Michael Lowery: 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.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: North Aurora Village Board Age: 71Family: Father of two boys and two girls. Grandfather of six.Occupation: Retired psychologistEducation: BA in psychologyMS in Counseling psychology90 hours doctoral level in psychologyCivic involvement: Current:Trustee on North Aurora Board of TrusteesMember of Kane County Mental Health Advisory Committee Co-Chair Behavioral Health Committee for Kane County Health Department's Community Health Improvement Program. (CHIP)Member North Aurora Lion's ClubPast:Field director for Tri-City Soccer Association 1995-1998Soccer coach for 25 yearsElected offices held: Parish Council Chair, Resurrection Catholic Church, Wayne IL 2005-2007Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Myself and the other members of the North Aurora Board have been working together in unison for the past four years. North Aurora has seen tremendous progress in business growth, and population. We have also made great strides in general development including a new image including a branding and identity effort to put North Aurora at "The Crossroads on the Fox" and promoting its image in order to further encourage businesses and retail outlets to do business in North Aurora. Not only will this make North Aurora a more attractive place to live for its residents, improve its image in the Fox Valley and make living here more convenient, the increase in the tax base will help maintain a stable tax level for North Aurorans. If re-elected I plan to work diligently to continue in this direction along with the rest of the North Aurora Board and our excellent staff.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.As I indicated above the North Aurora Board has worked in a unified effort to broaden our tax base through business development and keep our tax base stable. As a property owner in Illinois, I suffer the sane tax burden as others and feel that something should be done to keep property taxes stable. Our sales tax revenue is increasing with the addition of numerous new businesses that have discovered the magnificent advantages of doing business in North Aurora.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?As a current member of the North Aurora Public Safety Committee, I am concerned about the safety of our citizens, but because of my confidence in our police and fire chiefs, I have no specific concerns at this time. Our police department has the best personnel and is run most efficiently by our well trained and highly educated chief of Police. His sincere compassion for others creates a genuine concern for the safety of our residents and this attitude permeates the entire police force. Our police department puts a heavy emphasis on "Community Policing" which is continually evolving and involves significant input from the citizens. It is a proactive approach that works in concert with citizens groups in identifying and solving problems in the community and will be even more prominent in the future. Our police force strongly encourages its officers to engage in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) offered by Kane County Sheriff's office. This is an excellent approach to dealing with the mentally ill if encountered on a call and further demonstrates the police department's genuine concern for the citizens it serves. The fire department is well staffed and utilizes up to date equipment. It is rated among the top 2% out of 47,000 stations throughout the United States. Preparations for the future include the purchase of a new single axle ladder truck and the possible replacement of Station #1 to a more advantageous location.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?North Aurora's financial department has been recognized as outstanding for the past 15 years. North Aurora has received distinguished recognition by the Government Finance Officers Association(GFOA) every year. This includes The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting relating to our ongoing audits and The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. In my tenure on the North Aurora Board our SP rating has improved from AA to AA+ and North Aurora prides itself in operating in the black with a balanced budget. Furthermore, we are due for another assessment in the near future that should raise our credit rating to the highest level, as I see it. The residents of North Aurora are fortunate that our village functions in such an efficient and cost effective manner. The North Aurora Board and our chief financial officer work together to keep excessive spending in check. In conclusion I would say that as a member of the Financial Committee, I can safely say that I believe there are no areas in which the budget needs trimming, nor are there areas in the budget that are under budgeted.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I have had this idea for my entire tenure on the board. It is an idea that is not mine alone, however. The entire board has worked proactively over the past four years on improving the image of North Aurora within the Fox Valley Corridor. We are in sync with our efforts to improve the appearance of Rout 31. We have demolished buildings, approved rehabilitation of real estate structures, and are working on making North Aurora's riverfront more attractive, accessible and visible. That said, I do have an idea that I haven't heard from others that involves some limitations on parking on subdivision streets. I think the Village should consider limiting parking too close to a corner as it seems to create a traffic hazard at some intersections in a few of our newer subdivisions.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Specific issues that are important to me are existing challenges that the board has been working on for the past four years and beyond. I want to keep taxes as low as it is possible, given the limitations of this position. I want to continue to improve the appearance of Route 31. I believe Route 31 is our "front door" and should more accurately reflect the demographics of the typical North Aurora resident, which is in my opinion clearly middle class or slightly above. I would like to continue working with the board and village staff on solidifying the identity and branding of North Aurora as a distinct and unique place to live and do business. I want to continue developing the area along Orchard Rd and encourage retail stores, businesses, and restaurants to learn the many business opportunities and advantages that come with establishing in North Aurora. And, perhaps most importantly, maintain the stable, congenial working atmosphere among the board and village staff and continuing with improving this beautiful, wholesome village nestled among the suburbs along the fox river...North Aurora, Crossroads on the Fox.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Dwight D. Eisenhower because he reflects a genuine, compassionate, and forceful leader who had the well being of Americans sincerely in his heart.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be honest and tell the truth. It's a lot easier way to live. Just tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?If I could do it all over again, I would have become actively involved in our democracy at a younger age.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?The field of psychology has been a fascination for me since early in high school. It came to me quite naturally.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be kind and have empathy for others and stay humble, happy, wholesome, and healthy. You are no better, nor worse than anyone else. Be yourself.