Julia Nephew: 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: Glen EllynWebsite: JuliaNephew.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glen Ellyn Park Board Age: 50Family: Husband, EricThree daughters aged 7, 7, 21Occupation: LibrarianEducation: PhD, MLIS, MACivic involvement: Commissioner, (served as President, Vice-President, Treasurer), Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners, 2009-presentAckerman Sports and Fitness Advisory Committee, Co-Chair, 2016-presentEnvironmental Advisory Committee, Glen Ellyn Park District, Co-Chair, 2016-presentElected offices held: Commissioner, Glen Ellyn Park District Board of Commissioners, 2009-presentQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?Helping keep my community a unique and wonderful place to live is what motivates me to want to continue on the Board. The Glen Ellyn Park District makes it possible for tens of thousands of residents to take part in sports and other recreation that help make Glen Ellyn a marvelous community to live in. The Park District is a watchful caretaker of land and facilities that are essential to our healthy and fulfilling way of life. My husband, two children still at home and I take part in many district-sponsored sports and events. My fellow board members and I have put the District on extraordinarily solid financial footing so it can meet the community's needs without being a burden to taxpayers. I want to assure that the great accomplishments of the last years continue well into the future. We need a Board that will carefully weigh the needs of the ENTIRE community, not just each board member's corner of it.How do you assess the state of the district's finances? What, if any, changes do you propose to alter the district's financial picture, whether through cost reduction or revenue increases? Please be as specific as possible on where you would propose cutting or how you would propose increasing revenue.Excellent. Glen Ellyn Park District property taxes are going down, about 30%, over two years starting with this year's bills! This is nearly unheard of. It will be the lowest levy of surrounding communities without sacrificing quality. The 2006 bonds will be retired and there is no planned referendum. The district has an annual operating surplus that pays for maintenance and capital projects. The finances of the Glen Ellyn Park District are very strong thanks to the hard work of staff under the direction of the Board. The District's Standard and Poor's bond rating of AA+, a rare achievement, is proof of this. The Citizens' Finance Committee, created by me and fellow board members, is made up of residents who are financial experts. They have been instrumental in helping the Board and staff plan for maintenance and upgrades to facilities and properties many years into the future. Their guidance has also helped the District realize a 1.1 M annual operating surplus that will keep parks, programs and facilities in excellent condition. Property taxes will go down and residents will see that in their bills this year. The district's annual report is available online at gepark.org/news/district-news.What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?The Park District strives to meet the needs of all residents. Some programs make a profit while others do not. I will not support removing a program for seniors, for example, just because it does not "pay for itself." Sunset Pool does not always pay for itself but is an essential community asset. The Park District has a mission to offer reasonably priced recreational opportunities to all residents. The Board and staff carefully examine costs of programs and make adjustments. I have encouraged the staff to offer even more events with no entrance fee. These include the Pumpkin Flotilla, the Winter Adventure Day, Family Fun Night, Movies in the Parks, and viewing the Cardboard Boat Regatta. More events are now held at neighborhood parks that used to only be held at Lake Ellyn Park.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them?The Ackerman Park Master Plan needs to continue to be implemented, especially repairing and improving the fields of Upper Ackerman. The funds will be available to pay for proper drainage and soil. The Park District was awarded an IGIG grant for pavers when the Ackerman parking lot is replaced. We have not received the funds because of the state's lack of a budget. If we move ahead too quickly we will lose $430,000 and contribute to unhealthy runoff into the East Branch of the DuPage River. I have called for a new community survey to assess the community's recreational needs. The results will help guide my decisions. I do not favor a referendum and voted last summer to retire the bonds, allowing property taxes to go down. Residents will see a reduction of 7.5% on the park district portion of their 2016 property tax bills (payable in 2017) and a 27.5% reduction for 2017 (payable in 2018), compared to 2015 amounts.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.As an incumbent I am very proud that the Board so quickly put the GEPD on remarkably solid financial footing. The district's bond rating of AA+ and lower taxes: these are wonderful accomplishments. The Citizen's Finance Committee is an integral part of this positive transformation. The District received a Sunshine Award for transparency in 2013 from the Illinois Policy Institute. I was also part of: restoration of the boathouse and Lake Ellyn Park, replacement of lights at Ackerman Park, playground replacements at several neighborhood parks, the planting of hundreds of new trees, replacement of pumps at Sunset Pool with ones that use 90% less water, and a grant for pavers for the new Ackerman parking lot. We also won an OSLAD state grant of $400,000 that will be used this summer to continue improvements at Lake Ellyn Park. I insist that public meetings be held for the neighbors of parks where projects are proposed and I listen carefully to resident concerns. I work hard to craft compromises so that the parks can fulfill their purpose of meeting the recreational needs of the entire community.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Continue the excellent stewardship of the Glen Ellyn Park District. Keep the Park District on firm financial footing. Representing the needs of the ENTIRE community, not just the corner I live in. Providing recreational opportunities to all residents, regardless of their financial means. While the Park District provides scholarships for residents in need and hundreds of volunteers give their time to make activities possible, I would like the District to explore more ways to lower costs of recreational opportunities, especially for children. Healthy exercise habits are created during childhood and do not stop as we get older. I believe the Park District has an obligation to make fitness accessible to all.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Find what inspires you and make it your career.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be active, take part, examine the world.