Elaine M. Ramesh: 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: Barrington HillsWebsite: NoneTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Elaine M. RameshOffice sought: Barrington Hills Village Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Patent AttorneyEducation: B.S. Medicinal Chemistry; State University of NY at BuffaloPhD Organic Chemistry, Texas A M UniversityJD IIT Chicago-Kent College of LawCivic involvement: BACOG Water Resource Committee member: 8/14-8/16McHenry County Conservation District Citizen's Advisory Committee member 2011-2013Pro Bono volunteer attorney for Administer Justice at Willow Creek Community Church's Care CenterElected offices held: *Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Ever since moving here 15 years ago, I have been a voice for support of the unique character of our Village, from fighting rezoning to an undesirable high density development supported by a spray irrigation system in the northwest corner of the Village, up to the present. I have 8 years of experience on the Barrington Hills Village Board; first as an appointed Clerk, and then as an elected Trustee. My successful record of bringing innovative programs to our Village includes: 1) recognized the issues with the Cuba Road bridge and created a set-aside fund within the budget to begin to address the cost of the eventual replacement program; 2) instituted an inventory and inspection of all Village culverts and detention ponds, performing flushing of drainage pipes and finding and addressing problems with repairs to mitigate flooding on the roads; and 3) organized and held Private Road Homeowner's Road Maintenance Summits, to connect those residents on private roads throughout the Village responsible for taking care of their roads with each other; and also gave them information on matters such as resurfacing and salting and suggestions on budgeting for both long and short term needs. During my tenure I fostered good relations with surrounding communities and our four counties through attending meetings of those other units of local government and interacting with them. Being a Barrington Hills Trustee requires a great investment of time and thought, and I am willing to devote myself to service to my community again. We cannot be sure what issues Barrington Hills will face in the future, but I feel well suited to the task because of my experience; as well as my creative and analytical skill set. I would be proud to serve Barrington Hills again, should I be re-electedWhat 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.We all feel the burden of excess property taxes in Illinois. Our taxes have been cited as third highest state property taxes in the country; while my county (McHenry County) has the 29th highest taxes of any counties in the country. That said, the Barrington Hills municipal portion of the property tax is a very low percentage of a resident's total bill. Further cuts to our Village budget therefore may not provide much relief to the taxpayer; and may even result in the loss of needed services or protections. We can support our residents in other ways in the arena of taxation. During my previous Village Board service, we tried to help residents understand their tax bills by holding an informational session for residents with local tax assessors who fielded questions about how assessments were made and how to file appeals. I think it may be useful to repeat such an informational program. 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?Our present model of low-density land use and estate zoning allows the current level of emergency service providers to meet our needs. However, subdivision of properties into smaller parcels - whether the land is in the Village, along its borders, or just beyond its borders - has the potential to compromise the capabilities of our first responders without significant additional allocation of resources. For this reason, any concessions or changes to our zoning map should be analyzed with this in mind, and estimation of additional costs rezoning would bring must be a factor in decision-making.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?An eye on the bottom line is crucial. However, cutting the budget further may cause unintended negative consequences. The Village Board should thoughtfully approve cost-cutting measures only after short-term small gains are carefully weighed against the potential negative long-term effects on services residents require and on the vital protections of our unique land use charter and environment.During my previous tenure, savings were achieved by harnessing the expertise of our residents as volunteers in some capacities; rather than by paying contractors or employees for certain services. For instance, an impactful logo was created for our Village by a noted resident artist. Also, use of a Communications Committee and a Legal Committee resulted in valuable contributions which would otherwise have to be paid for. I think it would be advantageous to consider making more use of our own human capital to stretch our tax dollars.If elected, I would do my part to use our limited financial resources wisely. A good example of doing so is the present administration's advantageous use of the historically low asphalt prices (putting infrastructure work #8220;on-sale#8221;) to advance the schedule for annual repaving efforts in our road program. I would do my best to look for similar opportunities to be prudent with our tax money.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Let's hold a Celebration of Creativity event. We are a haven for artists, sculptors, gourmet chefs, writers, fine arts performers, entrepreneurs and inventors, and we should give these residents the opportunity to share and showcase their talents. The event can feature the creative spirit nourished by our unique environment; offer a new reason to make Barrington Hills home; and create another point of connection between us all. What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Guarding the freedoms, heritage and expansive natural resources that drew us here are of paramount importance to me.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCoWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.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?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.