Catherine Galvin: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Glen EllynWebsite: http://www.electcatherinegalvin.comOffice sought: Glen Ellyn parksAge: 47Family: An older sister, brother-in-law and niece who reside in Darien, IL.Occupation: A Sales Representative for a Food Broker, covering the south suburbs and Northwest Indiana.Education: Lifelong resident of Milton Township and attended St. Francis High School,College of DuPage, A.A.Civic involvement: Member Milton Township CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)Volunteer: Glen Ellyn Park District Cardboard Boat Regatta, Freedom Four and Polar Express; JazzFest; Jack Marston 5K Event for Melanoma Research; and the Glen Ellyn Fourth of July Committee.Elected offices held: Milton Township Precinct 53 Republican CommitteemanHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Fiscal Responsibility. During this economic downturn it is imperative that the Glen Ellyn Park District be as responsible and watchful of their financial resources as the residents are of their own checkbooks. We also need to continue to serve the community, serve the community well and contribute to their quality of life by maintaining open space and continuing to make available the finest programs and facilities that we can.The Park District plays to a diverse community with diverse needs and resources. Those who may have traveled extensively in the past may now be seeking recreational opportunities closer to home; those who may have had memberships at private clubs may now be utilizing the Park District for the first time; and those who already utilized Park District resources may be cutting back on these programs. We need to be considerate and thoughtful about deciding how to spend the taxpayer#146;s money.I also believe that selling non-referendum bonds as a common practice method of funding capital projects is a disservice to the community. This closes the opportunity for an honest and open debate with the community on the merits and benefits of a specific project.Non-referendum bonds take decision making away from the community. It is an easy way out from asking the voters permission via a referendum. Referendums can serve as a de facto community survey by forcing the Board to ask the community how to be spend the taxpayer#146;s money.While many candidates discuss property tax relief, it is important to note that the Park District receives 5.3% of the #147;property tax bill pie#148;. For the taxpayer to receive substantive property tax relief, drastic program cuts may be required. At this time I would prefer to focus on paying down the significant debt of the Park District from the acquisition of Maryknoll Park, the renovation of Village Green Park and the construction of the Ackerman Sports Fitness Center.Key Issue 2 Governing Transparently. In the spring of April 2009 when three former Commissioners left the Board I attended that meeting and publicly thanked them for their service to the community. When individuals dedicate their time and effort to serve in that capacity it is all too often a thankless job. After three new Board members were sworn in, it occurred to me how little the community knows about the day to day operations of a Board.I began to take notes and the end result was my blog: www.theglenellynparkbench.blogspot.comAll too often very little is known about a taxing body and the Board members until a month before an election when the end result is summarized with: this guy stinks #8211; I don#146;t. As a result I have attended EVERY meeting since April 2009 with the exception of November 2010. My #147;citizen#146;s initiative#148; has fostered an even deeper enthusiasm, a quest to learn as much as possible and a deeper respect for my community. I am a not a writer but I felt and still feel a deep sense of responsibility to share, educate and inform.Since April 2009 I have been fortunate to observe and learn about the Budget, Tax Levy and Budget Appropriation Ordinance. I have witnessed an extraordinary community such as when an Eagle Scout asked for and completed a service project cleaning up the pond at Maryknoll Park. I have seen the Windy City Warriors wheelchair basketball team receive a Proclamation from the Board. The Windy City Warriors are ranked 13th nationally and the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center is their home.I have also witnessed some divisive behavior from some of the Board members. In the fall of 2009 I witnessed a Commissioner call a Staff member a name just before she and another Board member exited the meeting prior to adjourning. Board members need not be friends, but we must be respectful of each other. I will strive to build bridges and work with all other Board members and Staff regardless of our philosophical differences.Board meetings should be videotaped. A proposal in the spring of 2009 called for the Board to videotape meetings with a cost not to exceed $1,000. Staff presented a proposal to copy the Village#146;s format but that cost was over $14,000. I believe the cheaper version will result in poor quality and would not serve our community well. I also feel that $14,000 is a lot to spend. I propose that the Glen Ellyn Park District enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement for a minimum of 6 #8211; 18 months with the Village of Glen Ellyn and hold their meetings at Village Hall, utilizing existing video equipment until the Park District can budget the appropriate equipment.Key Issue 3 Being #147;Forward Thinking#148; as a Board and as a Board Member. The current Board has made great strides in moving forward. The changes to add data such as the Board Packets online is a great service to the community and a start.As an example, last year former Executive Director Cory Atwell told the Board that a vehicle was offered to him when he was hired 16 years ago. The reasoning of #147;but that#146;s the way we have always done it#148; needs to be questioned, challenged and debated. The vehicle policy for senior staff members should be analyzed fully. Unlike businesses which usually lease, the Park District utilizes the State Buy Program. We should be analyzing the costs involved in a car allowance instead of merely replacing Senior Staff vehicles at the end of their life-span.Several conversations came up at Board Meetings last year regarding cell phone usage. In this information age and the fact that Staff may move from facility to facility throughout the workday, I believe that full use of electronic communication should be utilized. I would like to see if traditional land line technology can be reduced while reliance on cell phones increases.Using the debate process when making decisions at Board Meetings should involve a discussion of what will serve the community now and for the future. Lifespan of a project and replacement costs should be discussed fully but also how it will affect our community in the future. We can always learn from the past, while looking at the present and the future.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?According to comments made by Superintendent of Parks Kathleen Esposito and former Executive Director Cory Atwell at meetings I have attended, Senior Citizens programs and special events such as the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta do not pay for themselves.While many candidates state that government should run like business, the reality is that it cannot always do so. I would never cut Senior Citizens Programs because I believe that we need to serve the entire community. As a Board we need to work together, and with Staff in order to ensure that there is an appropriate mix of programs.Fitness classes for example may cannibalize each others attendance if not scheduled appropriately. Events such as the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta in conjunction with the Community Picnic serve and showcase our community in way that cannot be reflected on a balance sheet.The Board needs to work together, and with Staff to define some of the Park District#146;s value if a program is not paying for itself and determine if it needs to be changed, eliminated or kept.