Diane Lawrence: 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: CarpentersvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diane-Lawrence-for-Trustee-in-the-Village-of-Carpentersville-210210079440494/Office sought: Carpentersville Village Board Age: 46Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Consultant/Project ManagerEducation: Bachelor Degree in Business and ManagementCivic involvement: Special Olympics - various programs National Night OutWinchester Glen Homeowners AssociationElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers Many municipalities are met with the challenge of maintaining steady revenue streams while trying to lower the tax burden on businesses and property owners. How has the village handled that balancing act so far, and how would you improve/maintain that situation?Carpentersville hasn't always maintained a competitive tax rate for businesses and levies one of the highest tax rates for residents,9%, as compared to Algonquin 7.75%, Huntley 7%, and St Charles at 8%. Carpentersville still needs to utilize other efforts to retain its current businesses and attract new businesses with sales tax rates, etc. that are competitive or slightly better than neighboring communities. Carpentersville has opportunity to tighten our spending belt with a strategic budget and incentives. Through better budgeting and business growth Carpentersville can build strong reserves for emergency needs and continue attract businesses and residents.How would you suggest Carpentersville carry out its long-term goal of finding occupants for vacant buildings and properties throughout the village? What, if anything, is currently lacking in the village's business and economic portfolio?Walmart was a huge win for the community but we can't stop there. We need to offer incentives for rehabbing current properties like Meadowdale Mall, Huntley Square and the old Dominick's on Randall Rd., empty buildings already developed. Small improvements can be a huge win for new retail business interest. We also need to assure new residents and businesses that Carpentersville is a great yet affordable place to live and raise a family.Where in the village's budget, if anywhere, could expenses be trimmed? And on the other hand, should the budget allot more money toward any particular area, service or village department?Expenses can always be trimmed, but it has to be done in a way that still provides essential services to the community. Budgets are still moral documents, they show where our priorities are. It comes down to determining if upcoming expenses are a desperate need or a want that can be held off until necessary. Carpentersville needs to evaluate spending on all departments through strict assessment of current contracts or departmental wants. Our Village has done well at the Fire Department with grants and that can be carried over to other Departments which can save money for items we need or even want to add. Staffing of the Village departments needs to be revisited ,so we can be sure our first responders are adequately staffed while ensuring non safety related departments are not overstaffed or overfunded. A broader scope on negotiating pricing and services will benefit everyone.What are your biggest concerns regarding public safety, and how could those be addressed?I think we need to utilize our resources for the community and make sure we have adequate staffing to support our needs. We need integrated communication between our public safety and the residents for a faster realtime responses with events, accidents, amber alert, etc. . We can accomplish this by utilizing Facebook, social media and the village website to alert residents of these activities. Another form of reaching out to the residents is breakfast at the fire department, coffee with a cop, etc. This way the first time someone has an interaction with a public safety official it's not during an emergency situation.What can the village do to improve its relationship with union employees, particularly those in the fire department, and is there room for improvement? Please explain.There is always room for improvement and it starts with acknowledging the role these employees play in the community. We need more interaction between the village board and the fire department. Trustee ride alongs are a great way to build these connections. We also need to include employees in board meetings to share ideas on how to resolve concerns and to demonstrate how we, as a community, can come up with solutions together. For example, in September FEMA gave the Fire Department $238K, to replace air packs, with a grant submitted by a fire fighter. In 2015, the Fire Department received $61,819 in a grant to outfit 2 ambulances with patient loading systems and patient stretchers, lowering the chances of costly worker's comp injuries. We do better as one community, not a community divided and this allows us to utilize these resources for other needs in the community.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Taxes, I think the most important goal is to come up with a comprehensive plan to reduce taxation on our current residents while also improving our competitive business environment. The Village of Carpentersville needs to make sure our core values incorporate our community and our goals and develop strategic incentives for our community to bring us together. We need to renegotiate contracts, review our health care insurance plans, apply for grants across our departments, establish goals and objectives that everyone knows and understands and then hold people accountable with a status updates and target dates.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Former Naperville Mayor George Pradel. The dedication, enthusiasm, love and passion he had for his community.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Stay true to yourself and consider all advice.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would not change a thing as every choice, lesson, or obstacle made me the person I am today and I would never change that.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math has been a part of my whole career and person life, from balancing budgets, managing projects, negotiating contracts, and creating reports.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up because life is to short.