Jeanne Allen: 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: GilbertsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Gilberts Village Board Age: 40Family: Husband Fred Allen, Son Casey Allen - Hampshire High, Son Wylie Allen - Cornell CollegeOccupation: Community VolunteerEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Parent Volunteer, Fundraising Coordinator and PTO/PVC Member at Gilberts Elementary and Hampshire Middle School; Village of Gilberts Community Days Volunteer; Northwestern's Cancer Survivors Celebration Walk 5K Fundraising Activation Council MemberElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?As a 13 year Village resident, and someone who plans on living here for a long time, I have great interest in what is best for Gilberts. I have attended Village Board meetings regularly for a long time, and want to make certain the Village continues to have dedicated people working to keep Gilberts the great community that it is. Gilberts has been a wonderful place to raise my sons. I think Board members need to have the entire community's best interest at heart with every decision they make so we can continue to grow with vision.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.The Village tax is really a small portion of your property tax bill. I'm more concerned that residents get a good value for the taxes they pay, and that the services provided reflect those that they desire. I pledge to continue to involve the residents of Gilberts when deciding exactly what services they want. I support the Villages efforts to expand the nonresidential tax base. Taxes that come from businesses, especially those businesses that generate sales tax, help offset the tax burden to residents. Business properties generally generate significant tax revenue, but do not create a demand on our police, fire and public works departments. Our schools really benefit from these additional tax payers who do not generate students.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?Gilberts is served by the Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District that is separate from the Village. The feedback I have received suggests the District has done well serving the Village. Recent improvements in the District's ISO rating will help reduce insurance premiums for everyone in the Village. They should be commended for their efforts.The Village Police Department has a good balance of full time and part time officers. The full time officers provide the stability, and leadership needed to protect the community. Supplementing the full time officers with part time officers helps keep salaries and pension obligations in check. Gilberts was once again rated one of the safest small towns in America.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I have attended several Village budget meetings. When it is all said and done, there is really very little money left to discretionary purchases. Most Village dollars are spent on essential services, that in my opinion are appropriate for the size and type of community Gilberts is. Until the recent past, the Village has not set aside money for equipment, or vehicle replacement. About eight years ago, the Village began setting money aside each year so that when things needed to be replaced, the funds were there to replace them without increasing Village debt. Getting that fund up to where the Village wants it to be can take time. As more money becomes available, I believe efforts should be made to bolster this fiscally responsible practice.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?As I indicated above, allocating future tax revenue generated by the new commercial and industrial development to the capital reserve and equipment replacement funds will put Gilberts on strong financial footing for the long term. Good work has been done, but it's not something people generally talk much about. I'd like to see this be an even greater point of emphasis going forward.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Gilberts is a great place to live. I want to keep it that way. Unlike others that are angry they didn't get their way, or have a special self serving agenda, I promise to do what is best for the majority. We need to continue on the right path. There is not room for people who only bring complaints and negativity to the table. Gilberts has a lot of great opportunity ahead. We need to move forward, not backward.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Ben Carson - despite negative circumstances early in life, he persevered, believed in himself, achieving success as a pediatric neurosurgeon, author and philanthropist.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?You control your destiny by how you react to your circumstances. Work hard, do your best and help others.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?It did. As a cancer survivor, I now focus on family, then prioritize what's important and enjoy the gift of life...because I can.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English classes - to get your point across and to be effective, you need to be able to clearly and concisely communicate your position.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?You get only one shot at life, be true to yourself, work hard, be kind, help others, be decisive and persevere. Be happy, laugh, smile.