Becky Jante: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Becky Jante

City: Wildwood

Office sought: Wildwood Park District Commissioner

Family: Married to Larry with two daughters, Alaina, 20 and Linsy 17

Occupation: Homemaker

Education: Graduated from the University of Illinois with honors in Finance/Business Administration

Civic involvement:

Previous offices held:

Incumbent: Yes. If yes, when were you first elected? I was appointed to the board in December 2017 due to a resignation. That seat is now up for re-election.

Website: N/A

Facebook: Becky Jante for Wildwood

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

The most important issues regarding our park district are security and sustainability. We are a unique park district in that we are small, but maintain 3 lakes and 11 parks. Since I was appointed last December, I was able to get $13,000 in the budget for additional security for the fiscal year 2018-2019. We added boat ramp monitors and had additional security at all the parks, as well as utilizing the Lake County Sherriffs Office. I am committed to being fiscally responsible with our tax payers money and look at our district as a whole.

If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.

Since being appointed, I have been voted by my fellow board members to serve as Vice President. I was also selected to head up the Boat Ramp Committee for improvements at Pebble Beach. As well as the additional money in the budget this year, I plan to monitor and streamline our security. I am excited to continue with the work that I have begun in my short term of service.

Which programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?

The programs that we offer pay for themselves. The directors are working hard to partner with neighboring districts to offer more programs and help with participation. I would like to have more interaction with our residents about what programs they would like to see, and how we can get more community involvement. Working together is something I strive to do.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.

Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them?

Finding alternative revenue streams is always a challenge for park districts, so we are not alone. We are constantly looking for ideas and volunteers to make that happen, so we don't have to rely solely on taxes. That, along with fiscal responsibility, will help us continue to be strong into the future. Again, working together as a community can only help make this happen. I ask the voters in Wildwood to choose me to help them lead the way.