Rosa DeMaertelaere: 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: HuntleyWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Huntley Village boardAge: 42Family: Married, husband and two children.Occupation: Independent ConsultantEducation: Master of Urban Planning and Public Policy, 1996 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.Civic involvement: D158 Volunteer and Huntley Park District Volunteer CoachElected offices held: None held.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Attract quality businesses that add to our economic base and provide employment opportunities. During these uncertain economic times we have to be proactive in attracting quality businesses into our community that empower our economy and provide local employment options.Key Issue 2 Pursue transportation infrastructure improvements that accommodate growth. Huntley is constantly growing, to enhance our community and attract more businesses our transportation infrastructure has to be maintained and improved. This is presently being done through road extensions, connections and the full interchange I-90/Route 47. It is estimated by The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission that by 2030 the population in Huntley will be 44,435. As a proactive community we have to plan for that growth to ensure public safety and provide accessible roads throughout our community. Key Issue 3 Encourage redevelopment opportunities in Downtown Huntley that preserve the historical character of Huntley and are in line with the #147;Downtown Revitalization Plan#148;. Our present downtown looks #147;aged#148;, as a developing community, developing the heart of our community will enhance our communities appeal to our residents and our visitors, it must be revitalized. Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have a Master#146;s degree in Urban Planning and Public Policy specializing in economic development, as well as the seven years of experience in economic development planning. This includes positions as a planning consultant, managing ACCION Chicago (small business lender), assisting in business retention and business attraction for the Economic Development Commission of Chicago. I have also worked on property management projects for Shorebank Development Corporation in Austin, and the Property Management Resource Center in Chicago.Presently, I dedicate my time to volunteering pursuits that benefit our community, from educating our youth by being a school District 158 volunteer, to being a volunteer soccer coach for the Huntley Park District. In the past, I have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Christmas in April, March of Dimes, Super Block Park Beautification Project, Black United Fund Campaign, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization Bilingual Volunteer (Spanish/English).It is a great pleasure to serve in my community and I would like to join the Village of Huntley by dedicating my education and my skills in its perseverance of sustainable well-balanced developments that strengthen our economic tax base and provide much needed employment opportunities.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.Huntley has a 7% sales tax with 1% of it going to the Village. I think Huntley#146;s sales tax is the right tax for our community. In the first place, I note that Huntley is not facing a budget deficit and is still providing great services to its residents and making capital improvements. In addition, Huntley#146;s sales tax is very competitive when one considers the fact that our neighbors in Algonquin, the Village of Lakewood and Lake in the Hills all have a sales tax of 7.75%. During these difficult economic times, unless a compelling reason exists to raise the sales tax, which I have yet to find, I believe raising the sales tax rate is not feasible if Huntley wishes to remain competitive with our surrounding communities. The Village would be better served by continuing to actively attract businesses that enhance the Village#146;s economic strength and create employment.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.Their biggest pubic safety issue is traffic congestion on Route 47 due to the lack of main roads going westbound and roads that dead end at Route 47. They perceive that the widening of Route 47 will alleviate the congestion, but state that the lack of westbound routes aside from Main Street causes traffic to flow into Route 47 to connect to Main Street. This issue is presently being addressed in the budget by the extension of Kreutzer Road West of Route 47 which will connect Kreutzer Road to Main Street. Another proposed road extension, according to the McHenry County Council of Governments 2010 Priority Projects, is the extension of Algonquin Road West past Route 47 towards Brier Hill. This extension will provide connections to Kreutzer Road, Reed Road and Coyne Station Road, as well as Ernesti and future Ackman Road Extensions. Presently this project is being worked on with the McHenry County Division of Transportation. These road projects when completed will provide alternative routes for traffic to flow both East and West without using Route 47, thereby lessening congestion on Route 47 while providing much needed East and West connections. It is imperative that Huntley#146;s transportation infrastructure be constantly enhanced to accommodate growth via roadway extensions and connections to main roads to ensure safe traffic patterns and provide a positive roadway environment for the public.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?Acknowledging the present state of our economy, Huntley#146;s municipal budget has been trimmed effectively to provide essential and necessary services to support our present development and adapt itself to future growth; therefore there is no need to adjust the budget.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I think Huntley needs its own dialysis center because we don#146;t have one. Persons needing care need to have accessibility close to home as they need two to three treatment sessions per week and have to may require transportation assistance. Today, Huntley residents have few local alternatives, as the closest facility is Carpentersville, which is regularly at capacity, and the center in Marengo which is over ten miles away is a bit of a distance for our residents in need of these services.