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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to thank Tom Weisner for his hard work as
4Mayor of the City of Aurora; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In his more than 11 years as Mayor of Aurora, Tom
6Weisner has propelled the former "blue collar town" into the
721st century as a high-performing, progressive city by
8strengthening neighborhoods, revitalizing Aurora's riverfront
9core, promoting sustainable development practices, developing
10a top-notch telecommunications infrastructure, and vastly
11reducing crime; and
 
12    WHEREAS, By focusing on public-private partnerships to
13spur revitalization, Tom Weisner successfully cleaned up
14polluted riverfront areas and breathed new life into Aurora's
15downtown urban core, most recently through the creation of
16RiverEdge Park, a spectacular new music venue on the banks of
17the Fox River; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Tom Weisner, Aurora has
19experienced a significant decrease in crime, a trend
20highlighted by national media in 2012 when Aurora reported zero
21homicides; he also took strong and early action during his
22first term to blunt the effects of the Great Recession, cutting

 

 

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1costs and improving efficiencies in order to maintain a high
2level of services for Aurora residents; as a result, Aurora
3continues to be one of very few Illinois cities to maintain a
4AA rating for both General Obligation and Water Revenue bonds;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Tom Weisner has made the development of a skilled
7workforce a priority for Aurora in order to ensure a growing
8economy and plentiful job opportunities; he led the effort to
9create new educational structures in Aurora, from early
10education (SPARK) to STEM education (Aurora University John C.
11Dunham STEM Partnership School), to high school skills training
12(Pathways to Prosperity); and
 
13    WHEREAS, Tom Weisner assumed the Chairmanship of the
14Chicago Metropolitan Mayors Caucus in November of 2013; he is
15the Kane/Kendall representative to the Chicago Metropolitan
16Agency for Planning (CMAP), a member of the Illinois Municipal
17League Executive Board, and a past President of Metro West
18Council of Governments; he was appointed as Director of the
19Illinois Toll Highway Authority by Governor Pat Quinn and
20serves as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee at the
21Tollway; he is the founding Chairman of the Northwest Water
22Planning Alliance, a collaborative planning organization
23involving municipalities and counties in a five-county area of
24the Chicago suburbs; he also serves as Chairman of the Board

 

 

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1for OnLight Aurora, a public-private partnership created to
2connect Aurora schools, hospitals, and businesses to a 50-mile
3fiber optic network; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Tom Weisner was the founding Chairman of the
5Aurora East Educational Foundation, Chair of the Quad County
6Urban League, and a board member of United Way, Family
7Counseling Services, and several other non-profit
8organizations; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Prior to being elected Mayor, Tom Weisner served
10the City of Aurora for nearly 20 years overseeing a number of
11city operations, including emergency management, public
12properties, and organizational development; he and his wife,
13Marilyn, also served in the Peace Corps, assisting rain forest
14dwellers in the highlands of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Tom Weisner serves as a model of hard work,
16integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of
17Illinois; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20thank Tom Weisner for his hard work as Mayor of the City of
21Aurora and wish him great success and happiness in his future
22endeavors; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Tom Weisner as a symbol of our esteem and respect.