Sandra Hart: 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: Lake BluffWebsite: sandrahart13.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake County Board District 13 Age: 48Family: My husband Tom (who grew up in Lake Bluff) and I have three children, one in each school-Lake Bluff Elementary, Middle, and Lake Forest High School.Occupation: Public Service: Lake County Board Forest Preserve BoardEducation: BA, Marketing, Indiana University Kelley School of BusinessMBA, DePaul UniversityCIAO (Certifed Illinois Assessment Official)Civic involvement: Current:Lake Bluff Schools VolunteerBoard member, Lake Bluff Open LandsMember, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff League of Women VotersMember, Local Food Working GroupPast:Lake Bluff Park District Board (7 years)Chair of the Referendum for the LEED certified Lake Bluff Elementary SchoolSite Coordinator for Community Supported Agriculture Member, Northwestern-Lake Forest Hospital Womens BoardElected offices held: Lake Bluff Park District Board (2006-2012)Current role as Lake County Commissioner, 2012-presentQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office? If you are running for re-election, is there an important project you want to implement? If you are a challenger, is there a particular issue that motivates you? Please explain.I am excited about our commitment to move people living with mental illness from the criminal justice system to treatment and long-term care. By doing so, we help people lead healthy, productive lives and reduce costs. I am proud to have been a long-time proponent of this work.We must continue to increase efficiencies through collaboration, cutting costs and sharing best practices. My budgeting background is an asset as we evaluate the budget to find areas of opportunity, particularly now while people are being hit with high property taxes and Illinois struggles financially to meet its commitments to Lake County.What are your ideas to ensure the Lake County Discovery Museum remains relevant with county residents during the year it is closed while it moves from Wauconda to Libertyville and its new space is prepared?I believe that Lake County Discovery Museum is an untapped resource for the public and for educational institutions. We've discussed the possibility of exhibits at Independence Grove, Greenbelt, and the County buildings in order to increase awareness and give residents a sample of what they can see when the museum opens next year. While the Forest Preserve is increasing outreach at schools across Lake County for our different programs, we'll also be talking about some of the special items we have at the museum, many of which fit in with the current curriculum offered at many of the public schools.Do you believe all of the county board's and forest board's committee meetings should be televised live and webcast? Why or why not?Yes. I was the lead proponent of having all county board meetings be televised, and after three years of bringing it to committee, we finally recorded our first Financial Administrative Committee meeting on August 3rd. It is critically important that residents see decisions made by their representative. This is NOT a new idea; many other agencies have been recording their meetings for several years. Some say that "no one will watch," but that's not the point. My goal is transparency; providing easy, efficient, and convenient access to government. Televising our meetings is a step in the right direction.Some municipalities are turning to Lake County government for contracted services in areas such as building inspections. For example, Lake Zurich signed a two-year contract with the county in late 2015 and expects to save $100,000 by paying $67 an hour for the inspections. Do you see this as a good thing for the county because of the revenue or are there concerns that should be addressed if these arrangements continue to grow? Please explain.I believe this is a good thing for the county AND for the municipalities. Since the county's jurisdiction covers a large area, we are able to share services (via intergovernmental agreement (IGA)) in a way that saves money for the municipalities and be more efficient. Vice versa, if there is a small pocket of unincorporated area, it may make sense for the municipalities to provide those services, again through an IGA. These arrangements enable both agencies to make smart decisions around staffing and allows us to provide same or better service to our residents.Please list any elected office you've ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?I ran for the Lake County Board and was elected in 2012. Prior to this position, I served on the Lake Bluff Park District Board for seven years. I had successfully run for two 4-year terms, but upon being elected to the Lake County Board in 2012, I resigned from the Park Board (as by law I could not serve on both). I served 7 years in total on the Park District Board.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?We must focus on attracting and retaining businesses by understanding their needs as they look to expand or relocate. I am proud to have been part of the effort to bring paratransit to Lake Bluff, working with townships, Pace, and LCDOT, providing seniors and disabled persons an affordable way to get to work and doctors appointments. I am excited about the push toward a seamless, public paratransit system across Lake County.I look forward to increasing the connectivity of our bike trails, creating a strong non-motorized transportation system and an excellent recreational environment, bringing people here to live and visit.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Former State Senator Susan Garrett. She continues to serve the public in many different capacities. She is smart, tireless, and committed to a better Illinois.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Treat others how you would like to be treated. You reap what you sow.Work hard and don't give up. Pay it forward.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?These questions are tricky; you never know how your life would have turned out! However, I would have traveled more before life got so busy!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Conflict Resolution: It helped me to be a better listener, see both sides of an argument, identify the underlying issue and find common ground.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat others how you would like to be treated. This "golden rule" helps one become a good friend, spouse, employee, manager; overall a good person.