Laura Ann VeVers, Elmhurst Ward 6 Candidate

ELMHURST, IL — Laura Ann VeVers is one of two candidates for the Ward 6 seat on the Elmhurst City Council.

Here are her responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name:

Laura Ann VeVers

Age:

61

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

York High School graduate
Bachelor's degree, Elmhurst University, Double Major: Professional Communication and Theology
Master's Degree, Wheaton College, Double Major: Leadership and Evangelism
Certifications:
Disaster Relief
Chaplain
Currently pursuing ordination and a Doctoral Degree

Occupation:

Life Coach / Special Needs Advocate

Campaign website or social media page:

Campaign website: VoteLauraAnn.com
Facebook: Laura Ann Vevers – 6th Ward Candidate

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

I have never held an elected or appointed position, however I have served our community in other roles including not limited to: food pantries, feeding the homeless, K9's for veterans, prison ministry, special needs club teams, Gateway horsemanship, public education on the effects of PTSD, coaching, church, mentoring young adults in pursuit of community.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The first pillar of my campaign platform is Safety. The single most pressing issue facing our city is Crime and Public Safety. It's no secret that crime is increasing, especially with Elmhurst's easy access to highways and proximity to Cook County. I would ensure that our First Responders are fully funded, continue to receive high quality training and work to continue to create a bridge between both the community and the First Responders. I would continue to promote The Elmhurst Police Department's Neighborhood Roll Call program which is a great example of creating bridges between the First Responders and the community. I have heard the 6th wards’ concerns regarding traffic patterns around our schools. As 6th Ward Alderman, I would work to provide a solution to these traffic patterns that ensures the safety of all loved ones while supporting homeowners, First Responders and school staff.

What type of residential and commercial development would you like to see in Elmhurst?

The second pillar of my campaign platform is "Heritage". I grew up in Elmhurst and raised my family here so preserving the Heritage of our community is something I believe strongly in. I support controlled development in Elmhurst which to me, means balancing the progress of development with the preservation of our strong community heritage. Additionally, I have seen how successful HB Jones and other businesses have been in our small commercial area of York and Vallette, located in the 6th ward. I would work with my city council colleagues to bring a more comprehensive plan to take advantage of the commercial and recreational assets we have to offer here, including the Prairie Path and York Commons / Smalley Park.

How would you like to see downtown develop? A vibrant downtown benefits the entire community. Do you support more condos and apartments?

The third pillar of my campaign platform is "Environment". I am committed to Elmhurst's small town intimacy in the midst of a big city culture: attracting both families and businesses, and growing friendships. Each potential project should be evaluated on an individual basis and with understanding about how many new units the downtown area can absorb over time. In addition to housing, downtowns can benefit from other amenities. I support the work the Elmhurst Center for Performing Arts is undertaking to bring a performance venue to our downtown. Additionally, a number of current Alderman recently submitted a referral to look at how to enhance the downtown given the growth - this includes looking at outdoor dining, parking, walkability, flex spaces and more. As Alderman, I would ensure that referral work continues so we can make the downtown the best it can be.

The city is facing a multi-million dollar shortfall in stormwater debt for stormwater projects that have been completed. How should the city close it?

There are a variety of different ways that are available. I would work with the city and staff to determine the best solution for residents and business, which would quite likely a combination of several components. Some solutions brought forward, along with pros and cons, include:
a) Increasing the HR Sales tax: Pro - more money from non-Elmhurst residents, Con: businesses are already struggling with inflation and post-pandemic issues.
b). Property tax increase: Pro - easy to execute administratively for residents and city. Con - It doesn't directly relate to who is contributing to the stormwater flow or who benefitted from the projects.
c). Stormwater fee on water bill: Pro - directly relates the amount of stormwater runoff to the fee charged - more runoff, more fee - so it is the most “fair.” Con - could be complicated to implement.
d). Selling city owned property that we don't need, with the proceeds from sales used directly to pay the debt service for the stormwater fund. Pro - Doesn't require additional money from residents. Con - Asset is sold forever, may not happen soon enough to help with the debt service.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

Being a single mom differentiates me from the other candidate. My family is not less just different. My life experience will inspire other single moms and dads to get involved in Elmhurst agencies. Another critical difference is that my background involves business and personal communications, along with leadership and mentoring. I believe this is a solid framework to achieve my goal of representing all people of the 6th ward with empathy, understanding, a desire to serve, and determination.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My past accomplishments show that I am a hard worker who never gives up on those in my life. I will take that experience from my past and bring it to my job serving the people of the 6th Ward of Elmhurst. While a single mom, raising a neuro-diverse daughter, I embarked on a double major at Elmhurst University, graduating with honors. I then went on to obtain a graduate degree from Wheaton College. While it was never easy, I did not give up and persevered to both attain my goals and look after my daughter. I will serve as Alderman with the same commitment.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

Elmhurst is a wonderful hometown. But when residents are struggling with the chaos that happens in life, additional resources or even just heightened awareness might be needed. I believe the town would benefit from coordination of resources between the agencies in town to help ensure that our residents are getting the services needed.

One example of coordination and emphasis of services is providing Autism Awareness to our First Responders and their families. The Elgin Police have a program that provides an Autism Awareness police decal which alerts First Responders that there could be someone who may have Autism in the vehicle. Implementing this as protocol can serve to de-escalate the situation quickly, thereby protecting passengers, drivers and First Responders. Another community program would provide training of mock traffic violations and accidents, giving the Neuro Diverse person the “experience” of a traffic stop prior to its occurrence. This would help the entire community, not just those with different abilities. First Responders would also engage in these applied learning exercises.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No. I am excited to be meeting the people of the 6th Ward while I am out campaigning and I look forward to serving them for a full 4 year term.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Don't forget to Breathe, be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to respond."
This advice has served me well. There are times when just being present in the moment tells me what wisdom I need to understand. Taking a breath is the action to active listening. As the 6th Ward Alderman, I need to listen to the community one breath at a time.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I live out a life of service. Whether it is at a food pantry, Veterans event, pediatric brain tumor fundraisers, autism fundraisers, drug poisoning fundraiser, feeding the homeless downtown, helping coach special needs athletes or their families, serving others is who I am. I live by this "No response is still a response no action is still an action." I love Elmhurst. It is the town I have done life with along with my family and friends. We need to be a community working together not divided against each other.