Vicki Paddock: 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: GurneeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Gurnee Park Board (4-year Terms)Age: 61Family: Divorced, 2 grown kidsOccupation: Teacher/LibrarianEducation: B.S. Elementary Education, Western Illinois University,1973Civic involvement: Park DistrictElected offices held: Park District Commissioner, 1993-presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Everyone at the Park District including the Board, Director, and Staff work together as a TEAM. This has made it possible to accomplish many wonderful things for our Park District and community. It is also what made it possible for our Park District to win the National Gold Medal Award in 2010. Everyone is committed to providing the best in recreational needs for our community.Key Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Our programs consistently evolve and change based on what people want and need. If there is not an interest in a program it is dropped or changed. Our staff constantly evaluates and changes programs as needed.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Over the years we have acquired quite a bit of land as the opportunity has presented itself. Whenever possible we have acquired land making sure it is within our budget and it is a benefit to the Park District as well as the community.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?We are always looking for ways to meet any recreational needs our community might have. We pay attention to trends as well as comments our community might make about their needs.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?We already have a number of intergovernmental agreements with other taxing bodies such as school districts and the village where we share resources. We are very fortunate that we all work together for the benefit of the community.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I have been on the Park Board for almost 20 years. We have come a long way in that time. In that time I have seen our Park District grow and evolve to become one of the best in the state. We have received a number of awards and recognitions including Distinguished Agency, numerous GFOA awards, and the National Gold Medal Award. I have been fortunate to be part of the Park District Team when these things happened. It is because of this Team effort as well as the dedication and professionalism of everyone on this Team that makes me want to continue on the Park District Board.