Denise Barreto: 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: Lake in the HillsWebsite: http://www.denisewbarreto.comOffice sought: Lake In The Hills Board (4-year Terms)Age: 41Family: Married to Isael Barreto - two children Emma, 11 and Evan, 7Occupation: Self-employed. Business and marketing strategist. I created my own job since the last election!Education: Bachelors of Arts in CommunicationCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Village Trustee 2009 - PresentHave 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 Strategic planning. I want us to set a vision for what we want Lake in the Hills to be in 5 or 10 years from now. Included in that, of course is business retention and development but also what do we want our parks and rec department to do - we already do a fantastic job of planning for public works - I'd just like to see it all tied together in a village strategic planKey Issue 2 Maintain our strong fiscal status. I am proud to have joined the team when we were extremely challenged financially and have seen us move to a place of being one of few taxing entities to actually LOWER our residents obligation - two years in a row. I am fiscally responsible personally and happy to say the same as an elected official.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Experience and energy. Now that I've served the village for almost 4 years, I understand what we face and can contribute at a much higher level and I've already begun to do so. For that reason alone I want another chance to finish some of the great things I've had the chance to start. When you couple my business experience with my experience on the village board - I have much more to offer the residents. And I am grateful they trusted me before. Plus - I am unmatched in energy. In my new business, I've been working with governmental agencies assisting them in being more efficient and serving their communities better. Lake in the Hills has this wisdom and energy "in house" and I'd love to keep expending that energy for the betterment of our village.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.Our sales tax is fine. We are on par or lower than some of our closest neighbors.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.In general, the people I've spoken with in Lake in the Hills feel safe. There are not many outstanding issues - most anything I've heard during my time in office has been addressed quickly and efficiently.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?Our award winning budget is good. We have been keenly attentive to every line item and it shows - we were able to lower our property tax assessments two consecutive years. We will turn some of our attention to training and building morale for our employees who serve everyone in the village. In order to best serve our residents, we must serve our employees and that is one of my priorities.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Believe it or not, I think we could do a better job of signalling what are Lake in the Hills businesses versus other towns. The lines are blurry and I bet residents are often confused as to whether they are patronizing a business in our town or if it's in one of our neighbors. I don't have the answer but I'd sure love to tackle it. I personally make sure I fill up my gas tank every few times at a Lake in the Hills station - I'd love if everyone who lived here pledged to do the same. It could make a difference. And it took me a few years to know exactly which ones were Lake in the Hills stations versus Algonquin. We need to be sure we encourage folks to buy in Lake in the Hills.