Rachel Smith: 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: Wonder LakeWebsite: http://smithcountyboard6.comOffice sought: McHenry County board District 6Age: 36Family: Married to Daniel Smith with two children. Ages 8 4Occupation: Independent Sales, Precinct committeeman.Education: McHenry High School East Campus,1993 McHenry Community College,1994 Early Childhood EducationCivic involvement: Women of the Moose, Precinct committeeman, Room Mother,Miss McHenry Scholarship Committee,Multiple Sclerosis Walk Illinois chapter.Elected offices held: Precinct committeeman 2004-presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Getting to know residents of the community, I find many are not aware of what the County Board does.I would like to see the county board as a whole more easily accessible through professional social media networks.The Board meetings are not streamlined at this time.An easy solution to make the public knowledgeable would be for board members to update their media page so residents of the community can know what board members are currently voting on in the present moment. This will increase transparency.Key Issue 2 I believe intergovernmental cooperation between municipalities is necessary.To make goals of the Municipal plans work and the 2030 County plan work. The county board should develop a good working relationship with each municipality.Key Issue 3 Transportation for the rural residents of District 6. Many of our residents commute to work and would strongly benefit from a focus on improving transportation. I would like to see ride share programs as well as voucher programs implemented.Questions Answers McHenry County has managed the recession without a budgetary crisis like those in other counties. How do you ensure the county continues on that path and that reserves aren't depleted? Are there specific budget areas that need more attention?With a focus on avoiding wasteful spending, I believe our county can continue to review each line of the budget and set a percentage goal in decreased spending each month.Does the McHenry County Board have a good transportation improvement plan? Please be specific and suggest whether you think anything is missing or should be scrapped.Yes, I believe they have a good plan for the county, however I would like to see the focus on the rural areas of district six.Overcoming existing mobility barriers is a challenge for the rural residents. Connecting to the regional transit network will improve the quality of life for our rural residents.Ride Share programs, expanded dial a ride, and expanding Metra routes need to be a priority. All of these things will reduce our carbon footprint and improve quality of life.Does the county need to address its ethics policies' Why or why not? If so, how?Yes, the ethics policies need to be reviewed to provide open dialog and transparency to maintain the best interests of the public.Potential loopholes need to be identified and restrictions on campaign contributions need to be stricter.Assess McHenry County's efforts thus far in terms of groundwater preservation and protection. What needs to be done now and in the future?The MCC rain garden is a good example of how native plants can use and reduce storm water runoff, filter pollutants, and improve the soils ability to absorb water. It is a good example to teach residents how easy it is to conserve water themselves.Our groundwater is a valuable resource and needs to be protected.A continual joint effort between municipalities throughout the entire county is necessary as well as education to the public. By implementing simple water conservation tips tohouseholds and municipalities we can secure more groundwater.Assess how the county health department approached the whooping cough outbreak. What should have been done differently?Having young children, Public health is a concern of mine. I feel education and awareness are key in prevention of an outbreak. The county health department should make the schools aware as soon as possible through a mass e-mail system.The public needs to be asked to sign up for programs such as Nixle.Nixle is a community information service that will notify residents via cell phone text or e-mail of real time important alerts or messages.