Bolingbrook 2013 Election Candidate: Ken "Smokey" Burgess

Campaign information

• Address: 747 East Boughton Road, Suite 121, Bolingbrook, IL 60440
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dupagetownshipawardwinningslate

Personal information

• Age: 46
• Family (name, relationship and age): Petra, wife, 48; Holllie, daughter, 25; Kelly, daughter, 22; Kenneth Dale, Son, 18; Aliceia, granddaughter, 14 months
• Education (degree and school): High School Diploma
• Occupation: Transportation
• Political party affiliation, If any: Republican
• Previous elected offices: None

Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:

As a 31 year resident of DuPage Township, minus my time on active duty in the Army, and my 15 year experience in coaching Youth Football I have seen first hand the effects of.

Financial hardship for Families. I personally feel my Background in helping children gaining  life skills through sports is an asset because I fully understand how the lack of funds

Affects families in the DuPage Township. This is why for the last 5 years I have fully engulfed myself in volunteering throughout the community such as serving on the Board of the

Bolingbrook Trojans, Romeoville Police and Fire Commission, and the Hampton Park Social Athletic Club as well as being a Football Commissioner for Chicagoland Pop Warner Football.

Why are you running for this office?

I decided to run for this office to get more involved in my community and to help educate residents about the Services that are available to them. Sometimes People don’t know or understand about all the services that are available to them. Meeting and speaking to families through my Youth Sports involvement made me aware that I can help these Families with more than what I am already doing for them.

What will be your most important priority if you get elected? What is your Number 1 campaign issue? 

It is very important to educate our youth and point them in the right direction and DuPage Township continues  partnering with various youth organizations in the community to keep the kids off the streets and teach them life skills. Some children come from broken homes, some families do not have the resources to get their children involved, that’s where DuPage Township comes in…..The cost of BUILDING a youth is a lot cheaper than having to REBUILD an adult as the cost for the incarceration of a juvenile for 1 year is $ 140,000.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

My experience working with the local youth and their families, seeing firsthand how the economy has changed everyone's life. I am committed as a volunteer in Romeoville and Bolingbrook in several organizations and my time is devoted to them. From coaching Pop Warner Youth Football Bolingbrok Trojans, Pop Warner Football Commissioner, Romeoville Fire and Police Commissioner, past vice President of the Bolingbrook Trojans Organization and member of the Hampton Park Social Athletic Club. Families in the youth programs know me and approach me with questions they have and are supporting my run for Du Page Township Trustee. 

How long have you lived in your community and/or been active in local issues?

I have lived in Romeoville for 31 years, minus my time in the US Army. For about 15 years now I have been involved in local issues and youth sports.

What's your favorite thing about DuPage Township?  

There is no “favorite." All that DuPage Township does is very important for the communities it serves. People need help in many different ways and DuPage Township provides it.

What are the biggest challenges facing DuPage Township, and how would you address them? 

• Youth-families are not able to afford the fees that park districts charge for youth sports and activities. DuPage Township is partnering up with local youth programs in physical activity and youth mentoring programs. These programs are critical as it helps to keep the youth out of trouble and jail.
• Food Pantries-More and more families go hungry and with the help from Dupage Township partnering with local businesses to collect food a great amount of Families can be fed. This program is a very important program in DuPage Township due to the growing amount of families who cannot afford to feed their family.
• Seniors-our elders are a huge percentage of our population and we need to ensure that the seniors stay involved in the community with DuPage Township various senior programs as well as various other services DuPage Township provides for the elderly.