Debra Jenkins: 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: Island LakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Island Lake Village Board Age: 47Family: Husband Greg Step-Children, Ariana and Kyle Furry Children, Pugsley, Precious and BufordOccupation: Co-Owner of Jewell Events Catering, Independent Contractor for Windy City LinenEducation: Barat College, Lake Forest BA in Business with a Minor in MusicCivic involvement: Current Fire and Police Commissioner for the Village of Island Lake, volunteer for all community sponsored VOIL eventsElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I love this town! I have the time and energy to invest in our community and I have a vested interest in its success. I am hard working and enjoy the challenge of uniting people. I am dedicated, honest and every decision in my life is thoughtful and made with integrity. I always seek the good in people and am up to the task.How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services that people want?Our budget is in crisis as the previous administration left the village without reserves and with a 400,000 police pension shortfall. The current administration has made vast improvements but we are still in a rebuilding stage from prior mismanagement. I would like to continue the village-sponsored events that bring us together as a community but will find creative solutions to further resolve the debt issue and get our roads repaired.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Through my time as the police and fire commissioner, I find we spend an exorbitant amount of money on overtime in the police department. There is a high rate of attrition because we are one of the lowest paying villages in Lake and McHenry Counties. I would work towards starting our officers at a more competitive salary to reduce turnover and make us more commensurate with neighboring towns.Have village officials done enough to reduce the size of the monthly legal bills? What more should be done?The current administration has slashed our legal fees by over 60%, which is incredible. I am a proponent of sharing a village administrator with another small town so we can reduce pressure on our village attorney.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would love to see a Farmer's Market in our town. I have visited many surrounding community markets and love watching towns come together. I am a big fan of "A-may-zing Mundelein", a program that brings people together as a village to help the elderly do projects they are not able to do. It's a wonderful, altruistic event that builds communities and helps the lives of those in need.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Economic development is essential for the success of our village. The increased tax revenues would help fund many projects, such as the road repairs our village so desperately needs.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.My sister Diana O'Kelly who has spent the last 20 years serving her community with honesty and integrity.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?One of my favorite things my father always preached to us is, "the harder you work, the luckier you get."If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have gotten more actively involved sooner.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Music classes were always my favorite. Music can bring a community together, can lift our spirits, can inspire us.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?No matter what you do in life, give it your all.