Michelle Maison: 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: Barrington HillsWebsite: TBDOffice sought: Barrington Hills Village Board Age: 48Family: daughter, Morgan Maison 17 son, Jack Maison 12Occupation: counsultantEducation: Boston College, BS DePaul University College of Law, JD Northwestern University, MediationCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have a solid and long -term understanding of the community from all different perspectives. I moved to Barrington in 1971 and attended Grove Avenue, Station Middle School and finally Barrington High School. My two children have also attended Barrington schools and are actively involved in a variety of activities in the area. My daughter is an active participant in the equestrian community as well. I work in Barrington and am a member of several local organizations. My legal, mediation and "mom" experience trained me to analyze and identify issues as well as be open to listening to every side. I am not political by nature. I like to get the facts and come up with a solution to move in a positive direction to create a win-win outcome.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 property taxes in Barrington Hills are too high. Local taxes only account for 18% of the total bill but the goal is always to increase efficiencies to get taxes lowered for already over-burdened taxpayers. We can achieve this by continuing to work to reduce the Village's spending.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?Based on my personal experience, I would say that the police and fire coverage is adequate. I do not have any specific public safety concerns.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I am in favor of the current administration's decision to consolidate the 911 call center to improve efficiency and lower the cost to the village. However, I would push for assurances built into the agreement that require QuadCom to provide an efficient response time to calls, as we cannot negatively impact service to our residents in this process. In addition, I think the 4.5 mile backlog in road resurfacing needs to be addressed. Our community deserves well-maintained roads, and currently we are behind in this area. Unfortunately, this may eat up much of the savings we are able to achieve in other areas of the budget, so I would want to ensure we develop a long-term strategy to deal with road maintenance in a fiscally responsible way.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I enjoyed the Barrington Hills Fall Festival for the past two years at the riding center and would like to take this idea even further. One of the reasons I moved to Barrington Hills is because I find the diversity of people in the community very appealing. The residents are very passionate about their lives and the community, and I would like everyone to have the opportunity to get to know more Barrington Hills residents. I would like to organize an event that would appeal to an even wider range of ages and interests to encourage more Barrington Hills residents to attend. I have thought about the possibility of an outdoor concert or Ravinia type event, but I would ask the residents what would be of interest to them.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I would like to see a more transparent and efficient administration. I am concerned about the hold-over provision that allows appointed members of boards and commissions to remain seated beyond their expired term. I do not believe this was the intent of the provision and would like to see this loophole addressed. I would like to see Barrington Hills be more unified and less adversarial in their actions. This would create a more positive future for our current and future residents. I am also strongly in favor of retaining our 5-acre zoning as it makes Barrington Hills a unique place to live.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.President Marty McLaughlin. He is intelligent, strong-minded, decisive, fair and a great listener. Most importantly he puts aside his personal opinions for the greater good.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The past is simply the past. It does not define you. You decide how your future will look.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I put in for a transfer to Northwestern my sophomore year and backed out. In hindsight I should have transferred and of attended both institutions.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was Psychology. It helps me to be a better listener and to see all sides to every issue.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Do what you love because the goal in life is to be happy.