Agnieszka Jaworska: 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: BensenvilleWebsite: www.ResidentsVoiceParty.comOffice sought: Bensenville Village Board Age: 26Family: SingleOccupation: Therapist for Adolescents with Mental Health Substance Abuse IssuesEducation: Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2014 Licensed Professional Counselor, 2014 Illinois Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, 2014 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2010Civic involvement: Counseling Intern at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare (September 2013-June 2014) Crisis Line Worker at National Runaway Safeline (May 2012-September 2013) CASA Volunteer at Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Cook County (October 2010-November 2011)Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have been a Bensenville resident for almost 20 years. I understand our community, but more importantly I understand what areas need improvement and how we can make these improvements possible. My background is in advocating for youth and I want to continue doing that for Bensenville. I want to be a voice for residents in the village government. I am very eager to help improve our town and I think I can do that by bringing in fresh ideas, accountability, and organization. I want to move our town forward in positive ways.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 the local sales taxes are appropriate, but there is an area that I would like to improve and that is the property taxes for those residents who have been severely impacted by the noise and pollution from the O'Hare expansion. I believe there should be some tax relief for those residents.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?The Bensenville Police and Fire Departments have done a great job. However, I do think we could use more support in the dispatch center. I am concerned that emergency call times may be impacted due to the outsourcing of dispatch services.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?My main concern is transparency with the current budget. I think by appropriately assessing and possibly reducing outrageously high salaries incurred by the village management, we could potentially use this money to offer grants to help attract new businesses to our community.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to create a Clean Up Bensenville program in which volunteers can adopt a different neighborhood each month and help clean up trash. This initiative would help enhance our town and bring residents together.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Since my background is in mental health, I am concerned with the long-term mental and physical health effects that airport noise and pollution caused by the O'Hare expansion has on our residents. Bensenville has been greatly affected by the expansion of O'Hare. Some residents who are currently residing under the pathway of a busy runway are reporting lack of sleep and no rest. Furthermore, I am also concerned about the impacts airport noise and pollution has on our youth's health and their ability to do homework and play outside.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Marissa Mayer. I respect her because she is extremely well-educated and has risen to the top in the corporate field at a young age.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams. Obstacles only serve as motivation.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I cannot think of any of another life path than the one I currently have.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Psychology. It helped me to understand myself better and gave me the opportunity to self-improve. It has also helped me understand others' point of view.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I do not have children, but if I did I would teach them to be honest with themselves and others.