Lockport mayoral candidate Steven Streit submitted this questionnaire, answering The Herald-News' questions about the 2017 mayoral race.

Name: Steven Streit

Political party: Independent

Age: 49

Address: 222 East 9th Street, Lockport

Marital status: Happily married to Wendy for the last 16 years.

Profession: Marketing and Design

Employer: I am the owner and creative director of oh!Design, a marketing and design firm. I founded oh!Design in 1999.

Email address: steveforlockport@gmail.com

Website: www.steveforlockport.com

Children: Two wonderful daughters.

Education: Bachelors of Fine Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Why are you running for mayor of Lockport?

I would like to finish the job that I started. There are three areas in particular I will mention.

For many years, residents have desired to see our historic downtown revitalized and reach its full potential. With the help of IDOT, a good City Council, and members of the Downtown Development Committee, that revitalization is finally about to be realized. The State Street reconstruction project has taken three years to negotiate with IDOT and passed through Council. We have already begun prep-work and construction bids go out this summer. I do not want to see the ball dropped on such an important project to the community.

Secondly, the retail center at I-355 is finally building out. It took a lot of work to get it out of foreclosure and marketed. The first out-lot building is up and Panera Bread and Holiday Inn Express are newly contracted. The back-lot contracts are all coming to fruition now. Again, this another project I do not want to see disrupted.

Thirdly, we have worked aggressively these last years to fix our infrastructure via the Capital Improvement Plan. Great strides have been made to improve our water and roads, but there is much left to be done.

What are your qualifications to serve as mayor?

I know enough to surround myself with people who are smarter than me.

What are the greatest challenges Lockport is facing in the coming years?

The challenges will be to stay on track and not lose sight of the immediate goals: a revitalized Downtown with healthy and vibrant small businesses, a fully built-out retail center at I-355, and the continuation of our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). We will also need to look beyond the current CIP for sustained maintenance of our infrastructure so that future councils will never again have to play catch-up.

Lockport already has great people and interesting character. Working through these issues will see us finally realize the ultimate goal which is to be the best city in the south-west suburbs.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities?