Elizabeth Davies: 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: GrayslakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Grayslake Village Board Age: 34Family: I have been married to my husband Brian Davies for 13 years and we have three wonderful children, Kate 7, Megan, 5, and Luke 2.Occupation: High School Math Teacher and Curriculum Consultant currently Full Time MomEducation: BA Secondary Education Mathematics Presidential Scholarship RecipientCivic involvement: Board of Education Member at Lord of Glory Lutheran Church Creator and Leader of Parent and Child Development Class at Lord of Glory Lutheran Church. Member of the Grayslake Historical Society Member of the D46 Grant Review Board Classroom Volunteer for Woodview School Volunteer Coach with the Grayslake Park DistrictElected offices held: Grayslake Village Trustee 2014 to the presentQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I love Grayslake, and I have a real pulse for the community.circ;#160; I am an active member and volunteer in a number of different arenas.circ;#160; With three young children, my husband and I love taking advantage of all that the Village has to offer. I am passionate, experienced, and understand how important it is for leaders to represent their constituents.circ;#160;I truly feel connected to our community and its people. This connection motivates me to give back to my friends and neighbors. I understand the issues facing taxpayers in Grayslake and I am serious about helping.circ;#160;I am the daughter of small business owners and I have a background in education. I know how important both of those areas are to the character of our community.circ;#160; I am a hard worker who brings a rich and diverse background that complements our board and brings a needed perspective.How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services that people want?The Village of Grayslake has passed over 20 consecutive balanced operating budgets and has been without debt since 2009. We are the only town of our size that has zero debt. That fiscal responsibility has enabled us to maintain the high level of services the town expects and deserves. As a governing body, it is important to set aside and prioritize funding for essential services like road resurfacing that improve the quality of life for our citizens.circ;#160; Once these obligations are met, the Village can then address other opportunities.circ;#160; Operating the Village budget like one's home budget and not overspending the taxpayer's dollar is a common-sense approach the Village has taken and should continue to take.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The Village creatively looks at all areas of the budget to trim unnecessary expenses so we can improve services.circ;#160;In fact, we trim on a yearly basis. We have consolidated many administrative jobs within the police department, the public works department, and the Village Hall, and have actually decreased operating expenses in the last years.circ;#160; We are leaders in this type of approach, and other nearby villages are taking notice and following our lead.circ;#160; I am proud of all the Village is able to creatively do with the tax dollars it receives. circ;#160; By being fiscally responsible and continuing to look at keeping operating costs down, we will be able to contribute as much as we can to capital improvements and attract new business.circ;#160; Capital improvements like intersection and roadway improvements, additional green spaces, incentives for business facade renovations and the like make our Village more attractive to potential home buyers and businesses.circ;#160;Is the village doing enough to attract business development? Please elaborate.The Village is doing a great deal, but we always need to stop and think, "Is there anything more we could be doing?"circ;#160; Since my family has a small business, I understand how important businesses and the contributions they make to our community are. I also understand that attracting business to offset property taxes and to help fund our schools is a real priority for Grayslake.circ;#160; A thriving business community would not only ease the tax burden on home owners, it would open new development and job creation opportunities. circ;#160; Improving the roads that service our businesses and creating an infrastructure that is appealing are both very important in attracting businesses. Providing matching funds for facade improvements not only entices new companies to the area, it also helps existing businesses reinvest in the community.circ;#160; The recently-formed Grayslake Business Partners program is working on gathering data so we can showcase our Village to the right companies through solid statistics to encourage those businesses to choose Grayslake.circ;#160; By providing responsible leadership and proof of a financially-sound municipality, we have recently attracted businesses to Grayslake and can attract more.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Grayslake has a lot of character and I feel capitalizing on that is so important. One idea I have is to recognize the historic homes in the Heritage neighborhood with official plaques. The plaques would highlight the homes and help to further tell the history of our wonderful village.circ;#160; Our downtown is a real asset, and if the right space could be found, I have always thought that putting a playground or some type of family interactive space in downtown would help bring even more young families to the area and encourage them to frequent the businesses there.circ;#160; Most importantly, I would like to see the Village have an updated website/calendar that all the great community organizations can contribute to. There are a number of wonderful events going on in the village. A centralized place to find times, places, and information will help promote these events and the village itself. Better communication of all these wonderful events will not only enable more residents to take advantage of these activities, it will help market Grayslake to the surrounding area.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?One thing I learned walking neighborhoods and talking to residents is that people are concerned about their property values.circ;#160; The economy has been tough, and recovering our property values is a real issue for many people. When people buy a home in Grayslake they are essentially buying a share in the Village. When I make decisions as a part of the board, I am doing my best to increase the values of those shares. Road improvements, capital improvements, and attracting more business all help to increase the value of our property. Grayslake is more than just as a suburb with great homes conveniently located near transportation.circ;#160; It is an outstanding community with wonderful people.circ;#160; I think it is important to clearly promote Grayslake as a community people want to live in, a community they want to be a part of, and a community they want to invest in.circ;#160; The Village has a compelling story with rich history and with much promise.circ;#160; Capitalizing on the uniqueness of Grayslake and continuing to make physical improvements in the Village will help us continue to grow and prosper.circ;#160;Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Dr. Linda Henke, a school superintendent I worked under, always showed passion and boldness in accomplishing her vision and championing education.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents served on school and park boards, teaching us the value of hard work and the importance of giving back to the community.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would record conversations with my Grandmother who, as a single woman, courageously immigrated to the United States creating a better life for her family.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I always loved math which has helped me develop logical and rational thinking and taught me how to process complex information.circ;#160;If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I want my children to be good people.circ;#160; I want to raise them to be goodâ#8364;brvbar;.so they will grow up to do good.