Tracy McGrath: 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: LiindenhurstWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lindenhurst Village Board Age: 53Family: Husband - Bill Daughter - Meghan Sons - Bill and DanOccupation: Home remodelingEducation: BA Degree in Marketing with Spanish Minor from Ball State UniversityCivic involvement: Board of Education member High School District 117 Founder and Director of Lakes Eagles Booster Club at Lakes High School PTO President at Millburn School Volunteer for many local civic groups (One Hope United, Township Food Pantry collections, Township Senior events)Elected offices held: High School District 117 Board of Education (4 years) Village of Lindenhurst Trustee (4 years)Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?As a current member of the village board I am aware of the immediate needs and future possibilities for our town. Through my past involvement with the school board and civic organizations I am in touch with the community. I currently serve on the board of SWALCO, and I am the liaison to the Environmental Commission.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.Our local sales tax is competitive with the surrounding communities. I believe that our property taxes are high but that is mainly due to the amount needed by our school districts. The amount that our village receives is less than 3% of a residents property tax.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?Our local police and fire departments are well prepared and responsive to our community. We regularly monitor feedback for our police officers and find that it is overwhelmingly positive. We have made sure that our officers have up to date equipment and training. I have no public safety concerns.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?We have worked over the past several years to trim our operating expenses and divert those funds toward infrastructure improvements. We have an already tight budget but we continue to look at ways to conserve and reduce cost. Our budget does not allow us to put as much toward street repairs as is needed but we manage those projects as well as possible with the funds available.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?To make our community more pedestrian friendly. We live in a somewhat rural community and are limited by the difficulty of coordinating this type of project with state and county governments who control our main roads. As a village we have collaborated with the county and the park district to build several pedestrian and bike pathways to connect parts of our town, but many of the main roads still do not have pedestrian access.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I look forward to seeing the completion of several projects currently underway. We will be bringing Lake Michigan water to our residents along with major improvements to the main hub at Grand Avenue. We have been working hard to bring a hospital to our community. And we will continue to reach out to attract new business to our town.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be kind to others, treat others the way that you wish to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Paying more attention to the little things. Life goes by way too quickly.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Reading/English, helped me to expand my horizons and to be a better communicator.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be content. You don't need to be the richest, smartest, most popular; just be happy with who you are, the world will respond in kind.