Name: Marc McKirdie
What office are you seeking: Will County Board District 3
What is your political party?
What is your current age? 30
Occupation and employer: Real estate agent and investor
What offices, if any, have you previously held? No public office
City: Frankfort, IL
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578179770669
Education: M.S. Applied Economics from Marquette University 2017
B.A. Economics from Marquette University 2016
Community involvement: Chair of the Frankfort Township Democrats, with monthly philanthropy goals that include donations to the Frankfort Township Food Pantry, NAWS Humane Society of Illinois, Frankfort Park District School Supply Drive, and the Frankfort Arts Association.
Marital status/Immediate family: Single. I grew up in Will County, my sister lives in Frankfort, and my Step-Dad lives in Mokena.
What are your top three priorities for this district?
1. Affordable Housing. I know, first hand, as a millennial and as someone that works in real estate, how unaffordable housing has become for so many people. We can make Will County a destination for workers and families to live and work by partnering with villages and townships to bring more housing to our communities.
- Infrastructure. I think it is imperative that we continue to upgrade the county’s infrastructure. We need to continue to build out our roads, bridges, and buildings to make sure that the county remains prepared for growth. We need to work to pass responsible bidder ordinances to make sure that the work we are bidding out as a county is being completed by organizations that 1) can complete the work on budget, and 2) pays their workers prevailing wage.
- Access. I spent my whole career in government supporting reforms that make government more transparent. More transparent for injured or disabled servicemembers that are navigating the VA. More transparent for reservists receiving new orders. More transparent for taxpayers by auditing different governmental organizations / military branches. I think government works best when it is accessible to all. Which is why I want to have a much more public footprint in this role. I plan on making myself available to school boards, library boards, village boards, and township boards. The Will County Board meets a couple times a month to discuss legislation and vote, but I am not just running to be a vote on a board. I am running to be a full-time advocate that people can easily reach.
What types of job growth are needed in Will County to help residents keep up with rising costs, especially housing?
I think we need to do a better job of supporting permanent, good-paying union jobs. The types of jobs that train people to have the skills needed in this economy while paying them well and making sure businesses take care of them.
What should be infrastructure priorities and projects over the next four years?
In my district, there is a lack of choice for grocery stores for many residents. Tens of thousands of residents in district three have one single option for their groceries, or have to leave to Cook County, or they have to hop on the expressway and cross the State Line into Indiana. We need to create a system that better fosters growth of businesses such as grocery stores. The county can designate truck routes, increase road capacity, and partner with local governments to better attract those businesses.
What is your position on data centers? Should the county be open to their development?
Data centers tax the infrastructure systems of the communities in which they are built, and take a disproportionate amount of energy and water. I think that for any data center projects that are proposed, we should require and thoroughly review a detailed proposal plan that includes closed loop cooling to limit the use of potable water and prevent the release of chemicals. Furthermore, I don’t support sweetheart deals between utilities and data centers that pass the additional cost of electricity to all of us. If a data center wants to use our electricity, they should have to pay for it.
Do you favor solar farm development? Should the county encourage more sustainable energy development?
I think sustainable energy development is incredibly important for not just the future of the county, but the future of the country. But businesses should not get a pass to jump to the front of the line without a thorough examination of the project plans and energy capacity.
What should be the county’s spending priorities?
Our spending priority should be people. I think all of us should strive to make the world just a bit better than we found it, and I think government has the capacity to do that on a larger scale. Things like investing in mental health, job growth, and infrastructure. I think we need to keep our ears open to folks that tell us they are struggling, and figure out a way to address those issues.