Karen Lange: 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: Lake BarringtonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Barrington Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 53Family: Married 32 years. Two adopted dogs. Lots of nieces, nephews, and great-nieces.Occupation: Civil Engineer. Have worked in both the public and private sectors. Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois; Certified Flood Plain Manager.Education: Bachelor of Science in Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1985. Masters of Information Systems, Roosevelt University, 1994.Civic involvement: Plan Commission Chair, Village of Lake Barrington, 2004-Present; State Housing Appeals Board Member, 2012-Present; Lake County Home Builders Association President, 2003; American Society of Civil Engineers Illinois Section, President, 1993-94; Attainable Housing Alliance, Board Member 2003-07; Plan Commission Member, Village of Lake Barrington, 1995-Present; Zoning Board of Appeals Member, Village of Lake Barrington, 2000-Present; Executive Women's Golf Association, 2005-PresentElected offices held: This will be my first elected office.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Maintaining the semi-rural atmosphere while respecting property rights and preserving sound fiscal planning.Key Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have been an active member of the Plan Commission ZBA, serving these past eight years as the Chair of the Plan Commission. These experiences with the issues and concerns of the residents will help me serve the Village as a Trustee. Also, a career as a Civil Engineer has taught me to approach problem solving in a rational and balanced way, which I think is an important trait for a Village Trustee.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.The Village of Lake Barrington has one of the lowest operational property taxes in Lake County. This is due to prudent spending while still maintaining a high level of customer service. One example of this is our inter-governmental agreement with Cuba Township, which we leverage into obtaining better prices on road maintenance projects and snow plowing.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.My friends and neighbors have not expressed that public safety has been a major worry. Rather, I hear that they want the Village to maintain the semi-rural atmosphere, respect property rights and maintain sound fiscal planning.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?I think the Village has done a good job balancing the needs of the residents with holding budgets in check. The Village currently spends about 60-80% less per household than similar communities, and yet is able to pay for garbage collection on behalf of our residents. Operating revenues and expenses have remained largely stable over the past 5 years. The Village has recently completed $3.6 million dollars in capital improvements using reserves and funds approved via referendum.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Our Village government does a great job with transparency, but too few of our residents are getting the information. I would like to see a greater emphasis on expanding our social media usage. An engaged community is devoted to making a good town into a great town!