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Jennifer Barconi: Candidate Profile

Kane County Board District 16 (Democrat)

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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: South ElginWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kane County Board District 16 Age: 43Family: Husband- Todd Barconi who works at Elgin BeverageDaughter- Brianna Barconi who is a Sophomore at South Elgin High School and is the #1 Varsity Singles Tennis PlayerDaughter- Madeline Barconi who graduated from University of Denver in 2015 and works for Fidelity as a Financial Consultant.Occupation: South Elgin Village Trustee and Vice President of SalesEducation: United States Air Force Veteran 1993-1996Elgin Community College 1991-1993Civic involvement: South Elgin Village TrusteePublic Safety and Finance Liaison for South ElginAppointed and serve on the Kane County Mental Health Advisory Committee since 2012Illinois Women in Leadership DelegateFormer President of the PTOUnited States Air Force VeteranElected offices held: South Elgin Village TrusteeQuestions Answers Do you support or oppose construction of the Longmeadow Parkway, including the use of a toll for the crossing over the Fox River?I believe there is a benefit in having an additional bridge crossing over the river. I also believe that it is important to invest in quality infrastructure that will benefit the citizens of Kane County. However, I am concerned with the environmental impact that a project like this would have. Additionally, I do not believe in charging a fee to access the bridge.Do you agree with the Kane County State's Attorney, Kane County Public Defender and Kane County Sheriff that they require more staff? If so, where will the money come from to support that additional staff?I recognize the need for more staff as there is more demand on the Kane County Sheriff, State's Attorney and the Public Defender because the State of Illinois has not passed a balanced budget, thereby impacting many services. This leads to stress on the three organizations that serve the residents of Kane County forcing them to provide more services with less money. In response, each of these departments need to provide yearly goals and staffing plans along with completion metrics that will measure performance.Do you support a completely frozen Kane County property tax levy, or would you support a non-referendum increase of the county's property tax levy to factor in new construction?If Kane County is meeting the needs of Kane County residents with a frozen property tax levy then the answer is "yes". If we are not meeting the needs of the Kane County residents then the answer is "no". Kane County Board should always factor in new construction.What is your philosophy regarding the use of forest preserve district property? Are projects like the proposed cross country course for the former Settler's Hill Landfill appropriate?I believe very strongly in the Kane County forest preserve mission statement of acquiring and protecting land and resources within the county and its pledge to "preserve such lands for the education, recreation, and pleasure of all its citizens." It is important to weigh each individual project against this mission to determine if it will indeed preserve precious resources, such as trees and habitat, while benefitting all residents of the county.Do you believe Kane County's elected officials, including the board, are fairly compensated? Or is it time to explore raises for all the elected offices?Yes I believe that Kane County elected officials, including the board are fairly compensated. I do not believe that it is necessary to explore raises for elected officials at this time.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe that the county is unprepared to supply all the necessary services that the state has forced upon them by Illinois' inability to fund social services statewide. My experience on the Kane County Mental Health Committee has shown me the need for more comprehensive wrap around services for many of our most vulnerable citizens.Additionally, it is important to me that elected officials work hard to represent the interests of the citizens they serve. I have concerns about funding pensions and benefits for part time employees.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.South Elgin Village President Steve WardWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Work hard, be responsible, value the things I had and give back when ever possible.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Air Force Officer Training SchoolWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Business Law It gave me a greater appreciation of the law that applies to business entities.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.