Claire Ball: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: AddisonWebsite: claireballforillinois.comOffice sought: College Of DuPage School Board Age: 32Family: Husband, Mom and Dad, one older brother, one younger sister.Occupation: AccountantEducation: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, DeVry University. Master's degree in Accounting and Finance, Keller Graduate School.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What can the board do to help improve the relationship between the administration and its employees, including full-time faculty members?The board of trustees needs to open communication between the administration and its employees. This is not currently being done. The full-time faculty board gave a vote of no confidence to President Breuder last September and the current lineup of trustees has not responded nor even commented. I would propose a specific time during each board meeting to hear from a faculty representative on any issues they want to discuss.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?No.With enrollment up, what should COD be doing as far as available classroom/lab space, staffing and course work options to keep pace with the growth?COD should be reevaluating their construction and remodeling plans. Looking at the square footage of actual classroom/lab space compared to that of administrative space per building shows a greater amount of space dedicated to administrative facilities than to teaching space in some cases. Course work options should be constantly reevaluated to be sure the college is offering what the people want. COD should be routinely surveying the community and students on timing and availability of course offerings so they are meeting the public needs and stay competitive.The board recently agreed to keep the college's operating property tax levy flat for this year. Is the college reaching a point where a tax levy increase is needed? If yes, how do you justify it? If no, why do you believe that?The college has over $177 million in reserve earning 2% growth and construction plans have full funding arrangements. I do not think a tax levy increase is needed now or in the near future.According to a recent Daily Herald report, COD board members approved more than $26 million in spending over a 16-month period without seeing what they were specifically paying for. That's because of a long-standing board policy that allows administrators to pay bills of less than $15,000 without providing itemized reports. Should that policy be changed? Why or why not?Yes, the policy should be changed immediately to lower the dollar thresholds of bills to be paid and increase the availability in reviewing these expenses before any money is paid out. It is clear this policy is an area of high risk and controls should be tightened to prevent misuse.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe it is important to open the books and securitize where money is being spent, internal controls over accounting and reporting need to be strengthened to lower the risks of mismanagement, and we need to sharply limit the use of no-bid contracts as competitive bidding is more economical, fiscally responsible, and discourages any real or perceived favoritism.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Justin Amash, his dedication to transparency is awesome.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To be honest, independent and stand firm..If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?My mother, to help her have a better life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I always loved history. It is a wonderful reference for how similar issues were handled.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Stand your ground but always be willing to listen.