Matt Cassidy: 2025 Candidate For Northbrook Trustee

NORTHBROOK, IL — Ahead of the April 1 consolidated municipal elections, Northbrook Patch provided questionnaires to all municipal candidates on the ballot.

For three seats on the Northbrook Village Board, two current trustees - Joy Ebhomielen and Michelle Kohler - are running for reelection. Both candidates are part of the Northbrook Caucus of 2025. Also vying for a four-year term are Matt Cassidy (Northbrook Caucus of 2025), Laura Hochstein, Anthony Riccardi and Charles Zivin. Hochstein, Riccardi and Zivin are part of Northbrook Focused 2025.

Northbrook Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Matt Cassidy

Town/City of Residence: Northbrook

Age as of Election Day: 52

Office Sought: Trustee on Northbrook Villae Board

Campaign website: www.northbrookcaucus.org

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race): N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for. No

Education: B.A., Political Science, Iowa State. M.B.A., Finance track, University of Memphis.

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

I have been working in financial technology for the last 26 years. During that time I have held a variety of roles, both in management (Director, Vice President, supervising teams in six countries on three continents) and outside of management (programmer, business analyst, project manager, consultant). Prior to that I was in law enforcement for about three years, in Denver, Colorado.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Current: District 28 Board of Education (elected in 2021)
Village of Northbrook Economic Strategy Commission (nominated in 2023)

Past:
Village of Northbrook Economic Development Committee (2019-2022)
Village of Northbrook Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force (2013-2015)

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

While there are a number of important topics in front of the Village Board, the area which requires the most focus at present is economic development. Residents have been asking for a more vibrant downtown since before I even moved here in 2011. I am supportive of the project getting underway right now to improve the infrastructure, including expanding space for outdoor dining, adding more shade trees, improving lighting and signage, and overall enhancement of the appearance of the neighborhood.

But the harder work is about helping existing businesses thrive and bringing in new businesses and new customers. I want to see the multi-point plan outlined by the Economic Strategy Commission (of which I am a member) brought into strategic policy, offering support and incentives to both existing and new businesses. I also believe it is key to do everything possible to encourage more residential construction in and near downtown whenever private property owners seek to sell or rebuild key properties. And of course the economic incentive program needs to be available for areas throughout town. This package of available financial and logistical assistance, along with the already-underway work to streamline the building codes, will go a long way to delivering what people are asking for.

Of course we cannot talk about economic development without talking about Northbrook Court. No one is happy to see it in the state it is currently in. I am very much supportive of the current development plan that the village, property owners have agreed to, and hope to see shovels in the ground very soon. But hope isn't enough. The village needs to make sure that in addition to the TIF and approvals already emplaced, we are constantly in communication with the owners and developers to make sure they have everything they need to proceed, and to proactively manage and offer assistance to the project at every step of the way. The planned development will be a great addition to the village but it won't get there without active management.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Our Northbrook Caucus slate of candidates for Trustee stands out for our demonstrated commitment to and experience in serving our community. Using myself as an example, I am currently serving on the District 28 Board of Education, as well as the village’s Economic Strategy Commission. I have previously served on the Economic Development Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Forice. Outside of government I am currently a Board Member of and the House League Director for Northbrook Girls Softball – our local, non-profit youth softball organization – serving hundreds of families in my years in that role. I have spent quite a few hours volunteering at the Northfield Township Food Pantry as well.

What all this and similarly deep backgrounds held by Michelle Kohler and Joy Ebhomielen mean is that we not only have the knowledge and experience to know how to make positive change, but also the clear and demonstrated commitment to making our community stronger. The opposition slate for Trustee includes one person who dropped out of the race and won’t serve, another who dropped out but is now reportedly back in, and just one who has stayed in for the campaign. Aside from the obvious lack of commitment shown, the remaining opposition candidates also have minimal to no history of community service. Neither has even voted in a municipal election. The Caucus slate is committed to making Northbrook the best community it can be. The opposing slate has shown no such commitment.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

