Esther Barclay: 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: GenevaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva AldermanAge: 49Family: Single, three children. Christopher Barclay Geoffrey Barclay Kaitlin BarclayOccupation: SalesEducation: Waubonsee Community CollegeNorthern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Cultural Arts CommissionSkate Park SPACGeneva Park District Master PlanGeneva Bikeway ImplementationGeneva Chamber of CommerceGeneva History CenterGeneva Park DistrictFriends of the Geneva LibraryGeneva Beautification CommitteeElected offices held: Geneva Library Board Eight years on the Board, Five years as PresidentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintaining city services during a difficult economic time. The residents and businesses of Geneva expect certain levels of service to be maintained in the City. With the drastic reduction in funding in recent years it is going to be important for the City Council and Staff to work closely and find creative ways to reduce where they can while maintaining the levels of service this community expects. I commend the City Staff for finding ways to reduce the budget by 20% last year. This process will need to be continued in coming months as we see our funding drop further. Services will need to be prioritized at the very fundamental levels including snow removal and leaf pick up.Key Issue 2 We need to make sure we support and encourage our downtown business district. Geneva's downtown is what has made the City the envy of neighboring communities. We have set the standard for what others want to be. This has been done through hard work on the part of business owners, the Chamber and the City. While businesses suffer the City should continue to find creative ways to help attract people and businesses to our downtown business district.Key Issue 3 Continue to plan and work for the future of Geneva. It is easy for us to be so focused on the here and now that we don't keep the future in mind as well. The economy has taken a toll on our community and has become our focus. But the decisions we make now will impact this City for many years to come. We need to make sure we are planning for the future. The City has invested time and money for example on the downtown master plan. We need to make sure that this plan is not left on a shelf while we focus on other things. I am making a commitment to the residents of the 1st Ward and the City not just to make it through the next four years but to work well beyond that and contribute for years to come.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I think my years of commitment through volunteerism as well as holding a leadership role as the President of the Geneva Library Board uniquely positions me as the strongest candidate for the job. I am close to many of the Geneva residents and have listened to what they feel is most important to them. I bring that voice with me to the Council. I have a proven record of my dedication to this community through years of volunteerism. I have experience with the process and budget of a taxing body. But most important I will not waiver from my commitment to continue to work for the residents of the First Ward and the City for many years.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.Considering the burden the State has placed on the tax payers I would find it difficult to justify raising the sales tax. This affects residents and businesses a like. Having said that to lower it would put an even greater strain on the City and it's ability to maintain City services. I would therefor say the tax should stay where it is as we see how the economy evolves and keep an eye on it to determine if a change is needed in the future.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.As I speak with residents in regards to safety concerns I think many are aware of the strain being placed on the City as funding drops. I think the biggest concern regarding safety is our ability to maintain services through the vital functions of our public safety departments. I believe we need to make sure we do everything we can to provide the support necessary to keep Geneva residents safe. We have a proud and dedicated group in our Police and Fire Departments and I believe residents want those departments funded appropriately.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?There are always areas in a budget that can be trimmed and likewise some that need additional funding. I think an area that could be looked at are outside contracts. It is important to put as much out to bid as possible. There are opportunities to have necessary work done at more aggressive rates. It is easy to say ""This is how it has always been done"" and that is a dangerous position to take. Creative and open minds will contribute the most. An area that I think could use additional funding would be road improvements. The winters have been harsh in recent years and it has been seen in the condition of our roads. While the City is working hard to keep them acceptable there are still areas of improvement that could use additional funding.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?While I think Geneva is a great City all ready I guess there is always a way to make things better. As people stay closer to home in these economic times and the stay-cation is talked about more often I think this is an opportunity to bring our Geneva family closer. Through my years of volunteering I have heard the idea of a ""sense of place"" brought up many times. I think that through cooperation between the different taxing bodies we could come up with activities that bring our residents closer together to enjoy our beautiful City even more. We have locations in our City to host wonderful activities at little or no cost.