Ann Tigges: 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: WayneWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wayne Trustee Age: 55Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: SalesEducation: MS Dairy Technology Louisiana State UBS Animal Science U of ConnecticutCivic involvement: Trustee for the Village of Wayne from 4/2005 to presentMember - O'hare Noise Compatibility Commission 1/2017Member- Wayne Planning and Zoning Commission 2000-2005Member - Wayne Community Association 1992-2000Elected offices held: Village of Wayne TrusteeCommission Member- O'Hare Noise Compatibility CommissionQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have had twelve years of experience managing the Village administrative needs including the the village insurance, IT needs, and staffing. Those issues took a while to learn. I try to see the big picture needs of the Village and represent the concerns of all of the citizens. I live in the center of the Village, where the properties are closer together, most lots are less than an acre, and also contains the historic district which comes with its own rules. Sometime we have unique issues that pop up and need to be addressed individually and it is good to have the perspective of this area represented.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.While no one wants to pay higher taxes, I do see a need coming for the Village of Wayne to raise taxes slightly. We have an obligation to the Police Pension fund. We try to balance that cost (an unfunded mandate that we assumed when we voted to join the Pension Plan) by skimping on road repairs, keeping our staffing costs to a minimum, and eating away at the Village emergency reserves. No matter how cost conscious we are, we will not be able to balance the budget in a few years without additional revenues. And I do not think we can keep patching roads indefinitely to save money. At some point, you have to address the fact they need to be repaved and restriped- which costs a lot more.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?We have a fantastic police staff. They work on a shoestring budget. We have some generous residents that donate funds for direct use by the Police Department for essential equipment. I would like to see us be able to add more officers, especially part-time officers. I believe strongly in 24 hour coverage of the Village patrolled by our own officers.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?We have been going over our budget for years to find more efficiencies. After payroll and road maintenance, our biggest spend is insurance. It is the one area that we have little control over. We have revisited this cost many times and tried new options for coverage. Ultimately, we decide that we are working with our best options. I would like us to be able to re-pave roads on our regular maintenance schedule. Currently we might defer paving another year or two and patch and crack-seal instead. We might get one more year out of the road, but it will look terrible, offer more maintenance concerns, provide a rough ride, and ultimately need to to be repaved anyway. I have previously said I believe "you get what you pay for". If you want solid roads and adequate police coverage, you have to pay for it.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Wayne is gorgeous! We need to get more folks out to see our beautiful village. I have been working with Martin McManamon at Wayne Township Highway Department and the DuPage Forest Preserve District to enhance the trails and road safety for bicyclists in the area. The FPD is going to add more bike trails along the Forest Preserve that will tie into the Illinois Prairie Path through Wayne. Wayne Township Highway has improved signage and street access. This network will be a great asset for our families to get out and enjoy our beautiful village and the amazing Forest Preserves!What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The noise from O'Hare airport (and Dupage airport too!) is a huge concern for my residents. The constant roar of jets is disturbing to our citizens, and is detrimental to the enjoyment of our homes and the environment. I advocated for Wayne to become a member of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, and I am the sitting representative for Wayne to that commission.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.