Rosemarie Kahn: 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: ElginWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Elgin City Council (4-year Terms)Age: 45Family: MarriedOccupation: Associate Manager, ITEducation: Sp. Associate Degree in Recording Engineering, Full Sail, 1992Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 As the city has tried to reduce property tax, they have added taxes to most utilities. This just changes the place that the taxes from the residents come from. It also resulted in a total increase in income for the city government. The extra money should have been earmarked for the ongoing storm water separation project. Instead the city would like to add another tax for that project. I plan on doing my part to ensure that the city is more financially responsible with the money provided to it by the residents. We are all experiencing hard times and have to make sacrifices. It is time that the city understands that. A few extra dollars in each utility bill adds up to a lot out of pocket, and it's hurting the very people that the city is supposed to be helping.Key Issue 2 Currently the city is considering creating a hydro-electric dam to provide electricity for The Centre of Elgin, and sell back extra to the utilities if there is a surplus. This is not the time to consider a mulit-million dollar project when the return on the investment could be as long as 30 years. If the city needs to raise taxes on its residents, the money should go for required projects and keeping our core services running. There may be a time in the future for this project, but in this economy it just does not make sense. I plan on bringing common sense to the Elgin City Council.Key Issue 3 The city has worked hard on improving the look of the downtown area. I would like to work with the local businesses to improve the environment to encourage businesses to move in to provide jobs for residents and a thriving downtown area for the people around the area to eat and shop and visit.Questions Answers Should the city continue its opposition to allowing video gambling outside the grand Victoria?As other surrounding communities allow video gambling, we should consider the possibility of allowing video gambling in establishments outside the Grand Victoria.What is your position on the city's plans to to implement a stormwater utility fee in 2014?I don't agree that there should be a storm water utility fee. I disagree with many of the new taxes the city has instituted recently. This additional fee to the residents of Elgin is not necessary and should not be implemented.Do you support the city funding the $900,000 overhaul of the Eastside Recreation Center? What do you think of closing Eastside and consolidating operations with The Centre of Elgin?I think the money would be better spent consolidating the facilities. Since The Centre of Elgin is a newer facility, the money would be better spent there. I think that the cost structure for enrollment at The Centre of Elgin needs to be revisited, as it is very expensive for most people to be able to join.What is your view on the city's recent property tax levying history and imposition of other charges, such as the refuse fee?I understand that the city is trying to 'diversify' funds, to not rely solely on property taxes. While it's a good thing to be able to diversify, it is NOT good to create more taxes than are taken away, especially in this economy where most people have not experienced raises in salary for many years, and the cost of living is continually increasing.The Elgin Symphony Orchestra wants the city to resume its yearly disbursement of Riverboat funds to the ESO. Do you support this? Why or why not?The ESO is an excellent organization and is something that the City of Elgin should be proud of. I agree with helping to fund the ESO, as it is one of the highlights of Elgin. That said, the ESO does have a responsibility to become self-sustaining and should be working towards that end. The funding of the organization should not be increasing, but decreasing as time goes on, and should be able to provide a plan to ensure that is their goal as well.