Yvonne Barnes: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: CaryWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: McHenry County board District 1Age: 51Family: 7 children: Bryan (20), Allison (19), Megan (19), Emily (17), Nikita (15), Daniel (13), Colleen (11)Occupation: Small Business Owner, Technical CommunicationsEducation: 1.) B.S. Business Admin/Marketing Indiana University 1982 2.) Public Environmental Affairs-Urban Regional Planning Indiana University 1982 3.) A.A.S. Data Processing Triton College 1984Civic involvement: Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Senior Citizen Advocacy, Youth Sports and Music Associations, Environmental GroupsElected offices held: Village of Cary Trustee 1994-1995 1997-2006 McHenry County Board Member 2006-2010Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Financial matters including budgets and taxes.Key Issue 2 Economic conditions at the local, state, and national levels.Key Issue 3 Government process and decision making improvements including appropriate response to citizen concerns.Questions Answers McHenry County has managed the recession without a budgetary crisis like those in other counties. How do you ensure the county continues on that path and that reserves aren?t depleted? Are there specific budget areas that need more attention?1.) Expenditures should be for necessities only. 2.) Some of the larger projects can be scaled down and/or completed with a different timeline. 3.) Thorough analysis of bids and contracts should be a high priority. 4.) Overruns and contingencies need to be addressed with not-to-exceed values.Does the McHenry County Board have a good transportation improvement plan? Please be specific and suggest whether you think anything is missing or should be scrapped.1.) Additional non-motorized routes for walking and biking are always cost effective. 2.) Additional citizen input early in the process can be improved before the outlay of engineering and design expenses. 3.) The opinions of local municipalities should be respected and encouraged through the entire process.Does the county need to address its ethics policies? Why or why not? If so, how?The policies are clear and make sense. However, most individuals in the county do not know the procedure to bring forward a concern. Those in a position to address an issue should forward the matter and explain the process. Every elected official should abide by the policy and assist when there is a question. There should be improved access to meeting times and subject matter.Assess McHenry County?s efforts thus far in terms of groundwater preservation and protection. What needs to be done now and in the future?1.) Education, analysis, and adherence to existing principles of preservation and protection must continue. 2.) Education needs to occur at all ages and in all the diverse living and working environments. 3.) Outreach to municipal leaders has started and needs to continue as a high priority. The Groundwater Protection Plan is a great start for adults. 4.) Resources available to staff members should be shared across the county. The Unified Development Ordinance will assist the mission of water issues.Assess how the county health department approached the whooping cough outbreak. What should have been done differently?Information was timely and informational. Each of our schools notified us promptly and shared health department correspondence with us. Area pharmacies and medical offices provided literature. Local newspapers participated with the flow of information to a broad base of individuals.