Steve Morley Announces His Run for Mayor

Mindy Hosler November 9, 2012 at 06:40 pm

Steve Morley will make a great mayor for Elmhurst!

Steve November 9, 2012 at 07:18 pm

Any of the alderman who run for Mayor should have a solid voting record as an alderman.
I would say that since two alderman have announced their run for Mayor that any conscientious voter would check their aldermanic record first.

JC November 10, 2012 at 12:08 pm

What I would like to see in a leader is a person who is willing to challenge the status quo. We need a leader who objectively takes a look at how we do things and not simply give blind acceptance. How can we improve every operation of our city is an important approach and creates a system of checks and balances. It does not have to be confrontational, that might be counter-productive but it needs to be done. Do we deliver services in the most efficient and cost effective ways? What are any weaknesses of our Police and Fire Departments ? Are staffing levels appropriate? What waste exists? The Mayor must act as a CEO of a large organization and lead us with boldness, innovation, and commitment to the communities best interests. In many ways I wish it was a paid position so that a full time approach could be had. It is a huge job that requires much effort. It is very difficult to be a true leader in this day and age. You cannot please everybody, nor should you try. You must simply do what is best for the community and its long term benefit. Elmhurst is a great community. We seem to building many new homes in a time when most communities are not. I love many things about this town but believe that many things could be improved. This is an ongoing and continuous process that should be openly embraced while respecting those traditions that made us great. Elmhurst is awesome !!!

Joy November 10, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Well said JC, well said.

JC November 10, 2012 at 01:43 pm

Thank you Joy. What thoughts do you have ?

NancyC November 10, 2012 at 02:59 pm

Like voting records on tax increases. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Mr. Morley has voted for each and every one for his entire alder-manic career.

Tim T November 10, 2012 at 03:58 pm

Nancy - my problem is he hasn't raised taxes enough! Take a look around, Villa Park to the West, Bensenville to the north and Northlake/Berkley to the east. Only Oak brook and it's massive sales tax producing mall and Costco keep us from being an island of isolation. Higher taxes mean more police and fire. Our police department catches the residential burglars and drug runners. See the many recent Patch articles. Other surrounding towns tell their residents "every town is facing the same problem". Our guys catch the bad guys.
And, BTW, the Elmhurst tax rate is the 4th lowest in DuPage county.

Dan November 10, 2012 at 05:42 pm

Tax rates are meaningless. Of course the tax rate in a city should be lower if the average housing prices in that area are much higher. A more accurate measurement would be the overall city budget divided by the number of households. How much does the city spend per household vs. other cities? Some of the cities with higher tax rates in DuPage County don't have things like vehicle sticker fees which is just another tax but isn't accounted for when calculating the tax rate.

Tim T November 10, 2012 at 06:06 pm

Dan - I understand your point, but tax rates are not meaningless. If you have a $300,000 home in Elmhurst, you pay fewer tax dollars than if you had a $300,000 home in Wheaton, Naperville, Bloomingdale etc. Even if you tack on vehicle sticker fess (which almost all DuPage cities have), and various other user fees (which you don't have to pay if you don't use those services, like cable for example), the tax burden on Elmhurst residents is less than almost every other town in DuPage. Of course it is more than towns like Northlake, Bensenville, etc.

MartyM November 10, 2012 at 06:16 pm

NancyC - you are incorrect. Alderman Morley last year voted to DECREASE taxes, but was on the losing side of that vote. Taxes were not raised last year, they stayed the same, but Morley wanted to decrease. Also, 3 years ago, Morley was one of a few Aldermen who pushed to lower the amount of the increase. The mayor's task force, the mayor and several Aldermen (including Mulliner) wanted to increase taxes even more than they did. Morley was one of a few who worked to get that number reduced. In fact, former Alderman Vanek took Morley and Healy to task in an article in the Independent because of their "last minute" effort to lower the levy amount. I don't have the date handy, but can provide the reference if needed. Morley also opposed the penny a gallon tax on gas because, as an owner of an Elmhurst based business himself, he knew the tax hurt local business (namely the gas stations) themselves. Morley is no tax and spender.

Dan November 10, 2012 at 07:06 pm

Tim, Wheaton is a great example of one of the cities that doesn't have a vehicle sticker fee. One of the reasons is because of the cost to administer the program and the negative impression it leaves on citizens who are ticketed for not having a village sticker. I was told by the police they get more grief over city sticker tickets than any other ticket they give out. I don't have the numbers at hand but if you have a few vehicles one of which is rated as a light truck and compare the total fees paid vs. the city property taxes you might be surprised how significant these fees are on ones total tax burden. The $300,000 home in Wheaton will likely be significantly better and actually available compared to a $300,000 home in Elmhurst. If you read the Elmhurst citizens survey the top concerns listed are always taxes and affordability. Do we just not understand how inexpensive it is to live here or are our leaders unwilling to address the greatest concerns we have as listed on the citizens survey?

Dave November 11, 2012 at 12:37 am

It would be great if the new mayor was pure business, ran the city on a tight shoestring, stopped using taxpayer funds (be it Elmhurst or state or federal sourced) to buy property and promote "development" and instead focused on the basics that good government should be involved in, such as the flooding problems. Many folks in the private sector have seen their pay frozen, or cut, or worse, their jobs lost since 2008. How much have city employees sacrificed in that time frame? There is never enough for the public sector it seems. It is said that we get the government we all deserve. I hope the Elmhurst citizenry wakes up and so can drastically improve on the last 4 years.