Karen Selman: 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: www.saveopenspace.netOffice sought: Barrington Hills Village Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: two adult children, Jenny and MichaelOccupation: semi- retiredEducation: DePauw - BA DePaul - Master of Public Service (MPS)Civic involvement: 4 years Village of Barrington Hills Trustee 2 years Village of Barrington Hills Clerk Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Village of Barrington Hills Founder and Vice President of Friends of Spring Creek Forest Preserves President of Riding Club of Barrington Hills - 4 terms Founder/Chairman of 2005,2008 Kalaway Landowners Cup Barrington Countryside Park District Management Board Citizens For ConservationElected offices held: Trustee of the Village of Barrington Hills - four years Clerk of the Village of Barrington Hills - two yearsQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have lived in the Village for fifteen years. Experience, committment, and proven leadership enable me to have a broad understanding of the functioning and limits of Village government, as well as the needs of the community. I love this community and want to keep it as it is for years to come. Toward that end, I have been a tireless advocate for five acre zoning and open space. Resident dialog has informed my advocacy and my decisions. My experience in conservation, education, communication, restoration, and equestrian pursuits have provided a solid foundation for making good decisions for our Village.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.There is no sales tax in Barrington Hills. Property taxes are high in the Village. First, Barrington Hills is in four counties and two school districts, so taxes vary. The property tax portion that our Village government controls is less than twenty percent of a resident's property tax bill. School districts represent almost sixty percent of resident's tax bills. Nonetheless,our property taxes are high and need to be addressed.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?Our police department is rated among the highest, with national accreditation. Our fire protection and EMT services are excellent, despite the fact that we're in five different fire districts. Our 911 dispatch center has been very effective. Fire and police protection are poised for the future, but our 911 dispatch cost efficiency is being evaluated as we speak. I plan to focus on the issue of toxic spills whether by rail or by truck for our Village in the future.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As finance chair, fiscal efficiencies are my responsibility and priority. The recently passed 2014 Levy Ordinance shows a 2% reduction over the previous year,achieved by lowering legal costs and early retirement of a 25-year employee. Currently, Roads and Bridges needs additional funding, as the price of maintaining local roads, drainage, and salting continues to increase. The current budget reflects the amount of money needed to meet our resident's expectations for services. Further reductions would start to impact those services.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I am constantly exploring formats to encourage dialog and communication among our residents. No single idea yet, but open meetings are on my agenda.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?A return to civility for our government process.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Stephen Packard, former head of the Chicago Audubon. Steve brought the conservation and birding work of the Audubon to Spring Creek Forest Preserves.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The value of humor.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'm pretty much forward-focused. I can't think of anything.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Theatre. The exposure to ideas and performing made me comfortable expressing myself.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Find the humor in it all.