Candidate profile: Andy Gaa
Name: Andrew (Andy) Gaa
Age: 40
Town: Belleville
Occupation: German teacher at Belleville East High School
Position seeking: Belleville Ward 6 alderman
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/andygaaward6
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? I am running for alderman in Ward 6 because I have really enjoyed the past two years serving on the City Council. I have enjoyed helping out residents in our ward and working with city staff when confronting the problems and concerns of my constituents. Ward 6 Alderwoman Mary Stiehl and I have a great working relationship and make a great team. There has been positive momentum in Belleville the past few years and I believe our city and ward are moving in the right direction. As Ward 6 alderman, I will continue to work hard to make sure Belleville continues the positive progress and that the voices of my constituents are heard. I am a positive minded person who is proud to live in Belleville and I promise to work hard as alderman to make Belleville a better city that our residents will be proud of.
What is the most important issue facing your town? How would you approach it? The most important issue facing Belleville are the negative perceptions many people have about our city. There is constant criticism of our city on social media, which is often made by those who live in surrounding communities. It is our responsibility as citizens of Belleville to respond and stick up for the city we love and to work together to make it a better place. Our city is not perfect, but we do have amazing and award winning schools, affordable housing, a rich diversity of historic architecture, a walkable downtown, and many miles of bike trails. To promote and celebrate all that is great about Belleville, I gathered a group of residents together in 2018 and started the promotional group called Live.Love.Belleville. We are working to bring positivity and civic pride back to Belleville.
Under what circumstances, if any, would you raise taxes or fees in the municipality? Please explain. I would support a raise in taxes or fees only if it were necessary for the city to be able to continue providing essential services that we offer to residents. As funding from the State of Illinois has decreased, cities have to be creative to find ways to make up for the lost funds. Belleville has cut back on many positions in recent years and has done a great job working to balance the budget. Sometimes, however, raising the tax levy is necessary to properly fund police and fire pensions, which is mandated by the state of Illinois.
Crime has been an issue in parts of the metro-east. What is the best way to stop the problem in and around your community? As a member of the Police and Fire Committee, I get regular updates from Chief Clay about issues facing our city and can talk about issues facing my constituents. It is very important for our residents that the police department is properly staffed. After many retirees in 2018, Belleville has hired many new officers in 2019. Our police department does a wonderful job but they cannot be everywhere at all times. We as citizens need to do our part as well. It is important for residents to report suspicious activity to the police and have regular contact with their neighbors. We have many neighborhood organizations and watch groups in our city that have not been active in recent years that need to work to become active again. Another helpful tool that helps our police is the use of cameras by residents. It is both a deterrent and helps police solve crimes.
In recent years, the city has granted various tax incentives to businesses. Explain whether you would support or oppose tax incentives for businesses. Belleville does not have the benefit of being on an interstate. That does not mean we are unable to attract any development, but it makes it more difficult. Sometimes we need to be creative to help attract new businesses. I do support tax incentives for businesses as long as they do not only go to large corporations, but also help small business owners and local companies who want to do business in Belleville. Helping a local business expand and working with developers on important projects helps to create jobs and increase sales tax revenue for our city. At times, it only makes financial sense for a developer if they get some incentives from the city. We are often in competition with nearby cities who have the same incentives to offer, plus the added benefit of being near an interstate. It is also important for us that the agreements we make allow us to recoup what we may lose if the business does not hold up to their end of the bargain.
This story was originally published March 11, 2019 at 9:13 PM.