Laura Curtis: 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: North AuroraWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: North Aurora Village boardAge: 38Family: Married for 14 years to Jason Curtis with 2 children, Madeline, 10 and Ian, 8.Occupation: Residential Real Estate Appraiser and currently serving as an Alternate on the Kane County Board of Review.Education: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Member Kane County Young Republicans, Member Kane County Women's Organization, Assistant Committeeman in Batavia Township, Alternate on the Kane County Board of ReviewElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Taxes #8211; The Village has historically done well to live within its means. This is even more critical in the current economic times. It is imperative that the Board keep our tax rate low and not spend unnecessarily.Key Issue 2 Quality development- creating a welcoming environment to encourage and attract new businessess so that we can increase our tax base and lower the burden on homeowners.Key Issue 3 Village government should not be for the benefit of those governing the Village but for the residents. Our elected officials should set an example and always be held to a higher standard. As the only female candidate running for an open seat on the currently all male board, I can offer a fresh and diverse perspective to the many issues that affect our community. I do not own a business that will benefit from my position on the board, nor am I related to any one with a business who can benefit should I be elected. We need to make sure that public hearings are held on major zoning, development and other issues so that neighbors can be informed. Rules should be applied and enforced uniformly, and I am a strong supporter of transparency and obtaining the input of the people who ultimately pay the bills.Questions Answers Is it time for the village to hire a village administrator again, or is the setup with President Dale Berman working fine? Explain. What are the advantages and disadvantages?It is difficult to determine if another Administrator is warranted without taking an in depth look at the village budget, future growth trends, and holding a forum to see if the idea would be supported by the residents who would ultimately be providing the funding for the position. It should be pointed out however, that we do have an individual doing the daily coordination between the various Department Heads and the administrative duties in the person of Wes Kornowske. He seems to be doing most, if not all, of what the former Administrator did - without the title.The advantage of having a professional Village Administrator would be the education and experience that such an individual would bring in a very specialized area of management in terms of governmental operations.The disadvantages would include increased costs for salary and benefits which would be supported by the taxpayers, and now may not be the time for the Village to take on that burden. Should the village proceed with remodeling the old police station into expanded space for village administration? Explain.Absolutely! The remodeling of the area occupied by the former Police Station should be done, but prudently. The Village Hall facilities have been extremely overcrowded for years. Some may say that having crowded facilities are simply not enough to warrant this expense, but the conditions at Village Hall affect efficiency and the ability of the staff to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I do not believe there is the necessity for expensive studies and a lot of outside consultants to accomplish this. The use of a good professional contractor who can advise the Board and the Staff would most likely suffice. Properly done, this facility could then last indefinitely since the growth of the Village is getting close to maxing out.It#146;s been said spiffing up downtown is nearly impossible because many property owners don#146;t seem to care about participating because their rentals make money as they are. What would you do, if anything?It is assumed that the #147;downtown#148; you are referring to is located along Route 31. We all would prefer that it look better than it currently does which would would attract businesses that could better take advantage of it's prime location along the I-88 corridor. However, the real fact is that this is not truly the #147;downtown#148; of North Aurora any longer. Our major retail and business area has moved west out to Randall and Orchard Roads. If financing were available through another source other than taxing the residents or using Village funds to do things like burying the electric lines and improving the right-of-way, we could consider that. But, I cannot support taxing residents to improve the property of a business who will not do so on its own. A few of our existing businesses have taken advantage of available TIF funds and made improvements that have turned out very nice. I would encourage others to do the same as it would be to their benefit to do so.Why should or shouldn't people be allowed to keep a limited amount of hen chickens in their backyards?I have talked to many of my friends and neighbors throughout the Village and not one of them - myself included, wants their neighbor to raise any hen chickens, pigs or any other agricultural animal next door to them. North Aurora is a primarily residential community and it will be my job when elected to represent what the residents want... and I have a feeling they don't want chickens.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one else is talking about?I wish I could tell you that I came up with an idea that no one else has, but my idea is that Village Government should represent what all the people want and communication with the residents should be an on-going priority. This is not a new concept but it is what should happen and what I will practice on a daily basis.