Josh McBroom Naperville City Council

Public safety is one of government’s most fundamental responsibilities, and the leadership of our Sheriff’s Office matters. I’m proud to endorse Sean Noonan for DuPage County Sheriff. I’ve gotten to know Sean, and I believe in him as a candidate for this important role. The residents of DuPage County deserve a sheriff who takes public safety seriously, exercises sound judgment, and understands the responsibility that comes with the office. I don’t make endorsements lightly, and I believe they should be based on the individual, not simply a party label. Sean has my support, and I’m proud to stand behind him. Please join me in supporting Sean Noonan for DuPage County Sheriff.

At our recent “strategic” electric utility workshop, Council approved a new vision statement….and it’s going to cost you. Yes, it was important enough to debate which word came first: “sustainability” or “affordability.” Council chose sustainability. The good news is we are finally having an honest conversation and can stop pretending that the people pressuring council to end our long term relationship with IMEA have ever been motivated by affordability. Council literally codified it for us by deprioritizing affordability in our long term energy vision. And it couldn’t have been more clear when the Mayor suggested making affordable energy the number one priority in our vision statement, and it received no support from the majority. And what else did we observe from this workshop? Politicians love making official “statements,” because spending time crafting the perfect language is easier than making hard policy decisions. These aren’t serious conversations. Hard decisions can be delayed a little while longer. It can be punted through one more election cycle. Kick the can, one more time. But reality can’t be avoided forever. A multigenerational financial decision about Naperville’s electric future is coming and the clock is running out on the ability to delay it. And this is one of the reasons the upcoming municipal election in April is going to be one of the most consequential Naperville has seen in a long time.

Two of the most important indicators of a successful campaign are- will people show up to support you, and can you raise money locally? By those two measures, we are knocking it out of the park early. Thank you to everyone who braved the downpour to come out last night, and to everyone who has donated. I know the support is there, but it feels pretty good to see it in real life. It means a lot to Emily and me. Stay tuned…. there will be more to come. We are going to keep the momentum going. Thank you again to everyone who helped make last night such a huge success. Josh

Save the date — September 30. We’re kicking off the re-election campaign at Le Chocolat from 6–8 PM. Food will be served, drinks are on us for the first round, and there will be a cash bar afterward. Come by, have a drink, and say hello. Bring a friend. I really hope to see you there!

When the Naperville Environmental and sustainability task force was stripped of its City task force designation, I was under no illusion that meant they were going away. Sure enough, they were back at our last Council meeting presenting to us a new “bombshell” about our electric rates…and Council was ready to eat it up, hook, line and sinker. Remember when I said the goalposts would move? They just did. Here is what really is going on. Please watch and share

Welp, I’ve decided to run for re-election… here is why

Farewell lunch with Naperville’s Finance Director, Ray Munch. Ray recently accepted the position of City Manager in Wheaton. Huge loss for Naperville and a huge gain for Wheaton. One thing I’ve learned during my time on the City Council is how fortunate we are to have talented people leading our departments. I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with our department directors, and Ray is certainly one of the best. Don’t like that you are leaving Ray, but I’m happy for you! Congratulations and good luck. See you around.

PJM is warning about tightening reserve margins as electrification increases demand for electricity. Serious question. Does anyone really believe grid operators will allow states to shut down reliable generation if doing so threatens our ability to keep the lights on? Energy policy can set political targets, but physics and reality get the final vote. In a world of tightening power supplies, owning generation assets is proving to be a strategic advantage, not a liability.

Remarkable turnout for Affordable Naperville’s town hall last night. For years, many assumed the debate over Naperville’s energy future had been settled and that only one perspective existed. The crowd last night suggests otherwise. Residents are paying attention, asking tough questions, and becoming engaged around a multi-generational decision for our city. When this many residents take an interest in an issue, elected officials should take notice.

For several years, much of the public discussion surrounding IMEA has been shaped by a relatively small but very engaged group of residents advocating for Naperville to exit IMEA. Whether you agree with them or not, informed decisions are best made when residents have access to more than one perspective. This event appears intended to broaden that conversation by exploring issues such as reliability, affordability, state energy policy, and the challenges associated with Illinois’ energy transition.

Final thoughts. Councilman meltdown. Migrant sign up sheet.

Part of my comments dissenting from the council majority’s direction to draft an ICE ordinance. Full discussion linked in the comments. I’ll have more to say on this later. For now, it should be abundantly clear to anyone paying attention that the last election had consequences, and that activist political pressure is now driving outcomes at City Hall. Pandora’s box is open. I’ll also add this…symbolic virtue-signaling statements are not without consequence. Elected officials often convince themselves they can pander to activists with purely symbolic gestures and no downstream effects. That is never the case. There are always costs associated with political signaling. While the ordinance itself may ultimately be legally defensible because, as our legal counsel opined, it is largely symbolic and declarative in nature, its existence will absolutely be used in the future by people looking to create problems for Naperville.

It was a privilege to offer remarks in observance of National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day. We honor the brave law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities, and we thank those who continue to serve with courage, professionalism, and dedication each day.

A pretty safe rule in life… whatever people accuse you of nonstop… it’s usually the exact thing they’re doing to you. It’s basically an abusive relationship. 😂

Timely news today, given the conversations on this page about what is and isn’t allowed under the SAFE-T Act. Article linked in the comments. It’s worth reading. I want to thank DuPage State’s Attorney Bob Berlin for continuing to highlight gaps in the Pretrial Fairness Act. This case raises a serious issue. A prior domestic violence related offense wasn’t detainable under current law. It appears the County Board is now taking a closer look. That’s a step in the right direction. But it’s fair to ask why it takes a tragedy to prompt action when concerns like this have been raised for some time.

The Illinois SAFE T ACT…..