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Full Name: Quinn Adamowski
What office are you seeking? Joliet City Council District 2
What is your political party? Non-Partisan
What is your current age? 43
Occupation and Employer: Regional Advocacy Manager, Landmarks Illinois
What offices, if any, have you previously held? Elected:
District 86 School Board
Appointed:
Board of Fire and Police Commissioners
Historic Preservation Commission
Arts Commission
City: Joliet
Campaign Website: facebook.com/quinnforjoliet
Education: M.A.E., Olivet Nazarene University
M.A.E., University of St. Francis
B.A., Knox College
A.A., Joliet Junior College
Community involvement: Joliet Area Historical Museum / Old Joliet Prison
Cathedral Area Preservation Association
Greater Joliet Area YMCA
Project Acclaim
District 86 Foundation
Marital status/Immediate family: ### No.
Why are you running for office?
Joliet is my hometown and I see so much promise here. We know we have unrealized potential and visitors to our City see it as well. I want to help Joliet reach that potential by being a voice for issues that matter—issues that are oftentimes put on the back burner or are kicked down the road. We need to have visioning discussions about tackling longstanding problems and leveraging languishing opportunities. I have the necessary experiences to think creatively and I want to lead that discussion for District 2.
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
I am a passionate advocate for our City and I believe that my multifaceted and expansive public service record has provided me the necessary experience to serve as a council member. I have successfully brought together diverse coalitions of residents and stakeholders to make things happen. I have lead efforts to solve some of our longest standing problems, such as the preservation of the Prison and the need for single family rental inspections. I have a record of getting things done and I know I can do more on the City Council.
What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?
The Illinois law has similarities to the Federal Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 that expired in 2004; 19 years later safety advocates continue to seek similar solutions for good reasons. Importantly, the Illinois law has key provisions not pertaining to the ban, such as requiring registration of already owned assault weapons and increased time for red flag restrictions. Given the level of gun violence our nation experiences in general, and specifically mass shootings, I think this law takes a common sense approach to making assault weapons unavailable, at least legally, to those who intend to use them to hurt others. We have to start somewhere.
Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?
Crime is a problem across the country and Joliet as our fair share of challenges. The data suggests that we are on par with other urban areas, if not better based on some metrics. We need to remind ourselves that we are the 3rd largest city in the state and 186th largest in the United States. So, yes, we have crime in our City and we see ebbs and flows in regards to specific criminal acts. Without question, more needs to be done to proactively address issues that will help prevent crime. But, we should be proud of the remarkable work that our Police Department does to prevent crime, especially the NOPT unit. As Chair of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, I have witnessed firsthand the professionalism of the Police Command Staff and the attention they have on developing a department that excels at preventing and curbing criminal activity. There is always room for improvement, of course, and there is a definite need to add NOPT officers, which I will prioritize if elected.
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
The approach in Joliet was grounded, reasonable, and in line with federal and state guidance. Overall, Joliet did well with governance and the Joliet Fire Department deserves special recognition for their outstanding work with the vaccine clinics.
What did you learn from the pandemic?
I was inspired by the compassion and creative thinking within our community in response to the pandemic. Human and community resilience showed itself in new ways during 2020 and into 2021. We can, if we work together, overcome the most impossible circumstances.
How would you spur economic development in your community?
We have been improving in our efforts to recruit businesses to Joliet. Directly recruiting businesses is only part of the needed approach, however. The most important thing Joliet can do to encourage more economic development/redevelopment is to be more attractive to investors and potential residents. We need to prioritize activities (improving our corridors, investing in the arts, for examples) that will foster a vibe that businesses are looking for; companies effectively recruit cities by evaluating quality of life opportunities and community trajectory. If living in the City is in high demand, setting up business here will be as well. We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to maximize that demand.
Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?
In general, local governments can reduce the tax burden by being intentional and creative in evaluating revenue sources. Joliet has a larger opportunity to capture dollars from tourism, which creates passive sales tax revenue. From a fiscal perspective, tourism leads to visitors spending money here while not adding the need for additional city services. Joliet has many attractive resources that draw tourists and we should be doing more to promote them. We also need to create or augment non-tax revenue sources, such as increasing impact fees on new warehouse developments.
Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?
Yes.
What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?
In 2026, Joliet will have one of the greatest opportunities to promote our city by attracting potentially millions of visitors. Three key celebrations take place that year: the Route 66 Centennial, the Rialto Centennial and America’s Semiquincentennial. We are positioned to be one of the largest beneficiaries in the nation due to the confluence of those anniversaries and because of the assets we have to attract visitors. Joliet needs to lead an effort to bring together local and regional partners to develop a plan that will allow us to fully realize the opportunity we will have. Given my role as President of the Museum Board and as Chair of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, I am particularly well situated to lead that project and would love the opportunity to do so for Joliet.
Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
Yes, of course.
What is your position on open, transparent government?
Municipalities should do everything they can to be as open and transparent with the public as possible, including making finding information easy and accessible.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
Absolutely.
Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?
That would depend on the nature and particulars of the NDA.