Election 2011: City Candidates on their Roles in Darien's Government

What do you think is the role of the position for which you're running in Darien's government, and how do you see the relationship between that role and other city officials and employees?

Mayor

Two words: responsibility and leadership. No matter what goes on, good or bad, the mayor is responsible. He needs to have the pulse of what’s going on not only in our city but overall in the economy, our regional area, and at the state and federal levels. So many funding and business opportunities are available through these resources that you can’t limit your focus or you’ll miss the boat. Towns are now fighting for shrinking grant dollars, assistance with roads and community programs. We need leadership to keep Darien at the forefront.

The mayor needs to have constant grassroots contact with residents. You can’t just attend large-scale social events and truly get to know what’s important to people. You get that from being involved in the daily activities important to families here. The mayor uses that feedback to direct the management of city departments. You instill the goals of your administration on your staff and then follow up to ensure that those goals are being accomplished. I’m not going to be anyone’s buddy in any department. Do your job, keep the residents safety and service needs foremost at all times, and we’ll be on the same page.

The mayor is the chief executive officer of the city, and it is the mayor’s duty to uphold the laws and ordinances of the city and set the tone for a professional, open, honest, transparent government. The mayor sets the agenda for council meetings, presents an annual budget to the council and appoints department heads with the advice and consent of the council. The mayor is the public “face” of the city with all the local organizations and the larger community of DuPage County and the state. It is also incumbent upon the mayor to set a tone with the elected officials to stay focused on the issues affecting our city so that open discussions take place at council meetings in which all points of view are considered in a respectful manner. It is not the duty of the mayor or aldermen to “micromanage” departments and their employees. That job is left to the city administrator, who answers to the City Council.

Ward Two Alderman

I see the role of Darien aldermen to be liaisons and one of the closest points of contact between the residents in the ward and the community and city government. It is important that the aldermen who are elected are approachable and deliver timely responses to concerns. I see the aldermen working together with the city's staff and other elected officials in a team environment working toward the city’s goals and vision.  

The role of alderman is multifaceted. I cannot speak to what others think so I will tell you for what I feel are my three basic responsibilities.

1. I have a responsibility to the residents in my ward to ensure that the basic city services are delivered in a timely and proportionate manner.
2. I am a member of two committees, Municipal Services and Police. Through these committees I have a responsibility to the entire city to ensure that there is accountability and financial oversight so that the services that these committees oversee can be delivered to all residents.
3. I have a responsibility at a city level to ensure that we apply common sense business concepts to all financial decisions that include performance measurement. In other words, did we do what we said we would do at the cost that we estimated, and if not, why.

Ward Four Alderman

The role of Darien’s aldermen is to listen to the issue(s) of the residents and along with the city staff and with their fellow city council members assist to solve the issue(s) in the best possible way—not just in the area that I represent but in the entire city as a whole. I feel that the job of an alderman is to take into account not just the needs of your ward but the needs of the city. That philosophy has kept Darien moving forward while still being a “nice” place to live. The current City Council and city staff has kept Darien “A nice place to live” by proactive police protection, street and sidewalk repairs, and storm water management while keeping within our current revenue sources. 

The role of an alderman is to represent the interests of the ward on the City Council. Individually, an alderman has little power as an elected official, and an alderman cannot and should not attempt to impose any direct authority over city officials and employees. An alderman is not an administrator or manager but is one of a thousand moving parts in the city. The only power that exists is when the City Council acts collectively as a group to control city policies and rules and funding. As such, it is important for an alderman to understand the constituents' concerns and express those concerns within the City Council. The City Council is a legislative body and it must balance efficiency with accountability to those who are implementing the policy, while avoiding micromanaging those individuals. Constructive discussion and dissension are healthy and necessary for a proper resolution to the issues facing the city if Darien is to prosper and succeed in the future. One of my concerns over the last couple of years has been the lack of disagreement or discussion (even on bigger issues) on the council. Everything is business as usual during a time when the rest of the country is struggling to survive.