Joshua Deabel
March 28, 2011 12:28PM
Joshua Deabel
Updated: March 28, 2011 12:35PM
Office Sought: 4th Ward alderman Chicago Heights
Name: Joshua Deabel
Address: 226 Irving Blvd., Chicago Heights
Date of Birth: October 16, 1973
Contact Information:
Web Site: integrityparty2011.com
Facebook: Josh Deabel
Education: 1992 Graduate of Bloom High School
B.S. in Biology from Benedictine University, 1996
Occupation, employer: Senior scientist with CSL Behring Biopharmaceuticals in Kankakee.
All sources of income: CSL Behring
Spouse, spouse’s employer: Lisa Deabel, Dr. Mazzotti Family Dentistry
Children, age of children: Noah, 6; Sophia, 1
Relatives employed by a government agency: None
What other elected offices have you sought? What year? Chicago Heights Park District commissioner, 2003.
Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? No
Do you have any criminal convictions on your record? No
Political (elected or appointment) experience: None
What are the two most important issues facing your constituents? How would you address those issues?
1) To strengthen and grow businesses in our community.
Work aggressively to bring business activity to Chicago Heights by promoting established TIF districts, strengthen relationships with existing businesses and to identify and reach out to all potential new retail businesses.
2) Making our streets and neighborhoods safer and secure.
Listen to the ideas brought forth by the citizens and the local police community to help implement changes that would make the 4th ward neighborhood more safe and secure.
Please explain something significant you would like to accomplish within the next two years if you are elected:
Give to the community what it has been lacking for many years, a post office
that it can be proud of for good service, accessibility, visibility, and appearance.
Explain how you believe the office you’re seeking can help in creating local
jobs.
It is important as an elected official to work hard first and foremost for our established businesses and second to aggressively market and reach out to all potential new businesses that would fit into the framework and needs of the community. This can be achieved by helping to improve the relationships within the local business community, aggressively identifying and recruiting new businesses, strengthening our city ordinances to improve on our “curb appeal” and as part of the city council, provide a friendly and open environment to attract new business and to support expansion plans and other important needs of our established businesses.
Do you believe the current way Illinois pays for education is working? If so, why? If not, why not? What would you change?
I believe the way Illinois pays for education is unfair. Too much emphasis in funding schools is put on the local property taxing bodies. This creates an unfair system where large fluctuations in these property taxes, especially in communities hard hit by lost businesses, cause strain in funding and this needs to change to something more equitable amongst all communities.
Would you make any changes to the budget of the governing unit to which you
are seeking elected office? If so, what?
I would support any changes that would make Chicago Heights more fiscally sound. This would include voting against all unfair contracts with the city and recognizing and eliminating wasteful spending in city hall.
Any other issues you want to bring to the public’s attention?
Chicago Heights is a community with great history and with that has come great housing. This is evident in the beautiful historic as well as the more contemporary homes throughout it’s many great neighborhoods. I will proactively work to promote the restoration and enhancement of these historic homes and buildings within our city to further make our neighborhoods more attractive and appealing.
