Mark Carroll: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: North AuroraWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: North Aurora Village Board Age: 40Family: I am happily married to my wife, Andrea K. Carroll, and we have three wonderful boys, Jack (11), Samuel (8), and Will (3).Occupation: Self-Employed AttorneyEducation: J.D. Northern IL University College of Law (2001). B.A. History and Pol. Science - Hillsdale College (1996).Civic involvement: Member and Past President of the North Aurora Lions Club since 2006. Volunteer attorney at Administer Justice legal Clinic. Member of Immanuel Lutheran ChurchElected offices held: Village of North Aurora Planning Commission - Appointed Village of North Aurora Trustee - AppointedQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have lived in North Aurora for over 10 years. I was not raised here, but I stay because North Aurora possesses a small town charm. I will continue to work to keep that small town charm, while looking for ways we can continue to grow our retail, commercial and residential base in a manner that is reasonable and not overly burdensome.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I am very pleased with North Aurora's financial position. We have excellent staff that facilitates the Village's positive financial position. With that being said, I think our current sales tax rate is in line with the Village's needs. As a property owner in North Aurora, I believe that property taxes are too high throughout the State of Illinois and North Aurora is no different. My hope is that now that we seem to be moving into a period of economic growth, that we will see increased retail and commercial businesses coming to North Aurora, which will in turn bring more sales tax revenue.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?I would rate North Aurora's police and fire coverage very high. Our police department has a state of the art facility, and under the administration of our current police chief, David Summers, morale in the department is very high. Our police officers are well trained and continue to train on a regular basis for any conceivable type of disaster. Likewise, our Fire Department with its two fire stations is able to cover all of North Aurora very well. In addition, our Fire Department is often called on to assist our surrounding departments. We are very fortunate to have our very own training facility here in North Aurora, that keeps our firefighters very well prepared. I think that our Fire Chief, Ryan Lambert, is doing an excellent job. Finally, I think that both the Police Department and the Fire Department work very well together. I am confident that both departments would work very well together in any eventuality.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I think our current budget is in line with the services that our Village requires. Our staff works constantly to find ways to trim the budget each and every day. North Aurora continues to be in an excellent financial position.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I do not think that this is an idea that no one is talking about, but with the recent shutting down and proposed demolition of the North Aurora Activity Center, I would like to see the Village replace it with a community center for use by North Aurora Residents. It does not have to be anything fancy, but I would like to see something with a gym available to North Aurora residents as well as a multi-purpose room that could be rented out to civic groups and individuals for events. However, I think that a new location would have to be found because I do not think that the corner of Rte. 56 and Rte. 31 would be the best use for that property.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I love the outdoors. There has recently been discussion at our meetings about removal of the dam in order to mitigate the high phosphorous levels in the river that seem to be affecting the wildlife and fish population. The Fox river is one of our greatest assets both aesthetically and from a recreational standpoint. However, right now, I think it is underutilized. I would like to see our riverfront become more of a destination and focal point for our residents. We are currently working on our Comprehensive Plan for the Village, which will provide a lot of useful ideas for how to better utilize the riverfront.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Billy Graham because he became well known because of his work, not because he wanted fame.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?There is no substitute for hard work and family always comes first.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing. I am happy with the man that I am. I have made mistakes, but they have helped me to become the man I am.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. History is cyclical. Generally, there are very few problems that we face, where we cannot find an answer somewhere in our past.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Remember to treat people as you would like to be treated and always keep God in your life.