Germain Castellanos: 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: WaukeganWebsite: http://www.castellanosforcountyboard.orgOffice sought: Lake County board District 9Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married (Kristine), 1 Daughter (Dalilah)Occupation: Program Manager, SHINE Educational Leadership Program at Waukegan Public SchoolsEducation: Public Administration DePaul UniversityCivic involvement: -Youth Council, Lake County Workforce Investment Board, March 2001 -- Present -Board Member, Youth Conservation Corps, September 2008 -- Present -Board Member, Habitat for Humanity Lake County, March -Board Member, Waukegan Public Library, July 2005 -- 2Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Safer NeighborhoodsWe must provide residents in our community with the opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer and improve their quality of life. We can do this through Neighborhood Watch Groups and improved police/community relationships.Key Issue 2 Better SchoolsAn investment in our children's education is an investment in our county's future. The importance of providing our children the best possible education cannot be overstated, especially as so many Americans battle economic hardship. We need to realize the benefits of Community Schools and expand College Access Programs Workforce Development.Key Issue 3 Healthier CommunitiesBy engaging our communities in Waukegan and North Chicago and partnering with local hospitals and clinics we can bring the focus back to helping to change the places and organizations that touch people's lives every day -- schools, work sites, health care sites, and other community settings. Information saves lives and makes communities healthier. We need to inform and educate the public about health issues including chronic diseases and provide more access to healthy food choices and increase awareness around environmental health.Questions Answers The county remains in the black, but property taxes across the region are high. Should programs be cut to save taxpayers money? If so, which ones and why?Services to the public are what give us confidence in our government. Cutting programs funded by the county will have an overwhelmingly negative impact on disadvantaged populations across the county. Rather than cutting programs altogether, the county should review existing programs and determine where services are redundant and/or can be effectively consolidated.What should be done with the Fort Sheridan golf course? If no building or management proposals come back from vendors, do you propose abandoning golf? If so, are you concerned about a lawsuit? If you propose building a course, how should it be funded?Golf courses both public and private are being negatively affected by the economic down turn. Lake County has taken the proper steps by requesting proposals for a new 9-hole golf course at the Fort Sheridan site. However, there were no bids submitted in response to the county's RFP. In the interest of not abandoning golf and avoiding a lawsuit, the county should review the requirements and stipulations within the RFP, and modify them toward the end of making bidding more favorable to vendors.The Winchester House nursing home recently was turned over to a private company for operation. Should other county or forest district departments be privatized to save taxpayers money? Please explain.Privatizing public operations in some cases makes services more efficient and affordable; however, privatization can also affect the quality of services. This of course should be analyzed on a case by case basis. Collaboration between cities and counties through the creation of intergovernmental agreements to provide public services could save taxpayers money. I would propose a study of county services to determine those that could be provided by other public governmental agencies in the interest of saving taxpayers money. The study would serve to determine what the county is most equipped to do and also illustrate those services that could be marketed to other local municipalities as a way of generating revenue, all the while maximizing efficiency by providing quality services at affordable rates.Is there a specific type of service or amenity that is lacking in your district? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund that?The 9th District lacks any Lake County Forest Preserve recreation. There are miles of bike paths that could be widened to accommodate increased volume and some limited green space around those bike paths that if properly lit and maintained in collaboration between the Waukegan Park District and the Lake County ForestPreserve could be utilized for recreation.Should the county continue to pursue open space policies' Why or why not?Yes. Lake County is a beautiful place to live, work and play. Open and green space acquired by Lake County functions to preserve our natural areas and commodify our suburbs as good places to live. The more Lake County is involved in ensuring that certain areas are designated open spaces for public use, the longer our county can retain its charm and provide outdoor recreation for our residents.