Darci Chandler: 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: HuntleyWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Huntley Village Board Age: 41Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Sr. Automation EngineerEducation: BSEE MBACivic involvement: Welfare Specialist with focus on emergency preparedness in my church.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have lived in Huntley for 11 years and have observed the growth that is happening here and in the surrounding areas. I know from experience in living in areas like this how important it is for the Village to control its growth now and plan well for the future; otherwise the changes coming will force Huntley to make changes that may not be right for its citizenry. I believe I can bring a different perspective as a village trustee that can help to move us in a direction that benefits the most people.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.I think that taxes are too high and the village needs to look at ways to increase revenues that don't punish the local taxpayers. Many people I have talked to have complained about the level of taxes they have to pay and question the benefits received. If the village administration, along with the village board, can focus on bringing in corporation, which is a key element in the village's strategic plan, then some tax revenues can be shifted from the homeowners to these businesses and which would free up the average citizen's budget to be able to spend more money in the village itself and bring in extra funds.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 would rate these departments' efficiencies as quite high. I have been fortunate to not have to use their services, except for inquiries as to certain information I was seeking. Yet in the times I have seen them going to emergency situation, sometimes in my neighborhood, I have been impressed with how they conduct themselves in getting the needed jobs done. I know that there is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program in place that trains citizens as to the actions they can take in case of a disaster striking the area and believe they are taking the necessary steps to keep up with the latest skills and technology to be ready for these situations. I know several citizens have the wrong impression of the police and think they act as if their duties are focused on writing as many tickets as possible, so a program to help improve relations with residences and show the integrity of the officers and firemen would be beneficial; though this kind of program would be a 2-way street between these departments and citizens. Despite the CERT program, I do worry that the residences would not know what to do in times of a disaster and chaos could occur that would cause a hazardous situation for the population in general; so a program to help all residence to become prepared would be something I think should be looked into.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As with any budget, whether government or business, there is always going to be some level of waste and it is difficult to look at the appropriations and say that there is too much money in one place and not enough in another. Everyone has their "pet project" that they would want to see get more money or some department they don't like and wants funding cut. Until an examination and report can be done on where specific waste is occurring and how to decrease, if not eliminate it, it would be irresponsible to make a determination in either situation.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like Huntley to investigate the possibility of establishing enterprise zones that would attract businesses to the area and help create more local jobs for its residence and add onto the growth of the area and encourage entrepreneurship.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I would like to explore ways to get the younger residences (age groups of 20's, 30's, 40's) more involved in the community and the local policies. I know this is the last thing on the minds in the age groups; I've been there myself. So many times they think that there is nothing we can do to effect change or that is something for the older generations to be taking care of. But the policies that are created today have huge impacts on the future of an area and if someone does not want to be saddled with things they don't agree with they need to be acting now. The Village can help every citizen see the kind of power they have and work together to create a future nearly everyone can be proud of. The people of an area have the power to influence so many things. They just have to have the information available to them and understand they can be heard and make a difference in what happens around them.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Ted CruzWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Hard work will help you accomplish more in life than anything else.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing, even my mistakes have made the person I am today.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?math, it open the door to my engineering careerIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be honest with everyone in your life, especially yourself.