Barbara Stavropoulos: 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: KildeerWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kildeer Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 49Family: Married, two childrenOccupation: Candidate did not respond.Education: BS in Business Admin SpanishCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Trustee, Village of Kildeer 2009-2013Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To position the Village of Kildeer so that needed services are sustainable in both the short and long term.Key Issue 2 To ensure that Kildeer remains a very desirable residential community.Key Issue 3 To be responsive to resident concerns.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?The Board shares a vision of Kildeer as a premier municipality and each member is dedicated to taking those steps that continually improve the place where we live.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Last March residents chose to strike the appropriate balance between revenues and expenses. Voters overwhelmingly approved an electric aggregation program which resulted in significant utility bill savings for households (the savings for households in the program typically exceeded the Village's portion of their property tax). At the same time voters also overwhelmingly approved increasing the non-home rule sales tax by 1/2 of one percent. The increased revenue from the sales tax provides funding source for maintenance programs to prevent deterioration of the village's infrastructure.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The risk of traffic accidents on Quentin Rd just north of Rand Rd as cars enter and exit a gas station. The Village is cooperating with Lake County in the design of an intersection improvement which will install medians at this critical location. Construction of the medians will take place this spring and will include trees and flowers to improve the appearance as well as the safety of the intersection.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Village expenses were reduced from 4 to 3.65 million dollars during the term of the incumbent Board Members. During this same period Village reserves increased from $200,000 to $950,000. Village Board priorities are public safety and infrastructure maintenance and the goal is to have sustainable funding for both.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Residents benefited from electric aggregation and the Village would pursue a gas aggregation program if allowed by the state legislature.