Heather Pransky: 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: RoselleWebsite: www.facebook.com/voteheatherpTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: www.facebook.com/voteheatherpOffice sought: Roselle Village Board Age: 39Family: Parents: Joe and Sheila Siblings: Nicole and JoeHusband: MarkKids: Jason, Joey, and DelinaOccupation: Certified Dental AssistantEducation: Lake Park High School GraduateDental Assisting Program, Elgin Community CollegeCivic involvement: Volunteered at Central DuPage Hospital Volunteered at St. Walter Catholic ChurchElected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have deep and abiding roots in Roselle. My parents are both Roselle residents and Roselle business owners. They are also members of the Roselle Chamber of Commerce. My siblings both live and work in Roselle. My husband and I are raising our three children in Roselle. My husband works for a Roselle based business. I know that Roselle is a great place to live, work, and raise a family because my family has experienced this firsthand.In addition, with the retirement of the female mayor and the departure of the only female trustee, there is a real chance that there will be no female voices on the village board after the April election. As the only female candidate for village trustee, I think I would bring an important viewpoint to the village board that would otherwise not be present.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.This is a difficult question to answer in light of the great financial uncertainty in state government. Currently, Roselle receives roughly a third of its revenue from property tax, and roughly a third from shared sales tax/income tax from the state. The state government continues to threaten to take away the village's share of income tax dollars, which would cause a massive budget deficit. If and when the state gets its financial house in order, it would be important to evaluate Roselle's revenue sources and determine whether an adjustment would be appropriate.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?The village recently joined the West Suburban Fire/Rescue Alliance. This partnership between nearby communities provides functional cooperation between fire departments. Our membership in the Alliance provides cost efficiency, better service for residents, and increases safety for our fire fighters. The village is currently doing an efficiency study of the Police Department. One of my top priorities would be to fully review the efficiency study and work collaboratively with the board, village staff, and the community to implement the report's recommendations.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The current efficiency study of the Police Department may provide recommendations for a budget increase or decrease. It is important to fully support village operations to provide the level of service our residents rightfully expect. Areas where I would like to see increased funding, if available, would be for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance, storm water management, and village beautification projects.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Deepening community ties and cultivating trust between residents and police is very important. I would like to see a renewed commitment to community policing that includes proactive neighborhood watch programs. Neighbors looking out for one another and positive relationships between residents and law enforcement (as well as other village service providers) is what makes Roselle the great village that it is.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I think ComEd's proposed power line project along I-390 will impact all Roselle residents, and I support the board's current opposition to the project. I think it is important that the village board have at least one woman representative. It is possible that after the election, the mayor and board of trustees will be 100% men. I think it is important for our halls of government to have a diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Rev. Mario Quejadas of St. Walter Catholic ChurchWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Treat others as you would want to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have liked to do a study abroad program.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Science. I currently work in the healthcare field.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?No matter if you win or lose always give 100%.