Colleen Saccotelli: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Colleen E. Saccotelli

City: Mount Prospect

Office sought: Village Trustee

Age (on Election Day): 38

Family: Husband and 3 children

Occupation: Village Trustee with background in government administration

Education: Master of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in United States Foreign Policy. Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in Italian and Communication.

Civic involvement: Mount Prospect Sister Cities Commission, Northwest Municipal Conference Legislative Committee, St. Raymond Moms Plus, Mount Prospect Junior Women's Club

Previous elected offices held: Village Trustee

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? 2015

Website: www.saccotelli.com

Facebook: colleensaccotelli2019

Instagram: colleensaccotelli2019

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

A thriving commercial sector is critical to the vibrancy of Mount Prospect. We must continue to look for economic development opportunities for all parts of the Village. I will work to make sure opportunities are sought for sites throughout the community. The Village has increased development opportunities in our downtown due to the TIF district. The Village must continue be good stewards of the TIF by taking advantage of the tools that it offers and by providing as much opportunity for public feedback as possible. I will continue my push for effective communications when it comes to new and ongoing TIF projects. Developers must hold informative and engaging project open houses. The Village must continue to provide updates to the project pages on the Village website.

Citizen engagement is an essential Village function. We must inform our constituents of Village issues so that we may solicit their feedback. Citizen input is key so that we can effectively represent our residents as well as ensure the Village is providing the services that they require.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have four years of experience on the Village Board as well as a background in government administration. I understand the functions of government and its importance to the Village. I believe I am an asset to the Board because I come prepared for meetings, ask pertinent questions and listen to all sides of an issue. I bring a positive perspective to the Board. I make decisions based upon what is best for the entire Mount Prospect community. Most importantly, I listen. I carefully consider resident comments, staff recommendations and expert reports. Even though I may have a personal feeling about an issue, I vote based upon what I believe is best for the community. I act with the best intentions and care for the future of Mount Prospect. I am dedicated to the community and committed to our future.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board.

One of my leadership strengths is listening. I carefully consider what others are saying and then speak when needed. Leadership is more about listening than it is pontificating. I am a positive person. I lead through constructive criticism and feedback. I believe it is important to hear from all sides on an issue. I have shown through the past four years that I have a productive working relationship with residents, the business community, other Board members and Village administration. I take resident comments and concerns seriously, and they weigh heavily into my decision-making process.

Additionally, I work with constituencies and Village staff outside of the Boardroom to effect change. I believe a respectful and an open-minded perspective is key to making sure all are heard. Mount Prospect is lucky to have such a great amount of engaged and thoughtful stakeholders who all want Mount Prospect to reach its full potential. My collaborative leadership style works well with the many constituencies of Mount Prospect.

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 people want?

We have a strong base of reserves, and we just voted to not raise the property tax levy. The Village's open budgeting process enables citizens to give insight on the process. It is critical that the Village Board receives this feedback from the community. The Board makes key policy decisions based upon the budget. It is important that residents participate in how community resources are spent. The Village regularly surveys residents about what issues residents feel are most important to them. These survey results add to the decision-making process on key Village issues as well as determining how services are prioritized. Lastly, the Village's citizen-based Finance Commission has an active role in providing budget recommendations to the Village Board. Going forward, Finance Commission meetings should be televised. This gives residents another avenue to witness the decision-making process behind the Finance Commission's key financial recommendations. Residents can then take the information they learned and provide more feedback on the budget to the Village Board.

What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

The Village can do more to utilize and learn from its citizen commissions. The Village must continue to hold joint meetings of the Board with our Finance Commission. When it is appropriate, the Village should hold joint meetings with the Economic Development Commission and Planning and Zoning Board as well. These citizens are chosen for Commissions based on their expertise and desire to serve the Village. The Village Board can benefit from hearing from these citizens more. For instance, I requested that the Economic Development Commission review the concept of video gaming in the Village and make a recommendation to the Village Board which they did. Also, more can be done to educate the public about commissions in general. I propose a campaign to promote participation in Boards and Commissions. The Village should hold a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the roles of Boards and Commissions and how they aid Village government. This meeting and subsequent social media promotion can create greater awareness and hopefully future interest by residents in joining a commission. Many residents want to give back to the community we should give them the information so that they may do so.