2025 Election Questionnaire: Thomas Cawthorne, Downers Grove Village Commissioner

Name:

Thomas Cawthorne

What office are you seeking?

Downers Grove Village Council Commissioner

What is your political party?

Non-partisan election. There should not be political party identity

What is your current age?

Occupation and employer:

Senior Compliance Analyst - Trade Surveillance - Interactive Brokers LLC

What offices, if any, have you previously held?

Downers Grove Liquor Commission. I have no higher political aspirations.

City:

Downers Grove

Campaign Website:

TC4DG.com

Education:

Bachelor of Arts - Accounting - Michigan State University

Certified Anti Money Laundering Certification (CAMS)

Community Involvement:

Volunteer - District 58 Education Foundation Oktoberfest

DGN Friends of the Fine Arts (beneficiary of excess campaign funds)

Marital status/Immediate family:

Two grown adult children. Both Downers Grove North graduates. One graduated from Purdue University. One currently a Junior at University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana

Questions:

How will your personal/professional/political experiences benefit you as a member of the board?

I will bring a dynamic to the current board that currently does not exist. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), I work in compliance for a major financial markets firm as a Senior Analyst in the Trade Surveillance division. Having earned my Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist certification (CAMS), I believe I have the temperaments to do the “boring” work and deep dives that 99% of the job requires (zoning, long range planning, assessing village operations and departmental needs, staffing, etc). Since moving to DG in 2002, I have closely followed village government (including serving on the Liquor Commission). I bring a deep knowledge of the history, processes, and background that has created an award winning top class operation (Fire, Police, Public Works, stormwater, roads, etc.) all with a low tax burden for citizens and businesses.

Is there a particular issue or controversy that influenced your decision to run?

When I heard that Greg Hosé was term limited out and Danny Glover decided to step away in order to spend more time with his family, I decided to investigate the possibility of running. Having a deep knowledge and understanding of how the village has become a model for efficient governing, I decided that I wanted to make sure that the new council continues this tradition. I reached out to both Mayor Barnett and Commissioner Hosé where they encouraged me to run. Now that my kids are fully grown and happy adults, I now feel that I have the time to dedicate to this demanding position. Going forward, we all know about the library controversy. I am glad that the current council and library board have agreed to create an ad hoc committee to explore the various options on how the library should be governed. But, what will be the new hot button topic? My ability to listen to both sides of an argument while setting aside any personal biases is a trait that I feel best benefits the village as a whole.

What is a community need that has not been addressed and how do you believe the council should resolve it?

Parking and traffic will always be a hot button topic. I believe that the recommendations made in the Guiding DG long range comprehensive study will assist in helping alleviate some of those concerns. However, as more and more businesses target DG, the parking situation will continue to be of concern. Working collaboratively with businesses and other stake holders, we can get ahead of this issue.

What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?

Maintaining excellent core services. Provide the Police and Fire Departments with all of the necessary resources to create a safe and effective working environment. Maintain the villages approach to stormwater management. Build upon the social services that the village provides in making sure the village counselor has all of the resources available to assist those that are in need during a time of crisis. Also, as a commissioner, I will prioritize working closely with the various boards and commissions. These resident volunteers are the backbone of our community. We must do more to take advantage of their expertise and insight.

How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?

Some excellent recent examples of economic development combining environmental sustainability are already occurring. One example will be the new restaurant Rec League which will be located at the corner of Washington and Warren. The brand new development will be a welcome gateway as people come into Downers Grove on the train. The current plan adds permeable pavers on its outdoor patio creating more water retention than the current paved lot. A strong partnership with developers to encourage this and similar activities are essential to economic development and sustainability.

What are your plans for enhancing public transportation and infrastructure in the city?

The Guiding DG long range plan addresses a desire for DG to be a more walkable and bikeable community. This should aid in relieving traffic congestion and parking issues. Actions taken in the late 2000’s in regards to storm water management have already paid dividends. We must continue to ensure that our infrastructure is maintained. This goes to the heart of my platform.

What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?

By keeping taxes low and providing strong core services (Fire, Police, Infrastructure) businesses will want to call Downers Grove home. The council has always been a strong partner with the EDC and Downtown Management Corp. I have a good relationship with both of the heads of these organizations.

What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?

Increased police foot patrols in downtown and supporting the village counselor. Because I live in the Central Business District, I have seen first hand a dramatic decrease in issues involved with homeless individuals with mental health issues in the downtown area. I am sympathetic to problems that people have. However, I have experienced threatening behaviors in the past. I believe that the good work of the police department and village counselor has paid off.

What can or should the city to do increase affordable housing?

As our downtown area grows, the increase in restaurants and the related staffing for such restaurants will require a workforce that might not be able to afford what the current price range of available housing is. I would be supportive of an initiative to create a public/private partnership to address this concern where tax dollars are not used, but property taxes could be capped. An ad hoc committee was created in the late 2000’s to address affordable housing. We might want to take a look at creating another one. Additionally, we currently have a supply and demand situation. People want to live in Downers Grove (That’s a great thing!!) However, the available housing stock is not meeting that demand. There are some new housing developments on the horizon but we must encourage builders to invest in Downers Grove.. As a council, we must ensure that these developments are within code and fit within the neighborhood’s character.

How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?

The term DEI has come under increased scrutiny. I saw a post from a dear friend that basically explains that DEI has been around for years. From ramps and sidewalk curb cuts, subtitles on TV, employee parental leave, large print reading materials, work accommodations for a variety of disabilities, diaper changing stations in men’s rooms, etc, etc. Unfortunately, some have tried to use the term DEI to mean hiring under qualified people. That is not the case. We should try to attract the best people and give them the tools to be successful.

Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?

I was a strong and vocal supporter of the ethics ordinances that were put into place in the late 2000’s. I was also serving on the Liquor Commission at the time that we crafted an ethics ordinance where a liquor license holder could not contribute to a mayor’s campaign fund since the mayor is the Liquor Commissioner. I was not pleased when in 2016 the council adopted a weaker ethics ordinance. The public needs to trust our elected and appointed representatives. One of my platforms is to revisit the ethics ordinances.