Daniel MacGillis: 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: Round LakeWebsite: http://www.electcitizensfirst.comOffice sought: Round Lake Mayor (4-year Term)Age: 54Family: Married 25 yrs. to Annamarie L. MacGillis, Mother Karmena MacGillis of Round Lake, Illinois. Brother Dr. Douglas A. MacGillis of Deary, Idaho.Occupation: MusicianEducation: Mortuary Science and Associates of Arts from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IllinoisCivic involvement: Trustee for the Greater Round Lake Area Fire Protection District.Elected offices held: N/AHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Taxes: We live with one of the highest tax rates in the Country. Our residents cannot burdened with more taxes even at the municipal level.Key Issue 2 Open and Honest Government: Have information readily available to our Trustees. Live video stream of board meetings to encourage business owners and residents to get involved with the community. Resourcing with local governments.Key Issue 3 Transportation: There is a continuing effort in Lake County to improve transportation and open new corridors. As our culture becomes moregreener and eco-friendly,? transportation needs will continue to grow and develop. This is all part of positioning Round Lake for the future. We will work with the Lake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee and other Agencies to coordinate borderless transportation in the North East Quadrant of Lake County. This includes expansion of rides for seniors and people with disabilitiesQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Honesty and integrity. Talking and listening to the people and hearing their concerns. I think this job requires leadership skills to build strong teams. I know I can build those teams to gather resources to build partnerships with state, county and local governments. It is time to make sure Round Lake has a voice to be heard.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.It is my fundamental belief that all taxes are too high. Local sales tax is not the issue in Round Lake. It is the lack of retail businesses in our community that is a problem. We need to do all that we can to attract business and industry to our town.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.Garbage. Groot has partnered with Round Lake Park to add a construction debris demolition site along with a garbage transfer station. Residents of Round Lake are furious about having a garbage dump in their back yard. They are fearful of the odors, contaminates, disease, the ecosystem and the depreciation of their property. Myself along with many residents are voicing concerns to the towns and townships along with SWALCO. We will oppose this to the end.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?Two incumbents running on the Citizens First Slate with me have already done a fantastic job of cutting wasteful spending. Thanks to their efforts Round Lake has a balanced budget with reserves. We will continue with a watchful eye and be fiscally responsible. I have had many conversations with our public works officer and I know he is developing his budgets with specific concerns about our streets. I will work with him and help develop a budget and a time schedule to meet the needs of our infrastructure.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I'm not going to be presumptuous enough to say I am the only person that has had any particular idea. I do know that Round Lake has had many opportunities to better itself. So many have been nothing more than an idea. Over ten years we have had and funded a Down Town Development Plan. But nothing has been developed. This is a horrible economy to develop anything. But we can't stop. We need to do all we can to attract business and store fronts to our town. We have the population, we have the sites and we have to be creative to attract those stores here in Round Lake.