Cynthia Hebda: 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: Vernon HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Vernon Hills Village Board Age: 58Family: Husband - LarryOccupation: Early Childhood EducatorEducation: BA - Communication, Purdue UniversityCivic involvement: SWALCO, Liquor Commission, Traffic Advisory, Illinois Municipal League representative, Cook Memorial Library and Hawthorn District 73 liaison.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?As a long-time member of the board I have had the opportunity to take on numerous tasks and to be involved in some of our major achievements. These would include the financial stability of the Village, affordable senior housing, the funding of social services programs that help our residents and also our partnering with other governmental agencies like the Park, School and Library Districts to bring valued amenities to the Village. By keeping an open mind and encouraging dialogue and communication I believe the residents have come to appreciate my leadership capabilities and experience, and realize that I am here to serve them and make to make Vernon Hills a community that will protect and preserve a high quality of life for all.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.Vernon Hills remains strong financially as we head into 2015. With a $20 million dollar reserve and AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor's, the board including myself will continue to manage the Village finances with strong policies and practices. I am especially proud that we have been able to do this without cost to the taxpayer since the Village continues to be one of only a handful of communities that does not collect a property tax. Our sales tax continues to be the lowest when you compare it to surrounding communities. The sales tax accounted for 58% of our general revenue in 2014. We did approve a .25% sales tax increase that started in January 2015, bringing our rate to 7.25%. We plan to use half of that revenue to cover a tax rebate agreement and the remainder will be used to reduce the utility tax, pay General Obligation bond debt service and fund road projects in the community. As a member of the board I want to maintain a strong sales tax revenue by continually filling empty spaces in our retail sector and offer economic incentives when necessary to businesses that want to become part of our community.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?If I had to rate our Village police department and Countryside Fire Protection district on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent), I would give each a rating ofâ#128;brvbar;99! The men and women of these two organizations are extremely professional and dedicated to providing the highest quality of service to our residents. I believe they are well positioned to continue to be successful over the next 10 years. In fact we on the Village Board currently are in the process of renovating our police department building to make it more functional and efficient, providing even better service to the constituents of Vernon Hills.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?We will begin the budget process in March. Since serving on the board, we have consistently managed our budget to stay within our means. For example we have gone from 128 full time employees to 105, offered early retirement to reduce our annual expenses and asked for employee contributions to health insurance coverage to reduce the Village costs. As a member of the board I will always remain fiscally responsibly while making sure we maintain quality services in an efficient manner. If we had to trim our budget I would look at our Capital Improvement Plan which includes "wish list" items and see if there are projects we could defer before going forward with any expenditures.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to pursue construction of additional community focal points as future opportunities allow. An example may be to provide a site for small entertainment venues that would include restaurants, a conference center and activities for adults and families. As our housing stock ages, the Village could provide a so called "Angie's List" to residents that would include information and services from local residents, businesses and contractors, to make affordable improvements to their properties.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?My biggest goal is to continue to dedicate my service as a trustee and deliver municipal services in a responsive, professional and efficient manner. Another issue that is important to me is to continue my involvement with our state, regional and area governmental agencies and representatives. We must continue to establish and build strong working relationships with them, maintaining a climate that allows us to work towards the same goals and outcomes.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis and his humbleness and focus on the poor.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?A good education and hard work will allow me to achieve my goals.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Pursue a PhD in educationWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Communication studies at Purdue which has help me in my career as a teacher and as a trusteeIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Believe in yourself