Karen Thorstenson: 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: GurneeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: facebook.com/karen.thorstensonOffice sought: Gurnee Village Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Karen and her husband, Kris, have two grown children - Kasey teaches Science at Warren Township HS (married to Mike) and Kyle is a full-time student and works in the IT field.Occupation: Project ManagerEducation: #ERROR!Civic involvement: Incumbent, Village of Gurnee TrusteeChair, Village of Gurnee Economic Development Committee (since 2011)Member, Gurnee Planning and Zoning Board (past, 2015)Volunteer Gurnee Days (16 years)Volunteer Committee Lead, Lake County JDRF Diabetes Walk (14 years)Volunteer St Paul the Apostle Church (20 years)Volunteer Warren Township Assisting Youth (9 years)Other: Various volunteer local board, advisory committee and work association rolesElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers Urban Land Institute makes several long- and short-term suggestions on how to improve the East Grand Avenue business corridor in a report issued in 2016. What ideas do you see as realistic and can be done as soon as possible to help boost the area?The suggestions can get traction by creating an action plan and timeline with short and long-term goals and establishing a Corridor Committee to keep the plan alive. The recommendation to improve neighborhood walking paths and sidewalks may be easily accomplished in the short-term. I would like to explore what combined community services could be accomplished, discussing with the Park District, Library and Warren Township, etc. The Economic Development Committee can influence the types of businesses that the Village pursues or offers incentives to locate in this area, such as restaurants. Long-term improvements should be prioritized as part of the budget and Capital Improvement Plan.Gurnee is one of the few Illinois municipalities without a property tax. Do you have any concerns this will need to change at some point or is this a commitment the village must continue? Please explain.Gurnee has developed into a successful retail sales and visitors locale and the budget relies on these essential revenue sources. I will continue to promote a diverse and successful business community in my dealings with the Economic Development Committee and in my Board role. Residents are taxed out and it is important that the village does everything possible to continue to not issue a property tax. This is a commitment in which I take seriously as a Board member.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?Gurnee has exceptional emergency services and these departments are continuously training and participating with other communities and agencies. I attend Neighborhood Watch meetings and I have not heard any overarching public safety concerns from residents. I have supported continuous improvements in technology and equipment for the police, fire and 911 departments to enable them to be proactive and well-prepared in the future.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Last year, Gurnee established a dedicated infrastructure fund through sales tax to be used for road improvements and this was a much-needed budget improvement. Gurnee leads by example of doing more with less and maintaining a balanced budget. I have supported our investments in technology to make sure that staff can keep up with increasing demands without increasing headcount and impacting the budget. I use the Budget Hearings as an opportunity to look seriously at every line item to make sure we are judicious with our revenues and still provide the best services possible.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?In our busy lives, it is increasingly difficult to get resident's feedback or engagement. Gurnee does a great job of informing residents through their existing communication means. I would like to encourage information sharing at large community events, such as Gurnee Days and with the launch of the new website, I would like to see us do more on-line surveys to gain resident's active feedback that can help with prioritization.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Budget and long-term capital planning are essential to the financial health of the Village. I enjoy these exercises and my business background allows me to contribute and add value in the discussions. I would like to tackle how to get more engagement from residents so we stay on the right track moving forward. It's also important for the Village to be aware of changing consumer preferences to enable our retail to remain relevant. By continuing to collaborate with the other government entities (e.g. schools, park and library, etc.), we can make sure that Gurnee remains a desirable place to live.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.