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Kathleen O'Connor: Candidate Profile

Libertyville Township Supervisor

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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: LibertyvilleWebsite: NoneTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Libertyville Township Supervisor Age: 53Family: My husband is John O'Connor. We have been for 28 years and have 4 children: Bridget, Maureen, Colleen and John Patrick.Occupation: Social WorkerEducation: Master of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; June 1988Bachelor of Social Work, Illinois State University, Normal, IL; May 1985Civic involvement: Bull Creek Bull's Brook Watershed CouncilChair January 2014 - PresentVice Chair January 2013 - January 2014ComEd Green Region ProgramAdvisory Committee Member 2013 - PresentLake County Coordinated Transportation Services Committee (LCCTSC)Chair January 2014 - PresentSecretary January 2012 - 2014Lake County Township Officials of IllinoisVice Chair July 2015 - PresentParish Pastoral Council, St. Joseph Church, Libertyville, ILChair July 2015 - PresentEl Nino Rey, c/o St. Norbert's Parish, Northbrook, ILDental Mission Team Member January 2014 - PresentElected offices held: Libertyville Township Supervisor May 2009 - PresentLibertyville Township Trustee May 2005 - May 2009Questions 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.Libertyville Township's first priority should be its continued commitment to fiscal responsibility. This has been accomplished by maintaining a flat levy, exploring alternative funding sources for the stewardship of our Open Space District and reducing benefits for elected officials. Over the past 6 years, the Township has removed the Trustee and Clerk positions from participation in IMRF and kept all elected officials' wages frozen. In the next term, compensation for the Trustee position will remain flat, health insurance has been removed as an eligible benefit for the Clerk, and a monthly stipend will be deducted from the Highway Commissioner's salary for the personal use of a township vehicle. The second priority is the stewardship activities for the Open Space District. For the upcoming term, the Township will explore the feasibility of a wetland mitigation bank on a parcel, continue the implementation of the Casey Road Land Use Plan and evaluate the need for potential trail renovations at Oak Openings. The third priority should be to consider potential next steps following the recommendations of the Lake County Division of Transportation's Paratransit Market Study. The Township will need to consider its role in a potential coordinated, borderless transportation system within the County.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?The primary responsibility of township government is to assess property, maintain unincorporated roads and provide for those in need in our community. In 1985, Libertyville Township residents added the creation of an Open Space District as an another responsibility. In 2016, Libertyville Township assessed 20,831 parcels, maintained 25.57 miles of unincorporated roads, received 70 completed applications requesting assistances, 21 families were eligible for Emergency Assistance, 2 individuals received General Assistance, 20 families were provided Community Emergency Assistance, 309 families registered to use the food pantry, 199 energy assistance applications were completed and 1500 acres of Open Space were maintained. Libertyville Township has limited its scope of service to these mandated areas.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Regardless of annexation, township government would continue to be responsible for the assessment of parcels and providing for those in need through General and Emergency Assistance. The assistance provided helps families in ways other programs can't. Townships are able to quickly respond to a family's financial crisis to prevent a situation from spiraling out of control: reducing the risk of homelessness for a family facing eviction, keeping the utilities on or covering the costs of a much needed car repair in order to maintain employment. Once housing and/or utilities are lost, it is incredibly difficult for a family to move forward. The funds provided are local dollars from property taxes and not State funds. This allows the township to verify eligibility and process applications in a timely manner. In addition to the financial assistance, townships connect families to other appropriate resources. Libertyville Township operates a food pantry. The food distributed is donated by the community or purchased from the Northern Illinois Food Bank with monetary donations. No tax dollars are used to purchase the food. The food pantry has an active volunteer program which reduces staffing costs.Are there any township offices that should be eliminated or consolidated?In a state where we have over 7,000 units of government, it is an extremely important question and should be actively explored. Potential consolidation options to consider: merging smaller road districts, regional township financial assistance offices, or a centralized property assessment system. There are factors that need to be researched to ensure savings to taxpayers and the quality of service is maintained. For example, what are the current conditions in terms of scope of services provided, what is the actual amount spent, what's the staffing ratio, are there models of consolidation that have been effective, what would it cost to implement, what is the impact of the tax rate, etc. The State has passed legislation to form committees to explore the issue of consolidation. In addition to a committee, I would hope an independent consultant would be engaged to gather hard data, provide recommendations, and anticipated cost savings. Part of the process should include reporting out to the taxpayers the findings and engaging the public to determine appropriate next steps. If this becomes a highly politicized issue, it will never go beyond a conversation and the public will be denied the opportunity to make an informed decision.Can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?For the upcoming year, I will explore the impact of outsourcing the Township's payroll and bookkeeping. We will continue to seek opportunities to partner with other public entities. For example, the Township needed to remove a home from township property. The Waukegan Fire District conducted a burn training on the house. The Township reduced our demolition costs and the firefighters were given a great training opportunity. We partnered with Waukegan Park District on a trail construction project. The Open Space District will continue to identify projects that can be contracted out and utilize our Volunteer Workday Program to limit the need for additional staff.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The current public transportation system in Lake County creates barriers for residents who need reliable transportation to work, medical appointments and educational opportunities. Over 50% of the Dial-a-Ride riders, use the service to get to work. In Libertyville Township, the riders are seniors 60 and older and individuals with a disability. In the next term, I will continue to work the County and other stakeholders in identifying a long term, financially sustainable solution to this issue.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I am inspired by people who put the interests and needs of others before their own.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Your character matters.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?As a young adult, I would have been more adventurous.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I really enjoyed my psychology classes. They helped me develop a better understanding of human behavior.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Life is better when you're grateful.