Amber Kubiak: Candidate Profile

Back to Pingree Grove Village Board

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: Pingree GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Amber KubiakOffice sought: Pingree Grove Village Board Age: 36Family: Husband Josh Daughter Claire (7)Son Rowan (5)Occupation: Stay at Home momEducation: B.S. Family and Consumer Sciences with a Concentration in Merchandising and a minor in Business AdministrationCivic involvement: Finance Chair of Village Pingree Grove Events Committee (2013-2017)Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My time on the Village Events Board has given me the opportunity to see how the Village works. I have also taken the time to meet with the Village Finance department to review the budget, the Public Works department to review the water plant and needs of the department. I have also met with the Police Chief and reviewed his needs and concerns regarding the police department and the future. In addition over the last two years as Finance Chair of the Events committee I have been able to run a budget surplus.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.This is a difficult question for a number of reasons. 1) The village is growing at such a fast pace it is difficult to determine what the right amount is for property taxes based on current and future projected needs. 2)The builder provides certain services to the village currently--when building is complete these services will no longer be provided and the village will need to assume these expenses. These expenses include road maintenance and building of roads and other infrastructure. 3)With so little business presence in Pingree Grove it is difficult to say what the right amount of local sales tax should be. I can say that the village is currently the lowest taxing body in Kane County and does have room for increase--however the important thing for tax payers to remember is that an increase in village taxes is such a small percentage of their overall tax bill (about 2% of the total property tax bill).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?The current police and fire coverage is good but can always be improved upon. Again the question of the future is difficult to answer based on the current and future growth of the town. However I do believe that the departments are in good hands and both are planning as best they can for the future. At this time I have no public safety concerns.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As I answered about the current property tax rate above I again state that based on the current growth of the village and the involvement of the builder ending I think it is important to ensure we are putting enough money in our funds to cover any upcoming large expenses. Roadwork, water plant improvement or expansion, village hall improvements or new campus are all very real items that need to be addressed in the future. All of these items would be best planned for and budgeted for so that a sudden expense does not occur costing the taxpayers even more money.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I think good ideas for the community are the ones that everyone is talking about. To do the best I can to help bring in new businesses to off set the property taxes for the village. To continue to try to decrease the burden on the taxpayers at every turn. To continue to ensure that the village is a safe place to live. To help where ever I can to make Pingree Grove prosper and grow.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The issues I see as the most important are that of making Pingree Grove an affordable place to live. Providing all village residents with up to date and easily accessible information regarding the village.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Ruth Bader GinsburgWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Anything worth doing takes effort and time.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing--I choose to spend my life moving forward not looking back.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject in school was reading. Reading has helped me to relax, enriched my vocabulary and my mind.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Live life the way you want to, not the way others expect you to.