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.I do not know of additional open space that the Park District needs to acquire. Although I have attended so many meetings these discussions would have been held under the Illinois Open Meetings Act and I would have been excused.Since the Maryknoll acquisition in 1999, our options to acquire additional open space in land-locked Glen Ellyn are limited. I would further add that adding any open space for the sake of adding open space be investigated and debated fully.Little Spicely Park at Taylor St. and Walnut is a sweet little park. However we need to look at the resources to maintain adding additional parks of that size. Adding smaller #147;Pocket Parks#148; may not benefit the community since that land would be taken off tax roles. If we cannot acquire appropriate open space we need to direct resources towards improvements at existing facilities. Updating the playground at Glen Ellyn#146;s flagship park: Lake Ellyn, updating the outdated playground equipment at Manor Park or resurfacing the basketball courts at Surrey Park are some examples that may serve the community better than obtaining additional smaller parks. 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?I have not observed unmet recreational needs. I would hope that anyone who feels that there are any unmet recreational needs would discuss their concerns with me. I think that the Glen Ellyn Park District has a plethora of opportunities available for the community. While I did not vote for the referendum to build the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center, I am a member. I want to see the facility grow and develop and meet the needs of the community for many decades to come. That will be a priority if elected.I am proud of the Park District#146;s relationship with WDSRA (Western DuPage Special Recreation Association). I have been attending WDSRA events and have met several of the program participants and their families and will continue to do so.I have attended events of the Glen Ellyn Park#146;s Foundation for over 5 years. I support the Scholarship Program, especially during this economic downturn. I will recommend that a Park Board member serve on the Park#146;s Foundation Board and I will volunteer to do so if elected. The Scholarship Program helps ensure that unmet recreational needs due to a residents inability to pay are met.We are fortunate to have such an active and diverse community. We also have limited space. Baseball, soccer and football are wildly popular activities and tax our fields. We need to continually seek opportunities for the use of additional space, such as the College of DuPage. A particularly rainy season is detrimental; both to the fields while canceling/rescheduling practices and games can wreak havoc with everyone#146;s schedule. Lacrosse is becoming a popular sport and we need to give it the field space and opportunity to grow in our community.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?I am a proponent of Intergovernmental Agreements. I witnessed the Agreement process with the Park District and District 87 last year with regards to artificial turf at Memorial Field. In a classic win-win, the Park District obtained some much needed field space and District 87 received additional revenue for 8 years.The Park District has an Intergovernmental Agreement with District 41 for the use of their basketball courts which I believe also serves the community well.Furthermore, on September 7, 2010 several residents who reside on Riford Road addressed the Board regarding severe property damage that occurred in July and August, when the berm on the north edge of Lake Ellyn overflowed due to heavy rains. Lake Ellyn is part of the Glen Ellyn Park District but the Village is responsible for the storm water retention. This situation can only be resolved with the joint efforts and cooperation of the Village and the Park District.As previously stated, I would like to share videotaping equipment with the Village of Glen Ellyn. I am open to an honest discussion on sharing resources with other taxing bodies. In the end I find Intergovernmental Agreements tend to serve the community well in a fiscally responsible manner.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.I chose to run for the Park Board after attending every meeting for a year. I ran for the State Senate in 1990 and had no desire to pursue elected office again. When I started attending Park Board meetings and writing about them it was purely to inform the public. However, after attending so many meetings I would like to offer my opinions and perspective and I feel I would be a value to the Board.After the petitions were filed in December, I realized that three current Board members circulated petitions for three candidates. I am proud to state that I am an independent. I am not affiliated with other Board members. I am not running with anyone. I do question why three Board members are working with three candidates for a seven member Board. In my opinion, Board members are like family: we don#146;t really get to pick them, but we do have to work together. I do not believe in a Board that rubber stamps things. I believe that a healthy and lively debate is important. That debate helps us learn. The debates I have observed at meetings in the last 20 months have taught me so very much. The more I learn the more I want to learn. I do not believe in Pet Projects. Some Commissioners have vested interests that affect their families personally. One Commissioner is especially involved in baseball and the baseball community since his son is a player. He does not demonstrate the same concern for other Park District activities. Another Commissioner has expressed repeated concerns regarding a park across the street from her home. I believe that I can be equitable and fair with regards to all parks, facilities and programs and serve the entire community in a fiscally responsible manner.I have volunteered at many activities this year in order to work with the community and with Park District Staff. I have volunteered at the Great Cardboard Board Regatta, the Freedom Four, and the Polar Express. In addition I have volunteered at community events such as JazzFest, This Run#146;s for Jack 5K, and the Glen Ellyn Fourth of July Committee. I have attended WDSRA and Glen Ellyn Park#146;s Foundation events. Again, the more I serve and learn, the more I want to.I realize that some candidates are using the Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center as a campaign issue. Other Board members past and present made the decisions to expand this facility. I feel they lacked communicating these changes to the community. My biggest issue as a candidate regarding Ackerman is looking forward in making this facility as successful as possible. I do not think it is constructive to belittle and criticize the choices others have made. The choices Board members make affect the community not just for the moment #8211; but for the future. I hope that I can be as forward thinking as others who stepped forward and chose to serve our community.