Rita O'Connor: Candidate Profile

Back to Long 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: Long GroveWebsite: https://www.voiceoflonggrove.comTwitter: RitaO'Connor@ritaritaocFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rita.oconnor.56Office sought: Long Grove Village Board Age: 67Family: My husband, Kevin, and I have 2 sons, numerous nieces and nephews, one grandchild.Occupation: Illinois Real Estate Broker/Manager; Illinois Attorney at LawEducation: Loyola University of Chicago, B.A.Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. J.D.Civic involvement: *Active in 2015 Village of Long Grove election*Co Chair Long Grove 60 th Anniv Celebration 2016 with $5000.00+ donated to No. Ill. Food BankPast volunteer at Chicago Humanities FestivalElected offices held: This is first public office soughtQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Since approximately 2010, Long Grove has been a village in transition. So far, the process has been neither comfortable nor easy. Long Grove struggles with the same divisiveness that we routinely observe in the Illinois federal legislatures. I believe that I can successfully negotiate the "building of bridges" between the residents, board members and the merchants by finding and building upon the common ground. I also strongly believe that attitudes are shaped from the top down. Leaders of organizations, therefore, must project mutual respect and a spirit of collaboration so that the machinery of government can work well and community building can happen. I can and will foster an environment where all citizens are heard, are asked to participate, and are kept informed, which will help to guide the Board decisions that shape the framework for Long Grove's future. Long Grove has a distinctive downtown, enviable landscape and a diverse population, but the focus must be sharpened. The village needs to not only discover the antidote for the "sameness" of many suburban communities, but also to shape creative solutions that set a new standard for one-of-a- kind villages that thrive. I know that I, along with residents and fellow Board members, can find the common ground in diverse opinions and ideas, and negotiate a consensus that moves the village forward to a future that marries the ethos of the past with q vision of the future shaped by the community..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.Long Grove has sales tax revenue that is increasing, and hopefully will increase dramatically as new businesses are attracted to Long Grove. Long Grove has no village tax and I will work strenuously to maintain that policy. Lake County has one of the highest property tax rates in the state, and I would neither welcome nor advocate higher property taxes. I am very much in favor of reducing property taxes and increasing sales tax revenue by attracting more businesses, especially restaurants, to Long Grove. Additionally, we are not members of Lake County Partners and I believe we should consider joining to enhance our knowledge about economic development.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?Long Grove has contracted with Lake County Sheriff for police coverage. The sheriff's office has kept our residents safe, but I am concerned that the response times are sometimes longer than I would like. The officers do have dash cams that are activated when the lights go on, defibrillators and narcan. I like that Lake CountySheriff has detectives which would not be the case if Long Grove had their own police department.I would prefer the village always alert residents in real time when there are break ins or when it is aware of break ins. This would increase the possibility that a resident could phone in someone or a vehicle that matches a suspect's description.I need further education in police training equipment to know if Lake County Sheriff is well prepared for the next decade.Fire protection is through the Long Grove Fire Protection District. The Fire District has done a very good job of upgrading and maintaining its equipment over the years. I believe the Fire District is properly prepared for the next decade.Concerns: At a minimum, I would like to see defibrillators in the village hall and visitor center.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The village has spent money on the downtown and, in some instances, has "borrowed" funds from other village accounts to do so. Once the water pipes are installed in 2019, the village will have invested approx $8,000,000 to help the downtown area, even though the downtown shops and buildings are privately owned. There is a TIF in place, but no money from it has come back to the village to date. The revenues from the downtown are approximately$100,000/yr. and the annual village budget is $4,000,000. I'm concerned that those revenues don't seem to justify expenditures of that size.Furthermore, the legal bill in Long Grove is approximately $50,000/yr. That seems high to me and I would like to see a reduction in those fees if feasible.I would also like to have monetary contributions to the Park District from the village. The Park District operates solely on grants and private contributions. Additionally, monies that were "borrowed" to go into the downtown could have been used to develop walking/biking paths so that residents could safely access the downtown without having to use their cars. There is no casual, safe way for a family to walk or bike into downtown Long Grove.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?As mentioned above, I would like to see some financial support from the village for the Long Grove Park District. The park district receives no village money, so It survives solely on personal contributions and grants. The work load is great and cash is scarce.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?1) I'd also like to implement a program composed of volunteers who will actually welcome new residents in person.2) Most recently, solutions for the repair/replacement of the covered bridge have stirred considerable emotions of residents and merchants. The President of Long Grove has not fully addressed this issue during her tenure, but is now spearheading a drive to commit village funds for repairing/rebuilding the one lane bridge. Engineering estimates for this project have been on hold for three years, and now the costs have risen dramatically for all possible solutions. If federal funds are received (approximate cost to village $341,000), the bridge must be built to federal standards, which include a two lane roadway. If the bridge is rebuilt or replaced as a one lane bridge, the cost to the village is just shy of $1,000,000.This has become a very costly dilemma and decisions should not be made based upon emotions. The question could /should have been a referendum question, but the President allowed the deadline for same to pass without action.I do not understand the lack of attention regarding this issue for the past 3 years, and now the efforts to push through a hasty decision. It not only defies all thoughtfulness and rationality but also serves to create more divisiveness. It could be better handled by establishing a public/private partnership to solicit needed funds after a resident referendum on the preferred solution.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Stan Borys, Long Grove, IlWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?One of 7 children, I learned how to negotiate/ co exist with a plethora of personalities, have the power of my convictions and speak up.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have figured out a way to live outside the US for at least 2 years to get first hand experience of another's culture.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English classes where I learned about the works of excellent writers, writing skills and themes, enabling me to understand the layers of people/ life issues.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?To always try to be aware of the open doors and have the courage to happily discover what lies beyond.