Stacey Kramer: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Stacey Kramer
City: Lindenhurst
Office sought: Village Trustee
Age: 48
Family: Husband Mark, daughters Brianna (18 and a freshman at Indiana University) and Mindy (17 and a junior at Grayslake North High School), dog Zeus (eight-year-old Sheltie)
Occupation: Homemaker and Volunteer
Education: B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University
Civic involvement: Founder and President of the Lake County Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence; trustee of the Leadership Council of Beth Hillel Temple (Kenosha, WI); member of Tenth Dems; member of Lake County Democratic Independent Women; Grayslake North boosters; former PTO member of Millburn Schools
Previous elected offices held: None
Incumbent? No. If yes, when were you first elected?
Website: lindenhurstunited.org
Facebook: Lindenhurst United for Change 2019
Twitter: N/A
Issue questions
What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?
There are numerous opportunities for development and growth in our community, and as taxpayers we need to have our revenue base expanded in order to relieve some of the burden placed on us. Having staff dedicated to community development is essential if we are to accomplish this goal. There also needs to be increased communication and transparency between the Village Board and the residents. Community engagement is an area that can be strengthened with greater outreach from the elected officials.
What makes you the best candidate for the job?
As a 16-year resident of Lindenhurst, I have been involved in the community through the school system, patronizing local businesses, and creating strong relationships with my neighbors. I share many of the same concerns about what it takes for our village to be even stronger and more vibrant than it already is, and I will work hard for those visions to become reality.
Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board or city council.
My strength is listening to the concerns and opinions of the team and working to achieve the best outcome for all involved. I will do that, not only with the Village Board, but also the community at large.
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?
It is vital that the Village Board utilize best practices in obtaining bids for contracts and being transparent with that information. It is also essential that the Village be proactive rather than reactive when determining what projects will be prioritized. Open communication with the residents is the most effective way to assess what is most important.
What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
I would like to have monthly open forums at local businesses throughout Lindenhurst for residents to meet their Village Board and address concerns and share their visions in a more casual setting than the biweekly Village Board meetings. We are all residents of Lindenhurst, and we should work together to revitalize our community.