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Joliet City Council candidate Christian Egwunwoke submitted this questionnaire, answering The Herald-News' questions about the 2017 Joliet City Council race.
Name: Christian Egwunwoke
Political party: Democratic Party
Age: 46
Address: 5302 Foxwood Ct. Plainfield, IL 60586 (campaign address: P.O.Box 2644
Joliet, IL 60434)
Marital status: Married
Significant other: Dr. DeVonya Egwunwoke
Profession: Entrepreneur
Employer: Sunrise Rehab, Inc.
Email address: info@christianegwunwoke.com
Website: www.christianegwunwoke.com
Children: 4
Education: Graduate -Northeastern Illinois University -Post Graduate studies -Governor State University and other institution of higher learning on continue education.
Why are you running for Joliet City Council?
I am running for Joliet At-Large Council to expand, protect and enhance businesses and quality of life. I want to improve public safety, make improvement in downtown, attract small businesses, create new jobs, improve our transportation services, maintain sustainable growth, develop improve our bargaining agreements for city contractors and employees, balance budget, put programs in place to reduce homelessness, provide neighborhood services, and improve our infrastructure.
What are your qualifications to serve as a council member?
I am the owner of Sunrise Rehab, Inc. a healthcare staffing agency, started in 2006. Prior to owning my business, I held a management level position at Motorola Automotive & Industrial Groups, Inc. Northbrook. I had worked closely with Illinois state senator Miguel del Valle, Assistant Majority Leader 2nd senate district as an intern. I participated in the Illinois state senate hearing on; No Child Left Behind Act, how to improve Illinois Transportation System and how to improve city Colleges of Chicago in 2003 with senator Miguel del Valle. I have helped organize charitable causes, as well as volunteered at the shelters, such as the House of Good Shepard and others. I was NIEU’s university ambassador, and was elected and received the following awards, Who’s Who AMONG STUDENTS IN AMERICAN Universities, The National Honor Society in Psychology, University Ambassador Award, and Drama Society Award. I was an election judge for 2016 General Election and an active current member of the League of Conservation Voters and The Democratic Party. I volunteered for President Barak Obama campaign, as well as presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and senate elect Tammy Duckworth.
What are the greatest challenges Joliet is facing in the coming years?
The greatest challenges Joliet will face is closing the educational achievement gap amongst those from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Other challenges include limited housing choice and building affordable housing for our growing population. Public safety, lack of transportation options, maintaining our infrastructure, providing job opportunities for our middle class and the unemployed are also ongoing challenges. Meeting the needs of those receiving social welfare services and supporting our growing homeless shelters remains as a problem due to uneven distribution of city funds. When funding for these services is reduced, it affects the living conditions of the recipients. Providing education-based grants, scholarships, and financial aid to Joliet’s residents to further their education will be instrumental in ensuring a positive future for our residents and city. Providing our citizens with a diversity of economic opportunism to sustain growth in Joliet is a significant challenge.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities?
My three top priorities if elected is to create jobs, improve our downtown area and provide neighborhood services.
What steps should the city council take to rejuvenate downtown Joliet as an economic and community hub?
The council can take the following steps to rejuvenate downtown Joliet economy by reducing homelessness in the down area. Expand and re zone the downtown district. Attract and partnership with businesses, corporate offices, high-rise developers, including mega chain stores with favorable tax conditions to relocate to downtown. Build more parking garages around the Metra Station and downtown. Upgrade the Metra Station to attract ridership. Open a satellite university campus and hospital. The council should develop a beach along the downtown river to further the tourism industry. It would also help to use eminent domain to take over some empty lands or other abandon buildings and turn it into five-star hotels and corporate offices. Another step would be to consider making under-utilized public land available for private sector development. Our council should consider creating a breathtaking downtown park to make downtown more kid-friendly and family-friendly with added restaurants. Create a branded downtown entertainment venue for example, relocate The Taste of Joliet from Memorial Stadium to downtown and create bike lanes around downtown. Establish more regular public events in downtown throughout the seasons such as spring/summer flea & farmers’ markets, bloc parties and winter/fall festivals.
How can the city council accommodate the growth of the transportation and warehouse industries in Joliet while maintaining a high quality of life for all residents?
The growth of the transportation and warehouse industries in Joliet signify progress and economic development in the city. That’s why it’s important to provide the corporate tax breaks to accommodate and attract the warehouse industry to our side of town, thereby easing the unemployment concern. Many residents in Joliet rely on warehouse jobs, especially cash stripped areas. We need transportation options to travel to work, as well as transportation to deliver goods. We need to invest more money on our transportation and make our transportation more accessible to all the districts in the city. When residents are employed they play a vital role to the growth of the economy, as well as maintain a decent life. Both warehouse industries and transportation remain crucial to the growth of our economy and to our residents. The city should create business districts outside of the residential areas. Priority should be given to repairing damaged roads, turn one-way streets into two- way streets; which will help create a more comfortable pedestrian environment. Expanding public transportation, to run on a regular basis will help residents including our growing number of older adult residents to commute to and from their work place and daily errands.
How involved should the city council be in the management and funding of the Rialto Square Theatre?