Denise Rotheimer: 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: InglesideWebsite: www.momsv.orgTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake County Board District 5 Age: 44Family: Daughter, JasmineOccupation: Legislative AuthorEducation: Bachelor's Degree--Business Administration, cum laude North Park UniversityCivic involvement: 2009â#8364;#8220;Present Guest Lecturer, University of Illinois at Chicago, Criminal, Law and Justice Department2011â#8364;#8220;2012 Chairperson of Youth Committee, Lake County Coalition Against Homelessness2010â#8364;#8220;Chairperson of Waukegan Township Legislative Breakfast Committee2009â#8364;#8220;Chairperson of Waukegan Township Staben House Advisory Council2007â#8364;#8220;2008 Chairperson of Philanthropy, Hawthorn Woods Women's Club2007â#8364;#8220;Member, Circle of Women, YWCA Lake County2006â#8364;#8220;2007 Medical, hotline, child abuse prevention advocate, Zacharias Center - 40hour certificate Sexual Violence Advocate, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual AssaultElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?I will bring over ten years of experience by working with members of the general assembly to pass nonpartisan legislation. Two state laws that I authored passed unanimously. I will prioritize the taxpayer's interests and initiate policies to reduce property taxes.Specifically, I will work to reduce the number of board members and eliminate pensions for part-time county board elected officials. Additionally, I will oppose any increases in salaries, benefits and personal expense accounts for elected officials.The forest district's money for land acquisition and development is drying up. Is a new tax-rate increase for more bonds needed? If so, when? And why?No, I would oppose a new tax-rate increase for more bonds because we need to reduce our debt service which has grown by one percentage point from 1.4% of the budget in 2015 to 2.4% for 2016. Instead of implementing a new tax-rate increase, I would cut unnecessary expenses that burden taxpayers and only use existing revenues to fund the priorities of lake county residents and employers.When the forest district bought the new headquarters building in Libertyville, the intent was it would include the Lake County Discovery Museum, but a big state grant to fund that is on hold and the overall vision is in limbo. The district also wanted to rent a fairly large portion of the building. What scenarios do you envision for the museum, given the turn of events since the headquarters building was originally acquired.I will entertain scenarios that do not impose a financial burden on county taxpayers. Specifically, I will evaluate any efforts that can be made to enable the funds from the state grant to go through and consider renting a portion of the building. The county must operate within its means and budget accordingly without increasing the tax burden on county residents and employers.Should the county continue to spend its regional sales tax funds on state road projects or should that money be directed to address other Lake County transportation needs? What is your position on whether Route 53 should be extended through Lake County and why? Has your stance on Route 53 changed, given the recent increase in opposition?The county should fulfill its obligations to taxpayers by funding projects that were promised. Otherwise, the county should seek the input and consent of taxpayers before reallocating any tax dollars to address other county related needs. On the issue of Route 53, I would prefer to put a binding referendum on the ballot during the Presidential general election and give voters the right to decide if whether Route 53 should be extended through Lake County or not.Please list any elected office you have ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?In 2008 I ran for Lake County Board member District 17 during the general election and lost to the incumbent. In 2014 I attempted to run for State Representative of District 62 but I was not able to get on the ballot for the general election.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As a candidate it is important to me that I reach out to voters and educate them on issues that will directly affect their interests. Upon election, I will work with constituents to ensure that their interests are represented on the board. I can be contacted directly to discuss issues that are important to voters and answer their questions at 847-406-8566 or denise@momsv.org.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Senator Ira Silverstein. Senator Silverstein reached out to me after I testified in Springfield and filed SB2151 to address the issue I raised.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To appreciate and value the importance of family.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English was my favorite subject. I love to write which has helped me author legislation and other correspondence that was necessary to educate legislators.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Stay true to yourself, focus on your priorities and live your dream.