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Full Name: Wayne Eichelkraut
What office are you seeking? Commissioner city of ottawa
What is your political party? N/a
What is your current age? 73
Occupation and Employer: Retired...commissioner of finance city of ottawa...commissioner over ncat and special events committee
What offices, if any, have you previously held? .commissioner of public property 12 years...commissioner of finance q2 years
City: Ottawa il
Education: Associates of arts degree ivcc..
Community involvement: Ottawa heritage and scouting museum..president...shoreline boat and ski club..commodore...Illinois river basin boating association. Board member..past commodore...moose..american legion...vfw...k of c’s...riverfest committee....chairperson 6 years..thunder on the river drag boat races founder and chairperson...friendship days co chairperson...special events commitee ..music in the park..lighted Christmas parade and .any other events...commissioner over ncat...also my favorite organizer of kids fishing rodeo for 36 yers...
Marital status/Immediate family: Married wife janice...daughter erin..
Why are you running for office?
I am seeking another term for commissioner because i enjoy representing the citizens of ottawa.we have accomplished much during my tenure and i plan to continue this trend. There is more to ddo and i am ready...i will put in the time and effort to make sure ottawa grows and flourishes...i have a common sense to city government and a keen ability to communicate with my feiiow citzens...
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
12 years commissioner of public property...12 years commissioner of finance...26 commodore shoreline boat and ski club...president of ottawa heritage and scouting museum..board member of Illinois river basin boating association..past commodore...riverfest committee 20 years chairperson years...founder and co chair thunder on the river drag boat races...
What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?
Not a gun advocate or against guns...
Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?
Work with law enforcement to help curb it...
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
I feel that the rules were followed by local officials...
What did you learn from the pandemic?
Anything can happen...people can work together to achieve goals
How would you spur economic development in your community?
Working with the chamber of commerce we have over the years put together a great team to present to any developer or business that ottawa ready to help in any way possible using grants tifs and enterprise resources...we have also run water and waste water lines to to the i80 and 71 corridor to spur development in that area..
Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?
Be fiscally responsible...
Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?
Yes it has helped us to achieve some goals..
What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?
Right now we are looking at redoing allen park and also peck park with the help of the recreation board..we are working on the combined sewer project to separate combined sewers..we are adding and replacing water lines yearly ...we have run water and waste water lines to the i 80 and 71 corridor. Buying land to install a second waste water plant that is much needed... putting more money in place to pave more alleys and streets at a faster pace than before...these are just a few of the projects we have going right now....
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Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
Yes...
What is your position on open, transparent government?
I totally agree with a open and transparent government...we have minutes of our meetings online..our meetings are televised live and open to the public...our web site allows citizens a chance to see and observe the progress of all our projects ,meetings.notes,finances.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
Yes i do...
Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?
No...there are projects that we only deal with lawyers and real estate personnel..we just know what there needs are..not the company name or business...