthy Communities, Community of Character campaign.

Q. Why are you running for this office?

A. I have diligently studied the functioning of our city government for the past few years, and I see that it is confronted with a number of serious challenges. Meeting those challenges requires new leadership that is able to bring a fresh perspective to the tasks at hand. I will bring this quality to the City Council as Commissioner.

Q. Briefly explain how would you address the high taxes in Zion? 

Q. Briefly explain how would you address economic development in Zion?

A. I propose that the city apply for Enterprise Zone Status under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act, to give us access to special tax and regulatory incentives for businesses.  I also propose that the Act be amended to include the Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility in the same criteria as an abandoned coal mine, or brownfield site, and the Enterprise Zone status should not expire until the spent fuel is removed from our Lakefront. These proposals provide practical means towards growing our local economy while helping reduce homeowner taxes, and obtaining some compensation for the detrimental impact of the nuclear storage site on our community.

Q.  Briefly explain what other issue you consider very important for the city of Zion?

A. To address the growing costs of our aging infrastructure, I propose developing a regional water and wastewater infrastructure improvement project in cooperation with Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor that would qualify for funding under the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority. Obtaining alternative funding to fix our infrastructure needs should be a high priority for the city. To see all my proposals I invite the public to visit my website, www.fischerforzion.com to learn more.

Property Tax Forum - Update

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

A Request

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.

Any donation is greatly appreciated. Thank You!

Sincerely,

Christopher Fischer

Video Commentary - Tax Relief and Quality Public Serivces

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 7^th.  Thank You and Good Day.

Chicago Tribune Article

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 of Candidates for April 2015

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