Kathleen O. Leitner: 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: Tower LakesWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Tower Lakes MayorAge: 52Family: Married to Mark Leitner, two daughters Marley and KatherineOccupation: Attorney focusing on residential real estate and estate planningEducation: JD DePaul University College of Law, 1987BA SUNY College at Oswego, 1980Civic involvement: completing my first four year term as Village President, Tower Lakes; Village Clerk, Tower Lakes 2000-2007; Member, Zoning Board of Appeals, Tower Lakes 1997-2000; Board Member Tower Lakes Homeowners Association 1995-1997Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 continue to work toward completion of issues identified by residents which have been incorporated into the 2010 Village Comprehensive PlanKey Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am an incumbent candidate running unopposed for the office of Village President for the Village of Tower Lakes. Like the rest of our Village Board, I believe that the best government is one that governs for the best interests of the community. If that is successfully accomplished, and residents are satisfied with the results, we have done our job.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.Tower Lakes does not have any commercial, industrial or retail business; therefore we collect no sales taxes. We are in the unusual position of having the current economic climate having much less impact on our budget than some of our neighbors; however, the State's withholding of the Local Government Income Tax Distribution has a serious effect on our budget. It is disconcerting that the State Legislature has recently decided to unilaterally alter the decades-old formula for distributing funds that belong to the municipalities. And they are doing the same thing with Motor Fuel Tax funds that belong to municipalities. Villages like Tower Lakes have always been able to budget knowing what those funds were and when to expect them, so this move by the State Legislature will have tremendous negative impact on every municipality in the State if it cannot be adjusted.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.Tower Lakes has its own police department which offers highly personalized service to our residents. I believe our immediate neighbors benefit from our police presence as well. Residents of Tower Lakes feel very safe as a result of our police department's professionalism and personal attention.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?Due to our unique financial situation, Tower Lakes has always been fiscally conservative. In the past three years, the Village Board has rotated priorities, in terms of which areas received more fiscal resources per annum, in order to address different concerns. We have also had to work around unexpected expenses, like the huge increase in the cost of road salt a couple of winters ago. And, of course, the State's failure to distribute municipal funds has been a challenge. We have also worked with neighboring communities looking for ways we can share resources for the mutual benefit of each village. We have also entered into arrangements with multiple municipalities to reduce expenses for services we all use--SWALCO is one example. Snow plowing and other road services from Cuba Township is another example.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?We're beginning to explore a Tower Lakes Community Center on the Village Hall site and adjoining property. We're looking for input from the community now to further this idea from the Comprehensive Plan. A community center is not really a new idea: Tower Lakes' founder Nazareth Barsumian always wanted to build one. We're finally looking at it 90 years later.