Goals for the Shared Future of Lake Forest

My name is Brandon Council, and I’m running for Lake Forest City Council, District 2. As an engineer by trade, I pride myself on solving complex problems, and I want to get involved in solving the challenges that affect people day to day because I know I can make a difference for you. The problems we are up against together in our communities today are the growing affordability crisis and the polarization over what to do about it. The truth is, we need to work together, and I want to show you we can. A difference in opinion means stress-testing a solution; a good idea becomes a great idea when there’s room for feedback and learning. To me, understanding a problem means hearing your voice and perspective. The root of even a complex problem is so often found at the commonality that comes from hearing multiple perspectives. The difficulty isn’t really in identifying a problem, it's having the patience and empathy to hear people out and include them in the conversation.

Wherever you find yourself in this community—whether you are upper, middle, or lower class, whether you rent or pay a mortgage—I think we are all impacted by these issues in one way or another. From the quality and accessibility of our local parks, where we go to connect with family and meet new people, to the rising cost of utilities and managing smart economic growth in a changing city, I believe that together, and through good faith, we can nurture a connected community where people don’t just live to survive, but to thrive.

When I chose to make Lake Forest my home, I saw an incredible community that I want to invest in and contribute to—one that just needs the right blueprint to combat modern social and economic challenges and truly thrive. I believe our city needs fresh eyes, an attitude of tenacity and innovation, and practical data-driven solutions. I will bring to our City Council that spirit of innovation, and the idea that nothing is impossible if we work towards a common goal. With over a decade of practical and technical experience designing industrial products to perform in extreme and demanding environments I can tackle these challenges by earning your trust and support. I have worked as a sales engineer designing custom systems for critical applications such as medical and aerospace, while managing 7 to 15 projects simultaneously and fostering positive relationships with a diverse client base will equip me to connect with local businesses and organizations to achieve our goals of sustained growth and a connected community.

I am running for City Council because I can apply this experience to effectively optimize our resources, modernize our infrastructure, and engineer every challenge for a better future for all of us.