Cheryl Falk-Novak: 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: WaucondaWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/Wauconda-Forward-928883247255171/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cheryl-Falk-Novak-Candidate-for-Wauconda-Village-Clerk-648546958656704/Office sought: Wauconda Village Clerk Age: 53Family: Michael Novak, SpouseNicholas Novak, SonLauren Falk, DaughterOccupation: Application Support Analyst - Volkswagen Credit/Audi Financial ServicesEducation: Bachelor of Computer Information SystemsCivic involvement: Active with Wauconda:-Cruise Night-Bunny Hop-WaucondaFest-Turkey Trot-Holiday Walk on MainElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am quite involved within the Wauconda Community as I volunteer for and participate in numerous village events. I frequently attend Village meetings which affords me the opportunity to stay abreast of town issues. This allows me to keep current with the Village's business at hand as well as better understand the responsibilities that the Village has to its residents. It also allows me to effectively and more accurately disseminate this information among the residents of Wauconda so that they are better informed as well.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.In my opinion, Wauconda needs to concentrate on diversifying their sales tax base in an effort to offset the property tax burden on the residents. Although the Village portion of the property tax is only around 10-11% of the total billing, increasing the sales tax base by attracting new business will assist in this effort.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?From what I have personally observed as a resident of Wauconda for the past 14 years, the Wauconda Police and Fire Departments exceed resident's expectations. This is extremely evident just by speaking with fellow residents and comments made on numerous local social media sites. Both Departments are extremely professional, very involved in the community and continually demonstrate their exceptional skill protecting our community as well as other communities. It speaks volumes when you see other Villages requesting assistance from our Fire/Police Departments. With the recent dispatch consolidation effort of our Police and Fire Departments, this has better positioned them for future technology enhancements.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?As a frequent attendee of bi-monthly Village meetings, I am better able to digest and understand the Village of Wauconda's budgeting structure and the effects it could have in the long and short term. Wauconda runs a pretty lean budget, has significantly reduced headcount and has maintained quality core services for the residents. The administration has also done an exceptional job of financially positioning the Village to stay ahead of the demanding state pension liabilities and their effects at the local level. I would like to see additional funds made available to assist in further marketing Wauconda for economic development.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I feel Wauconda does a tremendous job on social media making residents aware of all the community events that take place throughout the year. To compliment that, I think we should also utilize social media in an effort to get more residents involved in volunteer opportunities for these events along with making it easy for them to identify event coordinators to reach out to. Wauconda currently has a strong volunteer base, however, it would be nice to encourage additional residents to get involved for those who are interested.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The issues which are important to me have already been addressed in other answered questions.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I am in awe of the accomplishments of Jeff Bezos. He has literally defined "one stop on-line shopping" for consumers. Amazon = success!What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I am grateful we were raised by parents who taught us to work hard, be diligent, loyal and to be respectful to all.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I received my Bachelors just 7 years ago. I wish I had done this sooner so I would have reaped the benefits earlier in life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Having had the opportunity to be involved in the Work Study Program gave me an advantage and allowed me to hit the ground running.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Try something out of your comfort zone that you will find uncomfortable or in your mind, unachievable. You'll be surprised at what you're capable of.