Shannon L. Fox: 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: Island LakeWebsite: http://www.rightparty1.comOffice sought: Island Lake Village boardAge: 36Family: Married, two children, two step-childrenOccupation: Certified Pharmacy Technician for Walgreen Co.Education: - Attended Purdue University with a focused education in pharmacy and nursing sciences- Employed as an IT Analyst for Walgreen Co., developing skills in web development, database management, systems architecture and client architectureCivic involvement: Strategic Planning Committee for Commercial Development, Girl Scout Leader, We Care Committee volunteer, PTO member volunteer, weekly Cotton Creek School District 118 volunteer, frequent participant and attendee of Island Lake Board and committee meetings, parishioner at Transfiguration Parish, WaucondaElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Improve Communication - Market village events and issues more effectively by utilizing social media - Update and enhance village website to be interactive, intuitive, and current - Utilize the website to promote specific volunteer opportunities/committees detailing how much time and expertise are requiredKey Issue 2 Cut Costs - Upgrade to cheaper, more efficient technology and processes to streamline our current manual accounting operations that cost us in man-hours and maintenance - Reduce legal expenses by hiring a village manager to do much of the same work as the attorneys currently do at a lower cost - Eliminate non-essential expenses; recognize #8216;wants' are not necessarily #8216;needs'Key Issue 3 Increase Safety and Cohesion - Create a more robust recreation department, giving residents of all ages opportunities for safe play and a more neighborly atmosphere - Create a unified partnership between police, schools, and the community. Civil servants are just that #8211; individuals hired to serve the public and should not be viewed in a negative light - Work towards installing pathways and crosswalks throughout the village so that businesses and neighborhoods are accessible by pedestrians in a safer mannerQuestions Answers Village board meetings are contentious and often filled with anger. If elected, what will you do to ensure the board operates professionally?A corporate business model should be the basis for establishing a standard of professionalism within the boardroom. Members of the Board of Trustees and Village Administration must recognize that the issues before them are not personal #8211; it is the business of the village, not the individuals presiding over it. And though I cannot control how others conduct themselves, I will lead by example, showing my peers that by not engaging in personal attacks and leading discussions back to the matter at hand, board meetings can be productive, fruitful, and non-combative.What do you think the village should do to improve government transparency?We need to be more inviting to the community at large. The village should utilize the website to its fullest potential. Publicize open meetings through digital and written media. Publish all open meeting agendas on the website so the public feels welcome to attend and get involved. If Island Lake is fully open to the community, then residents will no longer think there is something being hidden; the best kept secrets are the ones you don't have.What can the village do to fill vacant storefronts and attract new business and development?Create and maintain a web page dedicated to promoting village assets (such as Rt. 176 that goes through the heart of our town with thousands of vehicles passing through daily) and availabilities on a commercial/economic level with concrete, statistical data. Temporarily reduce/cut fees associated with establishing a new business. Actively solicit businesses suited to the village's needs and desires. Point out exactly how and why they'll thrive here in Island Lake. Give companies a reason to look here. Let businesspeople see the economic potential. The negative media image surrounding our town and the unprofessional displays from our boardroom are impediments with which potential business owners do not want to contend when considering starting or expanding a business. The village needs to put aside its petty grievances and be united in this effort. At minimum, a consulting company should be hired to create a marketing plan, complete with statistics and a helpful guide/plan, for starting a new business. The village should participate in chamber events and work with the chamber to promote existing businesses. Attracting business is just one hurdle; people need to be successful when their businesses do open here and the village should do whatever it takes to assist them, such as waiving permit fees.Name one area of the village you'd improve, and how would you accomplish that task? If the project requires funding, explain the source.Again, I believe the website is key to infusing economic growth, government transparency, and generating community spirit and safety in the village. Initially, all budgetary expenditures must come from cuts elsewhere (as I have outlined elsewhere in this questionnaire); funds do not magically appear, however, eventually the website pays for itself by inviting the growth that will sustain this village. By initially investing in the technology infrastructure within the municipality (and this requires an overhaul that should be phased in, but have an initial plan laid out, requiring extensive forethought and input, competitive bids for design and hardware) we will save tens of thousands in future years of money spent on manpower and maintenance. It is very costly to maintain outdated technology unless you have the resources in-house. We don't. By not updating to current technological standards, we end up wasting enormous amounts of time and energy, both of which are very expensive. We need to recognize that there is a smarter way to do things.What suggestions do you have for increasing revenue and/or decreasing expenses?#8226; Hire a village manager so that we're not paying attorney fee rates ($170/hr) for administrative processes that should be costing us $20-40/hour. Department heads will filter issues through the village manager, cutting the constant flow to attorneys for redundancies or issues that can be handled internally.#8226; Require department heads to #8220;shop#8221; their expenses on a yearly basis to ensure that they're getting the best price for their consumables and services.#8226; By becoming more transparent with items posted on the website, this will decrease the number of FOIA requests, thereby reducing man hours for both administration and legal personnel.#8226; Create an adopt-a-park program (similar to adopt a highway) where we solicit businesses and volunteer organizations to revitalize the community parks.#8226; Create an online registration process for recreation activities to increase enrollment and recreation dollars. A healthy village and increased property values are heavily influenced by the viability of its commerce, schools, and park/recreation facilities.#8226; Utilize social media to create direct marketing opportunities to increase our volunteer base, the popularity of village events, and to increase enrollment in recreation activities.#8226; Eliminate unnecessary expenses, such as coffee service and bottled water.#8226; Invest in software upgrades (as suggested above) to reduce man-hour dollars spent using outdated technology.#8226; Create an opt-in program for receiving village newsletters online-only to reduce printing and postage costs.