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Elissa Kojzarek: Candidate Profile

Gilberts Village Board

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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:BioQA Bio City: GilbertsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Gilberts Village Board Age: 32Family: Husband Kurt Kojzarek, 3-year-old son Robbie. 2 year old lab/shephard mix named Auggie.Occupation: Director of Marketing for United Way of ElginEducation: BA in Political Science from Iowa State University. MPA (Masters of Public Administration), Northern Illinois University.Civic involvement: Board Member, Elgin Young Professionals Network. Currently enrolled in the Elgin Area Leadership Academy.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?As the daughter of a career Navy man, civic responsibility has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I never had a hometown as we moved often as part of my dad's job. Now that I am grown with my own family, I have finally been able to put down roots in Gilberts. As the parent of a young child, I am very committed to protecting the future of Gilberts. I want to make sure the Village continues down a path that will make my son proud of his hometown. I do not have a preset agenda, and I believe that the board's role is to set policy but then step back and allow the village professionals to get things done, without interference.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Taxes can be a sticky subject for many people. We all want to pay less in taxes, but we still expect a certain level of services from our municipalities. The reality is, tax revenue is what funds a village. Right now, I think Gilberts has a healthy mix of sales and property taxes. I'm excited to see if we can attract some more business, especially to the industrial park, that will help generate more revenue for the Village. Increased business revenue can help shift the burden away from the residential core.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?As Gilberts continues to grow, the need for public safety coverage will expand as well. As the cost of that coverage increases, here is where increases in business tax revenue can help keep our departments in top shape. I cannot speak to the level of future preparedness of the departments yet, but I believe that our public safety departments are currently providing excellent levels of service to the Gilberts community. This is another area where I would prefer to rely on the recommendations of the Fire and Police Chiefs, letting the board know what their needs are and working with the village's professional staff to make sure we can support those needs.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I do not profess to be a budget expert, but as far as I can tell, Gilberts is in great financial position. The budget for 2015 seems thoughtfully prepared, with some decreases in expenses, and projected increases in revenue. Going forward, I think it is the role of the board to keep tabs on the budget, looking for inefficiencies, duplication, and wasteful spending. From what I know as a newcomer, Gilberts does not seem to have those problems in their current budget.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I think there is the potential out there for us to find some grant revenue for special projects either from the county, state, or federal sources. These grants are funded by our own tax revenue, so it is really just trying to get some of our money back in the community. I believe I could help the professional staff identify some new grant opportunities in the coming years, allowing Gilberts to make more improvements to the village.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Unlike more contentious races, I am not running with an agenda or because I am angry about something. I think Gilberts is a great community on the right path toward the future, and I just want to do my part to help sustain that future. Young people can be so apathetic when it comes to local politics, and I want to show others who might want to run but feel they do not have the experience that they can still get involved and help their community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I'm not Catholic, but I love this Pope. He is really preaching the love the Bible is based on, trying to reach out to all.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Life isn't fair, so it is up to you to make yours worthwhile. Work hard, do good, serve others. Those are the keys to happiness.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Growing up, I always wanted to study sharks, but went for a more practical degree/career. I would love to be doing shark research today!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History--studying history allows you to understand WHY the world is the way it is today. Plus I'm really good a trivia!If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Just be you, work hard, do good, and serve others.