M. Sands: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Deer ParkWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Deer Park Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 61Family: Married to Debra Heath Sands (8/25/1973) Three Children: Kendrick (Chicago), Trenton (South Portland, Maine), Hilaria (Apex, North Carolina) Four Grandchildren: Aiden, Estella, Juliette and OliverOccupation: Senior Vice President Global Practices Director, AECOM TechnologyEducation: B.S. in Chemistry, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan M.S. in Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan M.B.A. in Management Sciences, California State University, Hayward, CaliforniaCivic involvement: Deer Park Trustee, 2009 to present Former National Executive Couple, Episcopal Marriage EncounterElected offices held: Village of Deer Park Trustee (2009 to present)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Consistent Infrastructure improvement is a top priority with emphasis on Village street repair maintenance, drainage issue resolution and improvement in parks recreational facilities while maintaining a safe community.Key Issue 2 Prudent financial management of the Village of Deer Park resources so as to maximize benefit to the citizens of the Village.Key Issue 3 Expand communications to our residents and local businesses so as to create two way communication of input and feedback such that I may continue to effectively serve the citizens of Deer Park in every Village decision.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I bring a combination of business experience, technical knowledge and, most importantly, a strong desire to serve my fellow citizens so that the Village of Deer Park is a highly sought community to live in and to conduct business. During my tenure on the Village Board we have improved 44% of the Village streets, tackled many legacy drainage issues, and restored the Village to improved fiscal management with budget surplus.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The Village of Deer Park increased sales tax 0.25% a few years ago to provide funds to improve Village streets and tackle persistent drainage issues. Our tax rate of 7.25% is very competitive, and our retail operations have been very successful such that the Village has both improved our infrastructure assets while maintaining a balanced budget.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The Village of Deer Park receives excellent police services from the Lake County Sheriff's office. Our biggest concern is increased traffic through the Village as people search for alternatives to the congestion on Rand Road. The overall traffic needs must be addressed at the State and County level, paramount is the resolution of traffic flow on Rand road and Lake Cook road including access to Highway 53. Reduced speed limits and effective speed enforcement have helped but a larger solution is needed to accommodate the growth and residential, retail and commercial development in the Northwest suburbs.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The Village of Deer Park has operated with a balanced budget or generated a surplus for the last couple of years. After the 2009 election, the Village Board conducted a Village-wide survey questionaire to get resident feedback on priorities and needs. After police and security protection, the next priority was to improve our streets, which had long been neglected. Consequently in the last three years we have re-surfaced and improved 44% of the Village streets. We also changed out our police services contract where the residents receive better service at a lower price. We continue to invest funds in Village infrastructure improvement projects such as resurfacing our streets, improving our parks and correcting chronic drainage issues.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The Village of Deer Park is scheduling more events to build our sense of "community". Events such as 5K fun runs, concerts in Deer Park Center and firework displays bring our residents, commercial and retail businesses and visitors together to enjoy Deer Park. An important priority is to continue to improve walking paths, bike paths, parks and sport fields to accommodate healthy recreation activities for our citizens.