The three candidates for University Park mayor share a common goal of improving the quality of life for youth and senior citizens that live in the village, but they have different views on how to address lead in water, public safety, finances and transparency.
University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez III, elected in 2019, is being challenged for reelection by two village trustees, Theo Brooks and Sonia Jenkins-Bell.
Roudez said he wants to continue the progress he’s accomplished despite a pandemic. A top priority is ensuring older residents have a good quality of life, he said.
Jenkins-Bell, a trustee for four years, said she’s noticed a change in the village’s trajectory and she wants to directly change that.
A goal is to make sure the youth are supported.
Brooks, a trustee six years, said he wants to address crime, ensure the village has clean water and create programming for youth and senior citizens.
“I think we are in a defiant moment in our village,” Brooks said. “As the mayor, I would have the chance to have a say-so.”
Lead
Lead contaminated water has affected more than 7,000 residents in about 1,500 University Park homes and businesses. Aqua Illinois, a private utility that supplies the town’s water, issued a “do not consume” order June 19, 2019. The company says its “do not consume” guidance stopped that summer.
Jenkins-Bell said Aqua has “gotten away with so much” in the last four years. The affected residents can’t drink the water in their homes, she said.
“Aqua needs to be aggressively pursued,” Jenkins-Bell said. “Aqua needs to replace all of the infrastructure.”
Roudez said the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency found the water has tested safe for the last 18 months. The village has applied for various grants to replace the pipes, Roudez said, but it does not own the water system.
“Residents say ‘well mayor, if the water is OK, why are they still having a distribution facility?’ Aqua has no control over that, and that is a court order. It has nothing to do with the quality of the water, it is a court order that is active and still in place,” Roudez said.
Brooks said he would hire a new law firm to sit in on litigation hearings and meetings to represent the village’s interest in the ongoing case. Then, he wants an outside agency to test the water “until it meets satisfaction.”
“I want to hold Aqua responsible, make them pay for any pipes that need to be replaced,” Brooks said, saying people should not have to pay for their water until the issue is corrected.
Public safety
Brooks said community safety is a top concern he would address by using the Police Department’s $3.5 million budget to hire more officers and purchase more vehicles.
He said he’d also like to create a community police unit to engage residents and build trust between them and officers.
Jenkins-Bell said the village has seen an uptick in crime in the last 16 months and said she would hire more police officers, one of whom would be a gang tactical officer.
Roudez said public safety is a top priority so residents and their guests feel safe and their homes are protected.
The village recently hired a new police chief, who will help strengthen public safety, Roudez said. In upcoming meetings, Roudez said he will ask for board approval to install LED lights throughout the village to enhance public safety.
“As crime goes up all around the state of Illinois and all around the world, we’re going to make sure that University Park is as safe as possible,” he said.
Finance
When Roudez took office, he said the village had 77 active credit cards, didn’t collect motor fuel tax, and was not part of the state’s Grant Accountability and Transparency Act, which allows municipalities to receive grants for various projects.
Roudez said that has been addressed and fixed during his tenure. By completing audits that were past due, Roudez said the village has been part of the state’s grant program.
Roudez said the village passed its 2022-2023 budget and levy after the deadline because of a procedural hiccup and did not harm the village in anyway.
“We’re working for a more stable government,” Roudez said. “We’re definitely moving in the right direction.”
Jenkins-Bell said she would ensure audits are completed to have a clearer picture of finances. She said she was disappointed the 2022-2023 budget and levy were filed late.
The village does not have a comptroller or finance director, Jenkins-Bell said, and instead pays for an outside agency to “ensure our finances are in order.”
“As a mayor, the first order of business would be to hire someone that has an extensive amount of municipal managerial experience,” Jenkins-Bell said. “We need to hire people that we can trust and who have the best interest of the village at heart.”
Brooks said he would hire a professional to complete an audit of the village’s finances. He would also like to hire a new village manager and a finance director, Brooks said.
“Someone that can actually be competent, they are familiar with municipal budgets and allow them to come in and help us get these things straight,” Brooks said.
Transparency
To improve transparency, Brooks said he would broadcast Village Board meetings on TV for residents to watch. If something important is happening, Brooks said he’d like the village to set up text alerts or automatic calls to residents.
Meetings are now available on the website after the fact.
Brooks said he would hold a town hall meeting, either once or twice a year, where residents can speak ask questions and share their concerns in person.
“The only way I can see it getting done is me as mayor,” Brooks said.
Jenkins-Bell said she would like to upgrade the village’s technology to be able to stream board meetings. The village’s website can be more transparent, she said, by including salary amounts, bills payable and invoices.
“So you will have transparency and accountability when it comes down to the taxpayers dollars. These are things we need to do,” Jenkins-Bell said.
Roudez said when he was trustee for 12 years, the village did not send out newsletters or hold town hall meetings, which he has implemented.
Since 2020, the village has held multiple events and workshops to bring residents together and give back to the community, including food drives and park clean ups.
“I think we do a phenomenal job,” Roudez said. “That’s very important to me, to ensure that we have resident engagement.”