By Meghan Striet
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It’s election season in Chicagoland, and all over the city and suburbs, seasoned incumbents and hopeful challengers are shaking hands, kissing babies, and making campaign promises.

Between conflicting news reports and political rhetoric, many people still don’t know which candidate should get their vote come election day. Wouldn’t it be nice if the candidates themselves would stop by your house for a cup of coffee so you could ask for answers to the questions you actually care about?

Well, that’s exactly what people who live at Monarch Landing got on February 19 when Naperville Mayor George Pradel and one of his opponents Doug Krause, took a break from  the campaign trail to talk face-to-face with voters in the Promenade Clubhouse. Residents asked Pradel and Krause about  everything from their qualifications to their respective visions for Naperville to whether they will install a traffic light at the Monarch Landing entrance. Pradel and Krause responded with fervor.

Still work to be done
In spite of the accolades Naperville has received over the past decade, Pradel  knows there is still room for improvement. He names public transportation and parking as two problem areas. As residents pointed out, the large Pace buses often operate with very few passengers—wasting money and slowing traffic. Pradel says many Naperville residents do rely on the buses, but that they should look into “downsizing” them for greater efficiency.

“We’re trying to develop ridership,” Pradel adds. “Right now, it’s kind of an experiment.”

Because of its good schools, attractive housing, and commercial amenities, Naperville’s population continues to grow. Of course, Pradel welcomes new neighbors, but says the city needs to take measures to manage the expansion. “We have to make sure we facilitate the process of all the people coming into Naperville,” he says.

He says the city government will have to find creative solutions so both large retailers and local shops can thrive in Naperville.