Suellen Satern: 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: Elk Grove VillageWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Elk Grove Township Board (4-year Terms)Age: 55Family: Married to husband Jason for 32 years, and the mother of two daughters, Kristina (26) and Elizabeth (23). Kristina ans her husband Ryan are homeowners in the township.Occupation: Learning Resource Center Assistant, School District 59Education: Graduated from Glenbrook South High School, Glenview, IL, 1975 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Wheaton College, IL, 1979Civic involvement: Republican Organization of Elk Grove Township, Board Member, Deputy Committeeman, - current Elk Grove Baptist Church, volunteered in various ministries Elk Grove High School, Choir Parent Volunteer, 2005-2007 Grove Junio High School, Band Parent Board, 1998 - 2003Elected offices held: Elk Grove Township Trustee, 2010 - presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To continue to provide the services that township residents need, at a low cost.Key Issue 2 To work with local governments, agencies and organizations in a cooperative manner to best meet the needs of our township residents.Key Issue 3 To continue to inform rsidents and organization and people who serve our residents of the programs and resources available through the township.Questions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.The first goal is for the township to directly provide services to our residents in the unincorporated areas of the township, as these residents are not served by the municipalities. The second goal is to work with other agencies and organizations to provide a greater variety of services for our residents. By helping fund these agencies we can indirectly provide all types og services, such as mental health counseling through the Kenneth Young Center. The third goal is to reach out to organizations and people and businesses in our township to seek to partner with them in serving our residents. One example of this is our food pantry, which is run on donations. The amount of people served by our pantry this year is much higher than last year. We couldn't provide the food neededwithout donations from local businesses and from organizations who do food drives and from individual residents who provide food for our pantry.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Townships are needed because we offer services, especially for residents in the unincorporated areas, that other agencies of government do not want to offer, anmd/or cannot offer at the same low cost to taxpayers.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?Township governments are charged to provide services and assistance to the residents in their towns and in their unincorporated areas. Besides direct assistance, Elk Grove Township gives funding to organizations like the Kenneth Young Center that provides much needed services such as counseling for families and Meals on Wheels for homebound seniors.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?I don't believe that there are any programs for our residents that should be eliminated. We are required by law to provide General Assistance to residents who qualify, and much of what we office is a safety net to those who have nowhere else to turn for help. We reworked the health insurance for our employees last year, enabling us to offer them the same coverage at an annual savings of about $50,000 to the township. We also cut salaries and meeting stipends 10% for our elected officials for the next four years. Everyone of the current board is committed to offering our residents the best assistance while at the same time being fiscally responsaible with our funds.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?I have been a resident of the township for over 30 years and work in the local school district in the township. My children went to school in Districts 59 and 214 and our family has been involved in the local park district and library. I have volunteered in many areas in the community throughthe schools and our church. I studied political science and sociology in college and these are still my interests today. I enjoy helping people; I am conscientious, honest, and fiscally conservative.