George Nwogu, Algonquin Village Board election questionnaire

Full Name: George Nwogu

What office are you seeking? Trustee - Village of Algonquin

What is your political party? The election is a non-partisan election

What is your current age? 61

Occupation and Employer: Senior Leader in Information Technology

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Commissioner - McHenry County Community Development & Housing Grant Commission

City: Algonquin

Campaign Website: No

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Master of Business Administration

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration

Community involvement: Coves Property Owners Association

Community Development and Housing Grant Commission

Marital status/Immediate family: Married with children

Why are you running for office?

Algonquin is a very wonderful and amazing place to live and work. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to help improve our community as a fresh voice that will fight to get the voice of our residents heard, effective government, economic development and a better Algonquin. A vote for me would be a vote for strong leadership, economic development, a strong voice for Algonquin’s residents and a better Algonquin.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

I have served as a McHenry County Board Community Development and Housing Grant Commission (CDHG) member since 2016. As a Commissioner, I have worked collaboratively and effectively with other commissioners to determine policy and provide direction regarding affordable and fair housing, strengthening of community economic development, and improvement of public infrastructure. I worked with other commissioners to reach consensus in the management of available HUD program funds which has assisted the McHenry County communities to meet their economic, community development and housing needs.

As a Senior Leader in Information Technology Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), I handle a wide range of cross-functional activities with business units, compliance teams, risk management teams, executive leadership and audit entities like Internal and external auditors.

As a fresh voice that has helped to drive strong results in both the private and public sectors by having the ability to interface effectively with multiple parties and deliver on strategic goals, I believe that the knowledge and skills I have acquired is something that would be required and critical to reaching agreements and providing solutions geared towards serving Algonquin’s residents and working for a better Algonquin.

What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?

I have no position on the law. The issue is currently being litigated in the courts and would resolved in the legal arena.

Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?

Algonquin is one of the safest areas to live in Illinois and I would work to see that it remains like that. One of the things I would do if elected is to meet with Police Chief Dennis Walker to discuss the crime trends and strategies for keeping crime low. Another thing I would do, if elected, would be to look into including Police crime status reporting at the meetings so that residents can both learn and provide feedback that would help in curbing crime and keeping our community safe.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

The Covid-19 pandemic was handed well locally as proper steps were taken to keep our community safe and keep infections and deaths low. Also, proper steps were taken to support local businesses and businesses have rebounded post-pandemic.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

Among the many lessons learned was the importance of taking good care of one’s health proactively to help in fighting off diseases, Covid-19 included. Another lesson learned was the importance of community and social connections for improving overall human welfare.

How would you spur economic development in your community?

I would spur economic development by diversifying the Village’s revenue base to increase revenue and provide more services to Algonquin’s residents. Additional revenue is needed to support the current community-endorsed projects in the current approved budget covering infrastructure, public safety and funded plan development projects, and new projects as well.

Specifically, I would focus on attracting more commercial development by creating incentives for businesses to want to locate on the East corridor as a way of complementing the West and Downtown corridors stride . Several businesses (like Chase Bank, Mandile’s Restaurant, Butera, the Brunswick Zone etc.,) on the East corridor have either closed down or moved away to a different location. Economic development on the East corridor is imperative and urgently needed to shore up our revenue base.

Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?

Fiscal responsibility, enhanced economic development and increased revenues would lower the tax burdens on our residents. If elected, I would work to ensure that these steps are put into place as part of effective governance strategies and our residents will not bear any undue burdens as we continue to deal with inflation.

Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?

This is a proposal that should reflect the wishes of the community and can be handled as a ballot measure to see what the community wants. My goals, if elected, are to promote fiscal responsibility, enhance economic development by shoring up the revenue base so that the tax burdens on our residents is reduced.

What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?

Old funded projects from adopted plans, such as the Comprehensive Water Master Plan and the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan need to be completed to avoid cost overruns, allow for a fast-tracking of the expected project benefits, and a pivoting towards new pertinent improvement projects. The Longmeadow Road project is an example of a project that should have been long completed and needs to be concluded.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

Yes, of course. Voters have been deciding since 1789 and my race is no different.

What is your position on open, transparent government?

I am in full support of an open and transparent government. Openness strengthens our democracy and should be foundational to a representative and effective government. Transparency is also foundational to promoting accountability to our residents. My campaign is focused on enhancement of community feedback from residents and allowing for the board to understand the true needs of our residents. I am a strong proponent of active community participation so that the board can effectively serve Algonquin’s residents and foster a better Algonquin.