Terry Waddell-Moenter: 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: http://www.terryfortrustee.comOffice sought: Gurnee Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married, one childOccupation: President and CEO of Brittane's Designs a Gurnee based gift business established in 1991 and is currently the director of an Accredited home day care with a program that focuses on the value of Early Childhood Education.Education: Served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. Bachelors Degree in Communications and Journalism along with two Masters Degrees, in Human Resource Management and Organizational Management.Civic involvement: Involved in local civic organizations and has been on the board as well as a member of a number of local Chambers of Commerce. Currently on an advisory board for the local YWCA. Also a member of the National Association for Family Child Care and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Commitment to the Residents To give my best and to be committed to working hard and maintaining a cooperative and positive attitude. Promising to maintain the highest level of honesty and integrity at all times.Key Issue 2 Fiscal Responsibility With the current state of our economy, I understand the importance of making sound financial decisions that will ensure that the municipality will spend wisely and stay within budgets while maintaining services that Gurnee residents deserve.Key Issue 3 Economic Development I strongly support economic development and I am committed to seeing that our economic climate continues to remain strong and viable.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I think what makes me the best candidate for Village Trustee is my commitment to do the best job possible in representing all Gurnee residents regardless of where they reside. It is important to have government officials maintain the highest level of integrity and honesty. I also possess a high level of energy and enthusiasm as well as creativity which can be huge assets.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.I think the present level of our local sales taxes are in a good place despite the current economic challenges facing many levels of government throughout the country. Our current Village Board under the current Mayor's leadership has worked diligently to ensure this by attracting impressive businesses to Gurnee. The one that comes to mind is Macy's who was looking at other locations in Illinois and in the end Gurnee came out on top. I am looking forward to them coming to Gurnee Mills later this year.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.The traffic flow especially around Six Flags Great America. Some of the residents who live in that area have expressed their frustration at times when leaving their homes and how the traffic congestion impacts them. A task force consisting of corps of engineers and community development can team up to address this concern. Also we need to make sure we keep all our neighborhoods safe from potential criminal activity by strengthening neighborhood watches and working very closely with local law enforcement on preventative measures.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 Board has done a good job in operating within its means to date and I am committed to continuing that if I am elected. I think that any budget whether it be a business or a government body at local and federal levels can be looked at even closer in efforts to "trim the fat."What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?This question is like asking someone to eat one potato chip. So I am not going to limit myself here to one idea but I would like to talk about these ideas that could better our community: I would like for the residents to become more involved in the community. Attendance to the bi-monthly Village Board meetings is a good place to start because this is "our" town. I would like to create on a volunteer basis a forum to address the topic of diversity within our municipality. Gurnee is a melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups and it should be reflected by those serving in the community. We could have quarterly town hall meetings / forums to give residents the opportunity to have an open dialogue with village administrators to discuss topics such as Village Ordinances, Zoning Rules and other issues that have a direct impact on Gurnee residents.