Marie Schmidt: 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: Glendale HeightsWebsite: http://www.glendaleheights2013election.comOffice sought: Glendale Heights Clerk (4-year Term)Age: 65Family: Married to Bill for 44 years. Two sons; Karl, and John. Three grandsons.Occupation: Former Office Manager for a medical practice. Former Administrative Assistant at a major corporation.Education: Moser Secretary School. Courses at Illinois Institute of Technology and Northwestern University.Civic involvement: G. STANLEY HALL SCHOOL PTA President - Vice President - Recording Secretary Treasurer MARQUARDT MIDDLE SCHOOL Marquardt Middle School Parents? Auxiliary President Vice President Recording Secretary Band Boosters Treasurer MARQUARDT SCHOOL DISTRICT 15 School Board Member School Board President School Board Vice President Core Construction Team Member Legislation Committee Finance Committee Building and Grounds Committee GLENBARD EAST HIGH SCHOOL Glenbard East Mothers? Club PresidentTreasurer - Recording Secretary Athletic Booster Board Football Booster Board Wrestling Booster Board District 87 Nominating Caucus VILLAGE OF GLENDALE HEIGHTS Appointed Village Clerk March, 2008 - Elected Village Clerk April, 2009 - Member of CERT Team - Safety Town Reconstruction Committee Graduate of Citizens? Police Academy First Female Sworn ESDA OfficerSafety Town Halloween Volunteer - Youth Commission DUPAGE COUNTY Citizens? Volunteer Corp (Level II) Regional Office of Education Leadership Council PLEASE NOTE I have also served on many committees within the above organizations. AWARDS PTA Life Membership Illinois State Board of Education Those Who Excel Award Glenbard East Mothers? Club GEM of the Year Illinois Association of School Boards Master Board Member Finalist for Apple Computer National Volunteer of the Year OTHER Resident of Glendale Heights for 40 years - Family Health and Safety Fair Organization Committee Charter Member Carol Stream Treasure Hunt Planning Committee CPR Certification Completed FEMA ICS 100 (Introduction to the Incident Command System) and ICS 700 (National Incident Management System Introduction)? Member DuPage County Citizen Volunteer Corps (Level II).Elected offices held: Glendale Heights Village Clerk March, 2008 to present - Marquardt District 15 Board of Education January, 1987 through April, 2007Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The education of all board, commission and committee members, as well as administrative staff in remaining compliant with the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act is extremely important. The guidelines for FOIA are ever-changing. It is important that all personnel understand the importance and have a full understanding of these acts. In 2012, I organized training/certification sessions for necessary personnel to meet the state requirements of the Open Meetings Act.Key Issue 2 The Village Clerk's Office is responsible for the preservation and organization of all village records and legal documents. It is also ultimately responsible for utilizing modern techology to meet the State's legal requirements for accurate record keeping. When this village was incorporated in 1959, minutes, ordinances, resolutions, etc. were typed by hand. The originals have been preserved and kept for their historical value. Today, copies of all budgets, agendas, memos and contracts have been electronically scanned to be better organized and reduce storage space. There is a need, however, for improvement in the reduction of files kept throughout the village. It is essential to ensure that all files are kept and/or destroyed in accordance with the Record Retention and Destruction Act and that this office effectively maintains a good working relationship with the Illinois Secretary of State Archives agencies.Key Issue 3 Another responsibility of the Village Clerk's Office is to attest to the accuracy and validity of all Declarations of Emergency for the Village of Glendale Heights during periods of disaster. As a trained member of both ESDA (Emergency Services and Disaster Agency) and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), I feel that it is important for the holder of this office to not only be aware of emergency procedures, but be able to participate and contribute in the planning and response to these occurences, while having a working knowledge of the command structure and fuctions of response teams.Questions Answers Some communities have contracted out for certain services, such as snowplowing, to save money. What innovative methods would you propose to reduce your office's budget? Explain your answer.My past experience with paperless board meetings has shown them to be a more efficient, streamlined and economical system than our current method. At the present time, an agenda is developed over the course of a week. The agenda, and all supporting documentation is then photocopied for distribution to the board and staff members the week before the meeting. A second set of agendas is photocopied for the public. Currently, the agendas are several hundred pages long, and in one month, each board member usually receives over a ream of paper. The Village Clerk is responsible for taking and transcribing the minutes of the meeting, then typing and distributing them to various departments. The agenda and minutes are also posted on the village website. A paperless system would eliminate photocopies of agendas and supporting paperwork and provide minutes the same day as the meeting. In addition, all website postings could be done in real time. An electronic board meeting would also mean that board members and staff would have access to the agenda as it is developed, and ordinances, village codes, past meeting minutes, etc. during a meeting so that they can govern more efficiently.The state's revised Freedom of Information Act guidelines renewed focus on open government. Name one specific step you would take if elected to increase government transparency in your office.In my opinion, at the present time we are extremely transparent. We receive a deluge of Freedom of Information Act requests and provide all information requested in a timely manner. My goal is to ensure thar all employess are familiar with the Freedom of Information Act and aware of the many facets of it.Do you believe the village clerk should be an elected or appointed position? Please explain your answer.I feel that the clerk should be an appointed position. I also believe that those who are appointed should be required to take training classes prior to assuming office. This position carries great responsibilities and requires constant attention to detail.What steps would you take as village clerk to improve and increase the flow of information to residents?The village board meetings are telecast on the local cable stations. In addition, our website is kept up-to-date and each resident receives a newsletter at their home. At the beginning of each year, a calendar is mailed to each resident so they are aware of board meeting dates, committee meetings, etc. Residents who need information also call the clerk's office. It is always nice to speak with them.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for village clerk? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I was extremely proactive with FOIA and arranged a workshop/training for staff members before the act went into effect. I organized training sessions for all board, commission and committee members, as well as village staff to ensure that they were prepared to be fully compliant with the provisions of the statute. I have instituted a policy of full departmental inclusion in all record destruction and retention actions.