Though DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith is new to politics, he says, his years of experience in public service through his charitable efforts and his long career in the private sector prepared him for the challenges that come with a position of leadership.
“After a 30-year career in the printing business and 10 years in philanthropy with the Community Foundation, I had retired,” Smith told the DeKalb Times. “In late 2016, I was approached by a number of people who thought that my candidacy for mayor in the 2017 election would resonate with our citizenry.” Smith was one of four candidates in that race.
While there are always areas that can be improved upon, Smith said, he has a great deal of respect for the community of DeKalb and is doing his utmost to better it.
Mayor of DeKalb Jerry Smith
| Courtesy of Jerry Smith
“DeKalb is a wonderful university community, with Northern Illinois University our single largest employer,” Smith said. “My goal is to maintain the quality of life in this college town, addressing issues pertaining to the recent enrollment drop at NIU, the lack of budget balance in the state of Illinois and the continuing problem of needed pension reform in this state.”
Though his goals are broad in focus, Smith said, he also is looking for ways to improve the community on a more intimate scale—an effort that he says will help DeKalb to become more successful in time.
“Economic development and public safety are my primary issues at the present time,” he said. “We need to grow our business base while relieving the property tax burden on our residents.”
In the past two years of leadership, Smith says, he has learned to prioritize pulls for his attention in order to focus on what matters most to DeKalb: making it a secure place for those who call it home.
“Collaboratively, we must do what it takes to maintain a safe place to live, work and raise a family,” Smith said.
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