Karin Jones: 2023 candidate for Elgin City Council

Bio

Town where you live: Elgin

Age on Election Day: 50

Occupation: Insurance agency owner

Currently serving: Elgin Planning & Zoning Commission

Q&A

Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council respond to it?

A: Continued community apathy and lack of engagement. Some members of our current council are sending messages to our community that create trust issues and divisiveness. This sort of leadership is detrimental to our community, image, and progress. The reality is that lacking the ability to gather consensus and collaborate productively will continue to hold Elgin back.

Council members should always be working to improve, collaborate and enhance Elgin. Differences of opinion are a given. Respecting the opinions of others is a must. Acknowledging one another's strengths and weaknesses is a gift.

Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?

A: I think Elgin's finances are excellent. The staff has done a tremendous job in bringing long-term diversified revenue streams that have enabled the Council to keep tax increases flat and fund pensions and necessary projects. Maintaining a Triple-A bond rating year after year is commendable.

Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?

A: Strong public safety, keeping Elgin at the forefront with innovative practices and policies. (Police, Fire, Public Works, Water, Parks & Rec) Making Elgin THE City where the best of the best want to work, play, represent and live.

Community engagement and customer service. Elgin currently is only hearing regularly from a minuscule segment of residents. This is a disservice to most of our community, and we need to address it. We need to tap into city staff with the most direct contact with residents & businesses and work to hear more voices.

Economic Development. Continued investment in our partner relationships, creating quality purchase of service agreements, and enhancing collaboration of all involved.

Identifying and engaging in a sustainability initiative that will educate our community and can be easily implemented and identified with meaningful results.

Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?

A: Yes. The knee-jerk special interest projects. These will always come up but should be handled within the strategic plan priorities. Legitimate crises will occur and always need to be addressed quickly with the ability to pivot and realign priorities. But when the council reacts instead of working proactively, the staff is pulled away from items that have been prioritized and are necessary. There needs to be a plan to handle important items that pop up unexpectedly, but the guiding light needs to work on the plan that has been collectively adopted and approved.

Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

A: Continued investment in sewer separation and lead pipe remediation. Dedicated funds in the operating budget and when grant opportunities are available, actively pursuing them. This continued investment and dedication to infrastructure will keep Elgin ahead of the curve and out of scandals that we often see at the national level. Back-burner items will depend on the situation and the pending projects when the uncertain economic time occurs.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your city council.

A: I have the experience of currently serving or have served on several boards for various organizations tasked with economic development, taxing/funding mechanisms, planning & zoning, budgeting, child care, religion, and youth activities. I recognize that I am only a small part of these organizations and how important it is to leverage experts in their fields and fellow committee members to determine the best policy at creation time.

I plan to bring that same style and leadership to the city council. I am open-minded and strive to work toward consensus and best practices in the most ethical and honest way possible.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: As your council member, I will seek thoughts and opinions inside and outside my circles. We tend to surround ourselves with like-minded people and, in doing so, can lose sight of the reality that faces others. I will always strive to engage and hear our community leaders, other community leaders, and the most informed collaborators in the industries, topics, and fields we need to partner with. I recognize that collectively we are stronger and that our work needs to be productive and progressive.

Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

A: I want Elgin to incorporate some form of customer service/satisfaction survey links and opportunities for residents and businesses to provide feedback about all departments, commissions, and employee interaction, along with adding an onboarding/introduction plan for all commissions and task force members.

Not only for our residents and the departments they engage with but also internally among staff, department heads, and elected officials. Satisfaction surveys have been implemented in a couple of departments and should be expanded to every department. When we're investing financially to improve Elgin, we need that data and training to identify better what and where our investment focus needs to be. It would also identify areas we excel that must be celebrated and communicated positively at the staff level and with the public.