Kankakee Times

Local business owner, Republican candidate and current village trustee Jeff Keast recently laid out aspirations for the village in detail in an effort to continue his public service career by becoming Bourbonnais’ mayor.

In a recent interview with the Kankakee Valley Daily Journal, Keast — who is challenging incumbent Paul Schore — spoke about both his own aspirations and his vision for the village. Comparing Bourbonnais to a student with the ability to make top grades who is earning lower scores, Keast expressed his dedication to the community and his hope that it performs better.

“I am running because I love the village, and I don't think the village is living up to its full potential,” he told the Daily Journal. “It's like a family member and you know they can get As. You have to be able to encourage and help them reach their full potential.”

Principal of a local union electric company, the lifelong resident of Kankakee County ran once before for mayor in 2013 as an independent. This time, Keast signed up as a GOP candidate.

Further explaining his perception of the mayor’s role, Keast outlined a team concept, likening the mayor’s position to that of an athletic coach and the village staff to the players.

“The community owns the team,” Keast told the Daily Journal.

As a trustee for the village of Bourbonnais since 2015, Keast has sat on numerous committees dedicated to annexation, building and zoning; buildings and grounds; finance; franchise, license and administration; and utility. He has also served as chair of the parks and recreation committee.

To enhance residents’ quality of life, Keast cited the need for beautification and curbside appeal, with road cleanup, sidewalk upgrades and several specific locations, including entrance roads to the community and downtown sites.

In response to a question about village government improvements, Keast emphasized his penchant for going by the book, relating how as a trustee he insisted on following the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/1). Declaring his commitment to following the law, he stressed the necessity for lawmakers not only to document their meetings but also to broadcast them.

“If you lay all your cards on the table, people have the opportunity to look at things and know you are being ethical and moral,” Keast said, according to the Daily Journal. “That's extremely important to me.”

Along with managerial experience running Keast Electric Inc., the candidate draws on a broad background of contract negotiation, construction management and customer service.

The first thing Keast would want to address as mayor is growth, he said. Rather than burdening the existing taxpayers, the candidate visualizes bringing in new business entities and therefore, more residents.

“We need all the trustees and department heads to sit down together so that we can choose what business we want,” he said. “We haven't had that discussion.”

Like every jurisdiction, the village has specific plans in the works for certain infrastructure changes. In Bourbonnais, that includes a planned industrial park off an Interstate 57 interchange. Keast said that the development would spark business development by providing sustainable jobs, expressing hope that new commercial construction will not only let people work in the village but also to buy or build a new home in Bourbonnais.

“That's how you grow a village,” he said, according to the Daily Journal. “You need those living-wage jobs so that people can provide for their families and raise a family in this area.”

Keast said he believes the village is doing well and could do even better.

“We are doing much better than we were two years ago, but we could do so much better,” Keast said, according to the publication. “I believe I am the guy that can get us there.”