advertisement

Roberta Borrino: Candidate Profile

Roselle Park Board 4-year term

Back to Roselle Park Board 4-year term

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: RoselleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Roselle Park Board 4-year term Age: 55Family: Husband, Tom; Daughter Kristin, 24; Son Anthony, 19.Occupation: Marketing CommunicationsEducation: University of Illinois Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration/MarketingCivic involvement: â#128;cent;Cub Scout Leader 2001 - 2006; â#128;cent;District 12 Band Booster 1999-2008; â#128;cent;District 108 Band Auxiliary 2006-2013, Secretary 2008, 2011 -2012; â#128;cent;St. Walter Parish Fest Committee 2007 - 2013, Volunteer Coordinator; â#128;cent;Board member, League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn, 2011 - 2013, Voter Service Chair. â#128;cent;Founder, Vice President Operations and Program, League of Women Voters of Roselle-Bloomingdale, 2011 - present. â#128;cent;Board Secretary, Roselle Police Pension Fund, 2013 - present.Elected offices held: â#128;cent;Park Commissioner, Roselle Park District Board of Commissioners, elected 2003. Have held all Executive Board positions, now serving as Vice President;Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Roselle Park District is fortunate to be in good shape financially. We have confidence in our Executive Director and staff of the District to cost effectively program the District. Local tax dollars essentially pay for mowing lawns and other basic services. Recreation programming, preschool and after-school programs, and a constant search for other revenue sources, make up the lion's share of the District's budget. The roles of a park district commissioner are basically to set policy and hire and supervise the Director. We feel we've done a pretty good job of that over the past few years as evidenced by our financial success. Roselle Park District continues to grow during the 2014-15 period. The 2013-14 fiscal year exceeded our budgeted revenue goals for the fourth year in a row, while successfully implementing actions outlined in our strategic plan. Certain new programs may not pay for themselves at first, but we are in the enviable position to be able to run new programs even if they do not pay for themselves right away. Our new youth theater program, for example, did not pay for itself with its first production, but its success -- the "buzz" the show created -- brought in more participants and the second show put the program in the black. We feel we have put good controls in place to allow for trying new things, and for making sure other programs that are not working as well are either contained, revised or discontinued.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.While there exists no specific "need" to acquire new land, an overriding goal of a park district is to conserve open space. Roselle is virtually landlocked. We do have our eyes on certain pieces of property that are either contiguous to existing parks or that would offer greenspace in new areas for us. We have inquired on some small parcels that have come up for sale in the past few years. Unfortunately cost is always a factor.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?Roselle Park District offers a wide range of recreational options, especially for having such a small staff. We look for opportunities to fill in where our surrounding districts and commercial ventures are lacking. Our talented staff is always looking for new options. When a community group comes to the District with an idea, that makes it easiest to address -- and why, for example, we were one of the first Districts to offer a dog park in the area. In short, I believe the District is truly meeting the needs of the community, and has demonstrated the ability to be responsive as needs change over time.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?The Park District has a long history of working with the Village to cooperatively keep parks and open areas looking their best. We share GIS information with the Village to help keep the local tree population healthy. We also have agreements with the various local school districts in exchange for using their gyms for youth sports. We maintain the parking lot at Roselle Middle School and in turn are given use of its parking for Kemmerling Park and Pool in the summer. We have looked into combining certain administrative functions with other agencies and would be open to explore in this direction again should an appropriate opportunity arise. Our staff is consistently looking for ways to combine resources and do more with less.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.Turner PARC Grant: Improvements to the Turner Park house were sorely needed, Board had been allocating funds for several years to do so. Board and staff worked for 3 years to secure grant to make the most of the project with a focus on revenue generation and new program space. My contribution is providing the experience of being an active part of the Kemmerling Park and Pool project, opened in 2008, which was paid for through another state grant. I garnered valuable lessons through the earlier experience and I am now using that level of understanding on this new project, including my role in selecting the construction manager and architect. Strategic Plan: District worked to a detailed budget for years, but to get past the status quo, we had to outline future plans and steps to reach them. My insistence that this process would be valuable got the project off the ground. The Board's adoption and staff's embracing it has produced many improvements to the District over the last few years. Hired Current Director: As Board President in 2010, facilitated the hiring process of current executive director. Garden Club: Co-founder of the Roselle Park District Garden Club. Current club membership is 31, with successful projects in place including Village Hall rain garden, and plantings throughout the area. Online registration: It was unacceptable to me in 2003 we did not offer online registration. Little did I realize it would take 8 years and a whole new computer system to successfully implement.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I have a almost 12 years' worth of experience to leverage. The District has invested time and money in my education and understanding of parks and recreation as a business and the intricacies of municipal funding. I have accomplished what I had hoped in my three terms and look forward to using my institutional knowledge to help complete the Turner project on time and budget, as well as to help shape its purposes and programming for years to come.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Natalie Jaresko - Ukrainian Finance Minister -- my boss for 3 years. Her integrity, work ethic and brilliance now recognized by both US and Ukraine.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My father was unable to attend college. He went to night school for 17 years. His persistence led to a Northwestern degree. Persistence pays off.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would not re-do anything. The sum total of our experiences brings us to today. I am happy with where my journey has taken me.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Always loved learning. Choosing favorite subject is difficult. While I hated Physics, I spent 15 years using it daily. Every experience adds something to life.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat others as you wish to be treated.