Current 5th Ward Alderman Patrick Conboy is up for re-election on the April 1 ballot.

Conboy, the only candidate for the 5th Ward, was first elected alderman six years ago.

“I think that I’ve made a name for myself as an advocate for consumers and the student body,” Conboy said.

He played a major role in the creation of the landlord-tenant ordinance that was passed recently, and he also sponsored the flood plain ordinance which formed the Flood Water Task Force. He set up the ordinance to require landlords to inform tenants if their apartment is in a flood plain.

Conboy is a graduate of NIU and was one of the founders of the Student Legal Services. He now works as an attorney for the United Auto Workers legal services and has been a DeKalb resident for the past 35 years.

“It is vital we do much more to revitalize the older areas of the community through code enforcement and programs encouraging refurbishing of older, and dilapidated properties,” Conboy said at the League of Women Voters’ Meet the Candidates Night on March 20.

He thinks the ever-increasing cost of government and services does not mean the city should raise taxes, but it should find more creative ways to solve the crisis while ensuring the appropriate compensation for our police and fire departments.