Real Estate Revival and Allegations of Sabotage: Nicole Gooden Outlines Vision for Harvey (Harvey, IL) — As the City of Harvey grapples with a severe financial crisis, municipal layoffs, and a shrinking population, mayoral candidate Nicole Gooden is pitching a private-sector solution to a public-sector collapse: a massive real estate revitalization.
In an interview with The Chicagoland Journal, Gooden outlined her strategy to pull Harvey out of its estimated $20 million annual deficit. However, her campaign comes with explosive allegations that the current city administration is deliberately weaponizing municipal bureaucracy to derail her candidacy.
A Real Estate Cure for Financial Crisis
Harvey currently operates with an estimated $51 million budget requirement but generates only about $30 million in tax revenue, a deficit exacerbated by a population drop of up to 17,000 residents over the last four decades. Recent efforts by the city to declare financial distress failed to secure state funds, resulting in the layoffs of essential police and fire personnel.
Gooden, who boasts 25 years of experience as a real estate broker, argues that the city’s salvation lies not in raising taxes on a burdened populace, but in repopulating the city’s estimated 7,500 vacant properties.
“Real estate is the backbone of every government,” Gooden stated. “My first year in, I’m going to sell or demolition the majority of vacant properties. If you sold, let’s just say 5,000 of those… what was not on the tax roll is now generating money. In a year or two, there will be families and businesses in those 5,000 units. That is an astronomical boost to Harvey.”
By raising the city’s occupancy rate to 80 or 90 percent, Gooden claims the city can organically generate the revenue needed to address its $130 million debt, restore pension obligations, and rehire first responders without relying on state bailouts.
Reversing the “Extortion” of Local Businesses
Gooden sharply criticized the current administration for its hostility toward private investment. She pledged to immediately rescind extra fees currently levied on local businesses, dismissing the argument that these fees are necessary to plug immediate budget holes.
“It is not a city’s job to put the weight of a failed municipality on the backs of the remaining businesses,” Gooden said, describing the city’s current fee structure and permitting delays as a form of “extortion.”
She detailed accounts of business owners facing exorbitant license fees and arbitrary hurdles to secure transfer stamps or turn on water services. “They turn a lot of businesses down. They turn a lot of investors down. Harvey thinks that home rule gives them the carte blanche to do whatever they want to whenever they want to people.”
Paused Legal Studies and a Commitment to Home
Addressing concerns about her ongoing JD program at Purdue Global Law School, Gooden confirmed she has paused her legal studies to focus on her campaign and ongoing litigation. She emphasized that her commitment to the city is unwavering, acknowledging her past decision to leave Harvey as a learning experience.
“I realized I was a part of the problem because I left and didn’t return,” Gooden admitted, noting that many residents of her generation were encouraged to leave for thriving areas like Naperville or the North Side of Chicago. “When you go to another municipality and you see how things are done… I thought that was great government then. I think it’s great government now. I’m always committed to where I am, but I always knew where home was.”
Allegations of Election Interference
The interview concluded with Gooden making serious allegations against the current administration, spearheaded by Acting Mayor Drewenski following the recent death of former Mayor Christopher Clark. Gooden claims the city is intentionally withholding water services and a property transfer stamp for a home she acquired in October 2025 in a bid to challenge her residency and disqualify her from the mayoral race.
Despite filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to address a disputed water bill, which fluctuated from $114 to $3,000 before she ultimately paid $2,576, Gooden says the city has refused to honor automatic federal stays or turn on the property’s water. She noted that city attorneys later admitted the bill was only around $1,700, leaving hundreds of dollars unaccounted for.
“They blatantly block people,” Gooden said, pointing out she has been waiting over eight months for a transfer stamp despite satisfying all financial and legal requirements. “They want to use this to try to tamper with my residency so that I can’t run for mayor. If this is what people have to go through to get into Harvey… why is it so hard when they have everything that they need?”
When asked how voters should measure her success if elected, Gooden pointed directly back to the issue of abandoned buildings, citing the safety hazards they pose to women and children.
“I think that the measuring of my first year in office will be where I met on the occupancy rate, where I am on the safety and clean up,” Gooden said. “We can’t afford another four years of this. We just can’t.”
Real Estate Revival and Allegations of Sabotage: Nicole Gooden Outlines Vision for Harvey
