Kimberly Mate: 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: Fox LakeWebsite: http://www.focusedonfoxlake.comOffice sought: Fox Lake Village Clerk (4-year Term)Age: 48Family: Married, two children, two grandchildrenOccupation: Village Clerk, Village of Fox Lake Previous Work History: Over 15 years of Project Coordination and Management in various fields including manufacturing, service and distribution.Education: Associate Degree in Data Processing for Business, College of Lake County 1995 Associate Degree in Data Processing for Micro Computer Applications, College of Lake County 1995Civic involvement: Grant Township Giving Garden, Lighthouse of Hope, BLESS Ministry. Member of Municipal Clerks of Lake County, Municipal Clerks of McHenry County and the Municipal Clerks of Illinois.Elected offices held: Village Clerk, Village of Fox Lake, by appointment February 2012 to current.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To convey the full role and responsibilities of the Village Clerk and the Office of the Village Clerk beyond the Keeper of the Record and Seal. Awareness of the additional tasks required by the office will provide key insight to voters in choosing the best candidate for the office.Key Issue 2 Insure our current residents and businesses, that as our community grows toward its full potential in the upcoming years, the Clerk's Office will continue to deliver its exemplary level of service and compliance on behalf of those residents and businesses.Key Issue 3 Encourage and increase voter registration. As a Deputy Registrar in the State of IL, I have had the opportunity to register many of our current residents to vote. As Fox Lake grows, availability and communication will be key in registering not only current residents, but new residents and visitors as well.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.Continue to promote a paper-free environment to reduce the cost of materials and storage. The use of tablets for Board Members to access Agenda Packet information vs. paper and memory cards vs. tape are examples of two recent changes initiated by the Clerk's office. These changes will save dollars, be more environmentally friendly and more secure methods of storage.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.The Village Clerk's office makes every effort to keep its website updated and has preceded the State of Illinois' requirements for Agenda Posting. Village Codes affected by recent Ordinance votes are immediately noted by our codifier and referenced in the on-line Village Code. The use of e-blast for event notification is available.Do you believe the village clerk should be an elected or appointed position? Please explain your answer.I feel the office of Village Clerk should be an elected position. Elected officials are more likely to reflect the policy preferences of the voters, thus serving the will of people, not those doing the appointing. The greater the voice of the community, the better.What steps would you take as village clerk to improve and increase the flow of information to residents?Adding new modules to our website (ex. open real estate properties) to put the most current information at the fingertips of the users. The promotion of the eblast communication to inform residents of an event. Address the task of duplicating older records, previously kept in card files, to electronic files such as spreadsheets and scanned files providing FOIA Officers more efficient access to the information. Additionally, we maintain IT personnel and continue to cross train staff as a priority.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.Over the past 11 months I have worked hard to gain the knowledge and experience required to legally document the history of the Village of Fox Lake and maintain the records required to ensure its compliance. I have committed my life to the service of others and am looking forward to continuing to serve the Village Board and the residents of the Village of Fox Lake.