Welcome

Welcome, my name is Bob Morris and I am seeking
your support, your vote on April 5, 2011, as I run
for re-election as your 3^rd Ward Alderman.

Twenty-two years ago I was asked by the City of Lockport to volunteer my services as an architect to Lockport’s historic preservation and revitalization efforts.  As I worked with the city and its people, I fell in love with Lockport.  As a result, 13 years ago I moved here and have been pouring my heart into making our city an even better place to live, shop and work.

Who I Am

Civic & Volunteer Activities:

• City Council 3rd Ward Alderman since 2007
• Heritage and Architecture Commission member since 1989
• Lockport Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
• Downtown Development Committee, Founding Member
• Canal Days Committee
• Lockport Mainstreet, former Board of Directors
• Institute for Community, Board of Directors
• Department of Architecture Advisory Board,  College of DuPage and Joliet Junior College

Awards & Honors:

• Award Winning Architect and Planner
• Volunteer of the Year Award 2007 for work with ‘Casa de Luz”
  Community and Daycare Center in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Hometown Hero, Lockport / Homer Sun 2009 for work with ‘Casa de Luz’

Educational Background:

• Bachelors and Masters of Architecture from University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana
  and Les Ecole Des Beauxs Arts in Paris, France
• Licensed Architect and Registered Interior Designer

Professional Experience:

• Architect for R.J. Brejcha & Associates
• Senior Associate and Project Manager for Healy Bender & Associates
• Owner and President of Orbis Architects

What I’ve Done

Fiscal Watchdog:

• Cut City budget by 33%, from $16 Million to $11 million
• Eliminated 18 full-time City staff positions
• Implemented hiring freeze to create budget stability
• Posted City budget and every bill the City pays online
• Kept Lockport’s budget in the black, even though the
  State of Illinois owes us hundreds of thousands of dollars
• Obtained $6 million in grants and stimulus funding for
  City projects

Providing for our Families:

• Increased public services:
  Expanded Neighborhood Watch, youth crime prevention and
  senior citizen programs
• Ended Police Department’s ticket quota policy
• Kept Lockport foreclosures at one of the lowest rates
  in the area
• Attracted more residential homebuyers than most communities
  in the area through the homebuyer incentive program

Preparing for the Future:

• Created a dedicated funding source for roads and infrastructure
• Developed an objective street condition analysis that
  ranks road repair by nationally recognized criteria
• Implemented plans to aggressively attract reputable
  new businesses to Lockport and the Downtown
• Rescued the water utility service, which was headed towards
  bankruptcy and protected the City from IEPA violations

My Vision

Lockport is a great city with a rich deep history. We played a significant role in the growth and development of the Midwest and the Nation.  We have great schools, schools that rank in the top 6% in the nation and of the 70 high schools in the Chicago collar counties, ours ranks in the top 5.  We have great museums, restaurants and businesses, some that rank among the very best in Chicago.  And we have great recreational and natural resources, resources that are being developed as part of a network that reaches across the state.

Our city’s strengths are key to developing our opportunities and our future.  With that in mind our City Council has developed an I-355 Corridor Plan and a Downtown Masterplan as well as a masterplan for our entire water system.  We have adopted a dedicated funding source for our roads and infrastructure (Lockport has never had this before). Corresponding to this, we have developed an objective analysis of our street conditions based on nationally recognized criteria.  We have adopted plans to aggressively attract reputable businesses.  And we have rescued our water utility service that was heading toward bankruptcy.

In the midst of economic struggles that we are all facing, we have cut the city’s budget by 33% ( $16 million to $11 Million).  We have reduced staff and implemented a hiring and pay freeze.  We have applied for and received $6 million in grants and stimulus funding.  Our finances are in the black despite the fact that the State of Illinois owes us close to a million dollars.

When and as the economy turns around, Lockport will be poised as never before with our strengths, planning and financial restraint to attract new retail and business development.  That development will provide us more opportunities to dine and shop in Lockport.  By spending our money in our community, we keep our tax dollars in our community. By bringing in more income from retail and business development, we will be empowered to hold down residential taxes.  As the economy turns around, we want to be “shovel ready” to bring strong, attractive, vibrant shopping, restaurant and business development to our city.

My agenda as your alderman will be to:

• Keep our budget trimmed and balanced
• Repair and maintain our roads
• Repair and maintain our water and sewer system
• Expand our Metra train service
• Attract new retail, restaurant, and business development at Target, K-Mart, Corwin, and Downtown locations
• Raise tax revenue from retail and business development
• Hold down residential property taxes
• Hold up home values

Donate

Contact

Phone: 815-673-9400
Fax: 815-588-0987
E-Mail:  bob4lockport@gmail.com
www.electbobmorris.com