HR1456 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1456 LRB099 23671 GRL 51180 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to thank Tom Weisner for his hard work as Mayor of the City of Aurora; and

WHEREAS, In his more than 11 years as Mayor of Aurora, Tom Weisner has propelled the former "blue collar town" into the 21st century as a high-performing, progressive city by strengthening neighborhoods, revitalizing Aurora's riverfront core, promoting sustainable development practices, developing a top-notch telecommunications infrastructure, and vastly reducing crime; and

WHEREAS, By focusing on public-private partnerships to spur revitalization, Tom Weisner successfully cleaned up polluted riverfront areas and breathed new life into Aurora's downtown urban core, most recently through the creation of RiverEdge Park, a spectacular new music venue on the banks of the Fox River; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Tom Weisner, Aurora has experienced a significant decrease in crime, a trend highlighted by national media in 2012 when Aurora reported zero homicides; he also took strong and early action during his first term to blunt the effects of the Great Recession, cutting costs and improving efficiencies in order to maintain a high level of services for Aurora residents; as a result, Aurora continues to be one of very few Illinois cities to maintain a AA rating for both General Obligation and Water Revenue bonds; and

WHEREAS, Tom Weisner has made the development of a skilled workforce a priority for Aurora in order to ensure a growing economy and plentiful job opportunities; he led the effort to create new educational structures in Aurora, from early education (SPARK) to STEM education (Aurora University John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School), to high school skills training (Pathways to Prosperity); and

WHEREAS, Tom Weisner assumed the Chairmanship of the Chicago Metropolitan Mayors Caucus in November of 2013; he is the Kane/Kendall representative to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), a member of the Illinois Municipal League Executive Board, and a past President of Metro West Council of Governments; he was appointed as Director of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority by Governor Pat Quinn and serves as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee at the Tollway; he is the founding Chairman of the Northwest Water Planning Alliance, a collaborative planning organization involving municipalities and counties in a five-county area of the Chicago suburbs; he also serves as Chairman of the Board for OnLight Aurora, a public-private partnership created to connect Aurora schools, hospitals, and businesses to a 50-mile fiber optic network; and

WHEREAS, Tom Weisner was the founding Chairman of the Aurora East Educational Foundation, Chair of the Quad County Urban League, and a board member of United Way, Family Counseling Services, and several other non-profit organizations; and

WHEREAS, Prior to being elected Mayor, Tom Weisner served the City of Aurora for nearly 20 years overseeing a number of city operations, including emergency management, public properties, and organizational development; he and his wife, Marilyn, also served in the Peace Corps, assisting rain forest dwellers in the highlands of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; and

WHEREAS, Tom Weisner serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Tom Weisner for his hard work as Mayor of the City of Aurora and wish him great success and happiness in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Tom Weisner as a symbol of our esteem and respect.