Debra E. McNamee, 4 years: 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: CaryWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Cary Village board, 4-year termAge: 59Family: Married, 4 children, 1 grandsonOccupation: Retired from Kemper Insurance: Business Analyst, HR Mgr., IT Mgr.; previously worked in government as a Director of Community Development and a Zoning AdministratorEducation: Bachelor of Science, with honor, Business Administration, second major in Urban Studies, Elmhurst College 1984Civic involvement: Village Trustee, Mayor pro-tem, Chair of Public Works Committee, previous chair of Building, Planning, and Zoning CommitteeElected offices held: Cary Village TrusteeHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Getting the biggest bang for the buck for the taxpayer; I am a certified negotiator and have used my skills in representing the taxpayers. Whether it is a labor contract, a negotiation with a developer, or overseeing village operations, I work hard to ensure that the taxpayers are getting good value for their dollar.Key Issue 2 Using community development resources to encourage businesses to locate in the village, while at the same time, ensuring that the developers pay their fair share. Spectrum, an assisted living corp., will contribute $560,000 to the village and other taxing bodies, and of that, $250,000 will pay for street improvements.Key Issue 3 Investing in infrastructure helps maintain strong property values. $2.5 million was spent over the past 2 years and an additional $2.5 million will be spent over the next 3 years on the neighborhood street improvement program. We are a leader in McHenry County in investing in our residential infrastructure.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?With years of experience, I understand all facets of municipal government. Experience is an asset, but my most important quality is that I constantly strive to improve operations, and am never satisfied with the status-quo.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.Cary's sales tax is the lowest in McHenry County, and it is sufficient.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.Cary is a community of safe neighborhoods and thankfully public safety is not a serious concern. That is not to say that there are not problems. When problems arise, they are addressed; the newly hired Police Chief will emphasize training and community outreach.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?We must continue to do more with less in these tough economic times. As in any organization, the single biggest expenditures we have are staff salaries and benefits. Over the past several years, the Village of Cary has undergone a multi-year position elimination and department consolidation effort that is saving Cary taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The future is now...not only have I had good ideas but I have enacted them. From negotiating with the mining company Meyer Material for a donation of $1 million to build a much needed multi-use path, to taking politics out of road paving by having the roads evaluated by a non-biased, professional engineer and keeping a database of the roads and their condition, I have initiated projects that have made the Village of Cary a better place to live.