Election

Benjamin Juzeszyn, Village of Beecher Trustee election questionnaire

Election 2024
Village of Beecher Trustee election candidate Benjamin Juzeszyn

Full Name: Benjamin Juzeszyn

What office are you seeking? Village Trustee in the Village of Beecher

What is your political party? I’m running non-partisan for this office.

What is your current age? 38

Occupation and Employer: Global Regulatory Manager for CSL Behring

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Village Trustee for the Village of Beecher approximately 2.5 years

City: Beecher, IL

Education: B.A. in English and Minor in Business from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Community involvement: I’m active annually in the local Walk to End Alzheimer’s for 6 years and have captained a team for this 5 years in a row. I also volunteer my time to help with many Beecher Youth Commission events. I’m a consistent volunteer lending time and effort towards maintenance of the Beecher Mausoleum, a Will County Historic Preservation site and 501c13 recognized Not-For-Profit organization. Finally, in my spare time when the weather is nice I’m occasionally seen here or there around Beecher having a pleasant walk and picking up litter at the same time.

Marital status/Immediate family: Married with two wonderful daughters

Why are you running for office?

I’m running for office because I would like to give back to the community I’ve lived in for so long now and help improve the village I’m raising my children in. Honestly, it’s also extremely interesting to see all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a well-functioning village government.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

I’ve been doing the job for 2 and a half years now to the best of my ability and have a learned a tremendous amount about the various functions the Village government provides in Beecher during that time. Additionally, I’ve gained diverse experience in my time working on large projects at CSL Behring all of which I find lends itself well to the project work necessary to keep the Village of Beecher functioning effectively.

What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?

I think it’s a sensible gun-control measure.

Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?

Crime is not a large problem in the Village of Beecher. This is thanks in no small part to our local Village of Beecher PD who are hard at work to protect and serve Beecher citizens. To that end I was a vocal supporter of our recent successful ballot referendum to raise funds to build a new and modern Public Safety facility for the Beecher Police and EMA to be able to more effectively do their jobs now and in the future.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I think it was handled very well locally. The Village made a strong effort to be able to support the needs of residents in contactless methods in order to promote health and safety and was highly communicative throughout the pandemic.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

That things you take for granted can change extremely quickly; people by and large are willing to work together for the sake of others, and how grateful I was to be able to spend my lunch hour eating with my wife and kids so often while working remotely.

How would you spur economic development in your community?

Through the encouragement of development in Beecher’s TIF district and use of generated TIF funds to improve eligible locations.

Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?

Local government needs to be a wise steward of resident tax monies and be careful to look for alternative options prior to falling back on raising taxes. Grants and operating improvements that result in cost-savings need to be a high priority.

Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?

I’m not opposed to recreational marijuana being sold in my community as long as applicable zoning ordinances. This can be a boon for communities when well-managed.

What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?

The focus for Beecher needs to be on water main replacement first while working through needed improvements in roads and sidewalks which should be an additional high priority. Existing funds and grant opportunities are the way to go in the short term.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

Of course.

What is your position on open, transparent government?

It’s a necessity.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

Yes

Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?

I don’t forsee a situation in which the answer would be yes. Most local government information is by law available to citizens for review.