Michelle Kembitzky: 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: West DundeeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: West Dundee Village Board Age: 56Family: Married to Bernie Kembitzky, a Pilot with United Airlines. We have a son, Alex, a 2008 Graduate of H D Jacobs High School. Alex received his BA from UW-Plattville, and is currently a student at the University of Arizona Law School. We also have a daughter, Katy, a 2012 Graduate of H D Jacobs high school, who is currently a junior at Eastern Michigan University, where she is majoring in Economics and Math.Occupation: Accountant/Internal Control Compliance for Office DepotEducation: BA - Accounting St. Ambrose CPA - IA, TX, AR ILCivic involvement: Civic involvement takes many forms, the majority of my involvement has been in volunteer roles. I've volunteered in the classroom and through leadership positions with the Dundee Highlands PTC including Bookfair Chair, Auction co-Chair, Treasurer President; working to raise funds for the "extras." At Jacobs, I assisted in fundraising events for Athletics, and as treasurer tightened controls over cash and improved our return on deposit balances. In February 2012, I was appointed Trustee for the Village of West Dundee. Because of my finance background I serve as the finance liason as well as liason to District 300.Elected offices held: Appointed Trustee for the Village of West Dundee in 2012. Other offices held: H D Jacobs Athletic Booster Treasurer, Altrusa International - Treasurer; Community Crisis Center of Elgin - Board Member Treasurer; American Heart Association Fox Valley - Fundraising Chair 1993; Dundee Highlands PTC: President, Treasurer, Auction co-Chair, Bookfair Chair; Girl Scouts of America - Sybaquay Council Cookie Chair; Camp Algonquin/Hurricane Katrina Relief - Treasurer,Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am an accountant with variety of experience including Public Accounting, Banking, Public Finance and Internal Control. I have extensive experience in budgeting and cost control. The current board is well balanced due to variety within the background and professions of the members. I represent the only woman, and only accountant. As a resident of West Dundee for over 20 years I have a vested interest and genuine concern for the vitality of the Village. In summary, my background and skills plus the passion and commitment to see West Dundee grow and prosper make me an ideal candidate and an asset to the Village Board.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The Village of West Dundee has experienced substantial loss of sales tax receipts due to competition from the surrounding communities (Algonquin at Randall Road and Hoffman Estates at Rte. 59). The retail growth to the east and west of us together with the increase in on-line shopping has had an adverse impact on our economy. Additionally the economic downturn of 2008 ended anticipated residential development - which in turn resulted in the loss of significant retailers, J C Penney, BestBuy and most recently Target. As documented in the area study by CMAP, we need more roof tops. The Village has done a commendable job holding down property taxes; when compared to the surrounding communities, our residents pay less for the services provided by the Village. But we need to court more developers and increase roof tops, in order for the village to continue to offer the residents the services they have come to expect without significantly increasing property taxes. A larger population base is needed to attract quality commercial enterprises to invest in West Dundee. While the Village does not own the various parcels that lie vacant, it has been working with the owners to help attract investors to the area. It is through this "partnership" that we have seen new investment in the West Dundee community.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?I rate the police and fire coverage in West Dundee as highly effective and mutually responsive. The police and fire departments have established alliances with the neighboring communities to assure rapid and comprehensive responses to emergency calls. The response times to fire ambulance calls average about 3 minutes. To improve public safety, the Board is in the process of adding 4-way stops and restricting parking based on narrow streets based on recommendation and research performed by the police department. During the past two years the Village has invested in a new ambulance, new squad cars, radio equipment for the police and breathing equipment for the firefighters -- all to assure that the men and women in these front line roles have the equipment to respond timely and effectively. As for preparedness for the future, in addition to the new equipment, through my involvement over the past 3 years, I have come to admire and respect both Fire Chief Randy Friese and Police Chief Andy Wieteska. Both men have a deep commitment to the community and the residents of Dundee. They are forward thinking and proactive in their approach to their positions and the team of officers they command. I believe that the Village is well served in these areas.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?This is a difficult question as nearly 80% of the village's budget is personnel related, and our staffing levels have been at minimum levels for a number of years, because the village has reduced staffing levels to reduce costs. The problem with extended periods of staffing at minimum levels, is that staff become over utilized and start looking elsewhere, overworked staff have little time to develop new programs, you also don't have the luxury to develop a succession plan to assure continuity. Finally, a substantial part of our increased costs the past 2 years has been related to pensions. Which unfortunately,is an area the Village has no control over. With that said, I am committed to cost reductions and I will be reviewing costs and revenue projections closely during the coming months as we put together the 2016 budgetWhat's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Candidate did not respond.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I think it is important to maintain our identity. My family and I love the community spirit - that we have known in West Dundee. The way we all come together to celebrate during Heritage Fest and Dickens in Dundee. While we have discussed a downtown riverwalk and revitalization process for years, we finally took a step in that direction with the study performed by the Hitchcock group. It is important that we as a Board and community set definitive goals and timelines for completion of this "dream."Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I admire Bill Gates for his commitment to giving back, his Foundation works to improve education, fight infectious diseases and expand the world's food supply.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.