May 19, 2025
Election

Election 2018 candidate: Steve Nero, DuPage County Board District 2

Political party

Republican

Age

33

Town of residence

Westmont, Born & Raised in Villa Park, Lifelong DuPage County Resident

Current occupation and employer

Director of Business Development, SAFEbuilt.  An innovative firm which helps communities redefine service, rethink staffing and realize savings.

Education

Willowbrook High School, 2003

Elmhurst College 
B.S. Business Administration & Political Science, 2007

Illinois Institute of Technology 
M.S. Public Administration, 2010

Immediate family

Wife - Corinne
Dog - Shadow

Website

Civic involvement and volunteer work

Chair of Westmont Public Works Committee

Co-Chair of Westmont Public Safety Committee

Former Chair of Westmont Stormwater Committee

Former Chair of Westmont Public Safety Committee

Former Co-Chair of Westmont Administration and Finance Committee

DuPage County River Sweep Volunteer/ Coordinator (7 Years)

Westmont Park District Volunteer

Westmont Special Events Volunteer

Westmont Knights of Columbus Member

Villa Park VFW Supporter

Walk for Water Supporter (Non-Profit)

2017 Shaw Media’s Everyday Hero Award Recipient

Previous elected offices held

Westmont Village Trustee (2011 — Present, Term ends 2019)

York Township Precinct Committeeman

Former Downers Grove Precinct Committeeman

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

Since 2007, I have been giving back and helping improve Westmont. I want to continue serving by bringing my public service and business experience to the County Board budgeting process. In my tenure as Westmont Village Trustee, I have consistently focused on consolidation, intergovernmental agreements and sharing resources between governmental bodies. I even led the charge to eliminate pensions for Village Trustees. I will not be taking a pension on the County Board nor the health care as this is a part time position. This ties directly to the most important issue in this race, respecting the tax payer. I do it for Westmont and will continue to protect the tax payer on the County Board. Once we prioritize this, the other important issues follow suit; public safety, stormwater and economic development.

What issues specific to your district would you like to see addressed by the DuPage County Board? 

Flooding. District 2 needs a representative with actual experience in solving stormwater issues. After the 2013 floods, I asked the Westmont Mayor to let me chair the newly created Stormwater Committee. We comprised a team of residents and community leaders and got to work. We prioritized projects based on specific criteria and recommended a dedicated revenue stream. The county offered little help and our village needed over $30M in improvements. After a successful referendum, Westmont went to work solving multiple stormwater issues and continues to operate a very impactful program. Finally, helping residents and repairing neglected infrastructure.

Where do you stand on consolidation efforts in DuPage County? What additional steps – if any – should be taken?

The County has been effective so far but must do better. We need to make sure DuPage County continues to lead the charge in consolidation. Here's some of the items I intend to initiate on the County Board:
1. Increase local government engagement by educating local government leaders on consolidation and ways to share resources.
2. Broker partnerships amongst governmental entities.
3. Develop measurable criteria, including quantifying the real tax savings for each initiative.