Marcia Jendreas: Candidate Profile

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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: Prospect HeightsWebsite: marcia2015.comOffice sought: Prospect Heights City Council Ward 3 Age: 67Family: Marvin, husband for 46 years, 1 son, 1 daughter, and 3 grandchildrenOccupation: Retired - Professional VolunteerEducation: St. Barbara School - Kindergarten through 4th year high Harper College - AAS Degree DePaul University - BA in Business Administration University of Illinois - Master Gardener CertificationCivic involvement: Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission - Commissioner/Secretary Wheeling Township Senior Advisory Commission - Commissioner/Secretary Prospect Heights Police Dept. - Principal Trainer for Citizens Patrol Program front desk volunteer Hersey High School A-OK Program - worked with students to help local senior citizen with yard work Prospect Heights Library - Let's Talk Tutor Program and misc. where needed WINGS (domestic violence agency) - helped with career counseling and wherever needed since 2003Elected offices held: Alderman of Ward 3 - 1991-1994 Chairman of Plan Zoning Board of Appeals - 2003-2009 President of Prospect Heights Garden Club 2010-2014Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My passion for public service makes me the best candidate for Alderman of the 3rd Ward of Prospect Heights. I have over 20 years' experience working in the municipal government field, and served as Prospect Heights Ward 3 Alderman from 1991 to 1994. I am a constant volunteer in the City, whenever and wherever needed and some of my current and past activities include: removal of invasive species such as buckthorn at the Slough area, preparation and planting of a prairie on Com Ed property, sandbagged after heavy rains threatened flooding, helped with the Vehicle Sticker Program, drive Citizens Patrol car to perform checks on vacant homes and senior citizens, aid in traffic control at various events, help with landscape at City Hall and Police Department, and restore native plantings at Izaak Walton Park.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.Prospect Heights is lower than surrounding communities in level of local sales tax. As long as the City continues at current expenditure levels, the sales tax would not need to be increased. Any taxes levied by the City, such as for the Police Pension Fund, or sanitary sewers, have been approved by residents, through referendum. This is a great policy which should continue.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?Prospect Heights has excellent police and fire coverage. The fire department has two stations - one east and one west, of the railroad tracks. Their equipment is continuously upgraded and checked out regularly. They are a member of the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center which provides fast, effective EMS and fire response to emergencies. They also belong to MABAS Division 3 which provides mutual aid assistance for extra alarm fires and mass casualty incidents. Prospect Heights and Wheeling Fire Departments hold special joint training drills because of special needs for emergencies at Chicago Executive Airport. The Police Department is fully staffed and regular and advanced training is ongoing. There are graduates from the Citizens Police Academy who volunteer their time to help during emergency situations, special projects, or front desk back-up. The Department belongs to many task forces, on a regional basis, from which they generate new ideas and have access to available resources, if needed. The Department uses Northwest Central Dispatch, along with 16 other surrounding communities, to dispatch their 911 calls. Both departments are continuously seeking grant funding to get equipment, or manpower, or special programs that are not provided for in their budgets. Specific public safety concerns that are always on my mind include emergencies at Chicago Executive Airport, railroad accidents, and fires in areas with no fire hydrants.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Prospect Heights does not have a budget full of "fluff", and there have been many very lean years. A big line item that needs to be cleared up is the City's ownership of approximately ten acres on the east side of town, which is what is left of the so-called "Arena property". The City owes about $4.8 million on this parcel and this debt either needs to be paid off or refinanced in 2015. Refinancing or bond reissuance means additional expenses. The Council should step up its efforts to sell this property as soon as possible. I would like to see a line item in the budget for bike/walking paths, which could add to our "Safe Routes to School" program. We need to take part in the Active Transportation Alliance which promotes paths throughout the City and suburbs as a means of connectivity, cost effective means of transportation, and an opportunity for physical activity.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The Slogan of Prospect Heights is The City that Looks to the Future. I think we need to expand on that slogan and add But Wants to Retain a Little Bit of the Past. Majority of the residents moved here because of the sprawling, openness of the area. They want to breathe in fresh air, and enjoy natural, native areas that are maintained; they don't want glaring street lights or tall buildings that block out the sun. I think the City Council needs to keep this in mind when they talk about future development. Yes, we definitely need income from businesses, but they need to fit into our environment and provide our residents with services.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Important issues include continuing to attract good business to the area to broaden our sales tax base, continuing City beautification in a natural/environmentally friendly way, and controlling spending wherever possible.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis. He's not afraid to say what he believes in, mingles with everyone, and frowns on frivolous spending for items church leaders don't need.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?As an only child raised by working parents, three aunts/uncles, I learned to be honest, happy, and only buy what I could afford.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?One do-over would be to own a house on at least five acres of land with a spring-fed pond, and my own nature preserve.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Shorthand. Knowing shorthand helped get my first job in government,helped with taking notes in college, and I still use it at meetings.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I narrowed it down to three: trying is more important than succeeding, feel good about your choices in life, and never get into debt.