I am not an incumbent, though I am on the Northbrook Caucus slate with two current Trustees. And while Northbrook is a great community, there are clearly ways in which our local government can improve. Communications can be clearer, more complete, and reach more people. Policies around economic development can be laid out in some detail and brought to the attention of all our existing businesses and marketed publicly for new ones, creating growth. But we also need to ensure we are protecting the many things that make Northbrook special today. Status quo won’t get it done, but neither will breaking everything. Doing both is good governance.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Our Northbrook Caucus slate believes strongly in ensuring Northbrook is a welcoming, inclusive, safe community. We strongly support the continued substantial investment in our public safety agencies, including the building of new police and fire stations. We need to finish the job on streamlining the municipal code and the implementation of digital forms to get away from slow paper processing, and go further to make working with the village as easy and efficient as possible.

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

Having served as an elected member of a school board - while successfully navigating a pandemic and still improving academic results - means I can jump in and be productive as a board member immediately. Being part of both iterations of economic development-focused village commissions has allowed me to gain an understanding of the local economic environment, make connections with local developers, and be part of proposing solutions that are now or will soon be in front of the Village Board. My career background in finance and technology gives me a depth of knowledge to work from on topics that are crucial for the village. My previous work in law enforcement and as a volunteer EMT will help me understand the pressures and needs of our police and fire departments. My background puts me in a strong position to be a valuable representative of the residents of Northbrook to their village government.

Why should voters trust you?

Don’t trust me because I say you should. Ask around! With all the volunteer work I have done in the community and raising a family here for the last 15 years or so, chances are that someone you know, knows me. Ask them. I stand by who I am and I think you will find that I have earned the trust of many in the community.

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

I believe the biggest key to showing our community the kind of improvements they desire, is to have real progress on some of the key development projects underway or planned to be so. Those include Northbrook Court, downtown enhancement and redevelopment, the HODC supportive affordable housing project, the remaining portion of the Grainger property, new businesses coming into town and existing businesses expanding or investing further. But getting done the mechanical things needed like making the village code and paper-based processes much more efficient are also big wins because they set up the village for long term success and not just for what is right in front of us today.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Northbrook’s tax revenue levels per capita are, fortunately, already lower than most nearby communities. That is a testament to running a lean municipal government and I want to see that continue. But also, this should not preclude the village from making smart, targeted investments in projects and programs that will create economic multipliers for our residents and businesses. Balancing these efforts is what fiscal discipline is about. We need to continue to be alert gatekeepers and make sure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and wisely, while investing resources when and where the reward to the community is substantial.

What are your thoughts on the crime rate in your community, and what more can be done to combat crime — especially violent crime — in town?

Crime rates in Northbrook are far below the state and national averages; thanks in part to our excellent police force, crime here is low and violent crime is very rare. But crime here is not zero. We need to make sure we continue to give our police department the tools and resources they need to keep it that way, as well as the public support that makes them feel appreciated for their work. As someone with a public safety background I am sensitive to this topic and thankful we have such a professional force. If we give them the tools, they can continue to keep us safe.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development?

I want to see the village’s approach to both commercial and residential development make a leap from tactical to strategic. Making the village’s approach to economic incentives for developers and businesses actual policy is a good example; using the framework from the Economic Strategy Commission as a starting point and having something we can publish and market is the goal. Getting the new, streamlined municipal code done and put in place will make things much more efficient, as will getting rid of paper forms wherever possible. And we need to communicate these new realities in every way possible to get the information in front of the people who would drive development. These are changes that will accelerate development of all kinds in Northbrook.

When it comes to development, what are some key areas for improvement or additions you feel are most wanted by residents? What will need to be done to make this happen?

(see answer immediately above)

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

No

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I recently saw a video of actor Jeff Goldblum reciting a George Bernard Shaw quote that I felt deeply, and it applies to both how I approach community service and the role for which I am running:

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

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

While we all feel the deeply partisan nature of national politics at this moment, I believe it is critical for our local leaders to focus on what is best for their community. Just as I have been doing on the school board, I will be laser-focused on making the best decisions for Northbrook.