Brian Brock, who's a salesperson for a healthcare IT company, is running to be a park district commissioner in Berwyn because he wants to be more involved in his community, but wants to steer clear of his town's sometimes-fiery politics for now.
"I really wanted to do something that was a little less political, a little less partisan," he said. "I wanted to do something where I could contribute and, also, I really like our parks. …The parks do more than just provide open space. There's a lot of programming that goes with it too."
On April 4, Brock faces off against Victor Burgos for the post, and is one of a number of openly gay candidates in Berywn races, some of which are uncontested in this general election. He's lived in the town with his husband for about four-and-a-half years.
Brock, a Michigan native, recalled, "My job gives me flexibility to live anywhere I'd like. We were considering moving to Seattle or the Northwestliterally we looked at everything. … We looked [Berwyn] up and said, 'Look at these houses, these brick bungalows.' That's kind of what started it."
Among the most pertinent tasks he'd take on if he wins is a review of the park district's finances, he said, adding, "We've got such a pension crisis here in Illinois. I want to make sure that, from a budget perspective, at least that, for what we can control for the park district, we are covering our expenses. I think that, in Berwyn, at least the park district has the best budget in terms of their pension liability."
Brock also said that the commission needs to at least consider the overlapping and duplication of resources, as the city has more than one park district, for example.
"Are there areas for consolidation?" he asked. "Would it make more sense to have these areas consolidated? I don't know the answer to that, but I think it's something we have to look at or should look at."
He further noted that it's important for there to be a commissioner who'd ensure that the district's recreational activities are inclusive of all in the community.
"I also want to make sure that our hiring practices are fair and representative of our current values as far as how people identify," Brock said. "Those are things I think I can have an impact on as well, even if it's just making sure we're paying attention to those things."
He loves that Berwyn is a diverse community that's been welcoming to LGBT families, he added.
"We came from Michigan, and a lot of other couples relocated from Chicago," he said. "What I like is that we just don't have a 'gay community.' For example, we don't have gay-specific bars necessarily. But at the bars we go to, we'll have friends who happen to be gay and friends who are straight as well. It's definitely a mix of folks among our community of friends."