Jeanne Balmes: 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: GurneeWebsite: NoOffice sought: Gurnee Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 63Family: SingleOccupation: FloristEducation: BME from Illinois State University 1971 AAS from College of Lake County 1982 Master in Adult Education from Northern IL University 1993Civic involvement: Exchange Club of Gurnee, Gurnee Women's Business Association, Gurnee Days Corporation Warren Township Historical Society, Village of Gurnee Chamber of Commerce and WINGSElected offices held: Trustee, 2001-presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Continue to work to keep the Village of Gurnee a desirable place to live, work and enjoy it's many amenities.Key Issue 2 Serving on the board has been an education in providing a balanced budget. Our village staff works very hard in keeping the expenses down and responsibly spending the taxpayer money. As a board member, we review the budget every year with the staff. We ask about any concerns that we have in the budget and the staff listens and adjusts the budget based on those issues.Key Issue 3 In recent years, we have had an economic development committee comprised of local business members, staff and sitting trustee meeting on a regular basis to address these concerns. We want to keep Gurnee an important corridor for businesses. One of the ways that we are improving the permits is by providing staff with the means to process permits in a timely fashion and letting the business know where they are at any given time. We want business to feel welcome into the community and I often hear how great our staff is to work with.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Gained experience from serving on the boardGiven 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.As a business owner, the current sales tax is sufficient to keeping competitive with surrounding communities and I would not like to see that raised.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. Public Safety is always very important as we all want to believe our persons and property are protected in the community we live in. One of the most effective ways is for each individual to be responsible by being vigilant in helping our police. The neighborhood watch programs put on by the police department is a vital program to that end.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?The budget process gives the board many opportunities to review and evaluate the responsible spending of the taxpayer dollars. Also, we can negotiate the best contracts with our providers during the course of the year. What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet? Gurnee is very lucky to have a great working relationship with the other taxing bodies in the community. By continuing to work with the township, school districts, library and park district, we can consolidate efforts to keep the community moving in a positive and forward environment.