advertisement

Robyn Pike: Candidate Profile

Lombard Village Board District 5

Back to Lombard Village Board District 5

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: LombardWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lombard Village Board District 5 Age: 30Family: Husband: Matthew One Daugher: Reagan 14 monthsOccupation: Interactive Marketing, Easter Seals Inc.Education: Business Administration and Health, 2008 Elmhurst CollegeCivic involvement: Lombard Community Promotion and Tourism Committee Volunteer for American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, Aunt Martha's Family Services, The Clothesline Project, LivingWell Cancer Resource Center, Habitat For Humanity and DuPage Young RepublicansElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am the best candidate for the job, because of my experience, independence, and education. I am resident of Lombard with a young daughter. As a mother, I will help maintain the mission and values of Lombard. This includes bringing fresh and innovative ideas to the board. As an active resident, I attend many events that support our community. Attending these events allows me to meet and talk with other residents, business owners and volunteers. I will ensure all of these stakeholders have a voice on the 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.Residents are always alarmed when they see their property tax bill go up. Lombard has one of the lowest tax rates of the surrounding villages, yet provides many vital services to the residents. The sales tax and hotel/motel tax are the life source of the village budget. We want to keep these rates as low as possible in order to attract businesses, families and visitors. A growing and vibrant community is attractable to everyone.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?Most Lombard residents feel safe and secure due to the hard work done by the police and fire departments. There are several schools within District 5. When it comes to our kids, safety is the number one concern. As such, it is important to work with these departments to ensure that our children are safe. Over the past several years, the numbers of crimes and accidents throughout the village have gone down. This is a testament to the hard work done by both departments. I look forward to working with both departments and also bringing my daughter to "Touch a Truck" this upcoming year.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?When it comes to the budget, every cost center in the village needs to be looked at. This will ensure the villages resources are being used efficiently and services/departments are adequately funded. When elected, I will be looking for synergies within the departments. In these difficult times it is important that all government lives within their means just as the families and businesses have to.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Throughout my career at Easter Seals and the American Cancer Society, I was tasked with maximizing the services provided while minimizing the financial burden on our clients. I would like to bring the same mentality to the Village Board. It is important that we get rid of the "Use it or lose it" mentality that many governmental units have. The board needs to work with all of the departments to incentivize them to use the minimal amount of resources, while providing the maximum services. This will leave more money in the pockets of the residents.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Fiscal responsibility: We must be particularly attentive to make sure we live within our means--just like the families and businesses throughout Lombard. Every taxpayer dollar is precious and must be spent wisely. Low Business Vacancy: It is important to fill vacant retail, manufacturing, and industrial space within the Village of Lombard. This allows us to provide the needed services to our residents at the lowest possible cost to them. Attracting businesses to Lombard will help keep our advantage as a business center. Economic strength benefits all village residents. Quality of Life: We need to give residents the public safety and other services they deserve. We have a great police and fire department that protect our residents. Along with the other vital services provided by the Village, Lombard will continue to be the premier place to raise a family in Illinois.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Sheryl K. SandbergWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To always work hard and never quitIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Instead of buying a brand new car, I would have bought a used car right out of college.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Community Health I decided to work for ACS Easter Seals because the health of a person is the most important aspect of life.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?No matter what barriers life puts in front of you, there is always a path that will lead you to your dreams.