Catheryn Cawiezel: 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: LisleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lisle Village boardAge: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: ControllerEducation: BS: Business/Finance, Marquette UniversityConcentration: Accounting, Benedictine UniversityCivic involvement: Lisle Heritage Society board member, since 1994Friends of the Lisle Library board member, since 1999Teacher, Religious Formation, St. Joan of Arc grade school, 12 yearsVolunteer, Annual Plant Sale, The Morton Arboretum, 7 yearsBalloon crew, Lisle Eyes to the Skies, 3 yearsElected offices held: Trustee, Village of Lisle, 2009-2010Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The ongoing support of excellence, dependability, and integrity in providing public safety and other public services.Key Issue 2 Fiscal conservatism. Officials have a responsibility to manage government entities like they would manage their own business. Expenses must be adequately covered by revenue, and products/deliverables must be responsive to citizen consumer demand.Key Issue 3 The nurturing of an environment conducive in the long term to a vibrant business community, and a high quality of life for residents. This includes the ongoing evaluation of competitive incentive packages for businesses, and continuous open dialogue to foster creativity regarding the types of development best suited to our specific communityQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have a lot of skin in this game. I have lived in Lisle my entire life. I am personally affected in the long term by the decisions of our governing bodies. My residency in the original section of Lisle offers a balance to the perspectives the trustees collectively bring to the board from the various unique neighborhoods within the village. My career experience has honed a skill set that serves me well as trustee. I have worked as an accountant for over two decades in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, most recently as Controller for a small private university. I managed the accounting department of The Morton Arboretum during the time they undertook the most expansive development in their history, that of the core area which includes the new visitor center and the 4-acre children#146;s garden. Prior to that I worked as a corporate accountant for a Fortune 100 company.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The goal is breadth, that is, for increases in sales tax revenues to come from business growth. Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The movement of gang and drug activity into the suburbs, and low incident/high consequence crimes such as public shootings are of concern. The quality of Lisle#146;s police department is deserving of our deepest respect. Their commitment to effective personnel recruitment and to training is exemplary, as is their cultivation of collaborative relationships with neighboring law enforcement units to pool resources.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Certainly mandates are the single most significant challenge to local government budgets. In August, the Village board passed a resolution to put a public safety pension reform advisory referendum on the November ballot. This is in support of regional actions to attain long term pension sustainability. Kudos to Lisle#146;s staff and officials for weathering the recession so well. Lisle has adhered to a balanced budget without severe service reduction and without laying off employees or imposing furloughs. Lisle has taken sound defensive fiscal measures including two years without wage increases for non-bargaining employees, attrition, and an increase of the employee share of group insurance. Overtime has been kept in close check. Going forward, less frequent summer mowing and landscaping could save some dollars. Services, particularly those that are matters of public safety must be maintained.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Studies show that a sense of community is an essential factor in happiness and well being. Lisle has done wonders to build community. Contributions I would like to make toward that end include maintaining the character of our neighborhoods, and adding heritage preservation to the mix of lenses used to evaluate development. Future development should compliment and be respectful of the aspects of Lisle that allured people to stay or relocate here. Among the reasons people are drawn to suburban living is that it offers a high level of amenities without the congestion of an urban setting. We can model after many of our neighboring communities in preserving areas which still have the character and individuality of Lisle#146;s earliest footprint. Notably, Naperville has incorporated heritage preservation into their municipal mission and values statement.