Barbara Hernandez: 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: AuroraWebsite: http://barbara4kane.weebly.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kane County Board District 8 Age: 24Family: Barbara lives with her parents and her brother Antonio Hernandez, 19, and student of Waubonsee Community College.Occupation: Assistant Chief of Staff to State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia and Residential Counselor to IMSAEducation: Graduated from East Aurora High school in 2010, Waubonsee Community College in 2012 and from Aurora University in 2014. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish.Civic involvement: Assisted in the Junior Kane County in 2014.Volunteered in Fiestas Patrias 2014.Elected offices held: Precinct committeeman for Ward 3 Precinct 5 since 2012.Appointed to the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Board and the Aurora Township Youth Commission (2014-present). Member of the YWCA Board of Directors (2016- present)Questions Answers Do you support or oppose construction of the Longmeadow Parkway, including the use of a toll for the crossing over the Fox River?I do support the construction of the Longmeadow Parkway. I believe the bridge would allow commuters a faster way to travel. That being said, I also agree with including the toll on the bridge. Most of the commuters will be coming from McHenry County. The toll would allow the bridge to pay for itself instead of using tax payers dollars. Not only would it make travel time shorter for individuals, but the construction work would allow jobs to be created for families in Kane County.Do you agree with the Kane County State's Attorney, Kane County Public Defender and Kane County Sheriff that they require more staff? If so, where will the money come from to support that additional staff?I agree that we need more staff for the Kane County State's Attorneys, Kane County Public Defender and Kane County Sheriff. We want to make sure we are doing everything possible to keep our neighborhoods safe by having enough deputies patrolling the streets. We should also use the resources already available to pay for the staff increases.Do you support a completely frozen Kane County property tax levy, or would you support a non-referendum increase of the county's property tax levy to factor in new construction?I believe freezing the property tax levy would allow families to be able to save for the future while still allowing them to spend on basic necessities. We should continue to freeze the property tax levy for as long as possible and if the day comes where we need to revise our options we could do so.What is your philosophy regarding the use of forest preserve district property? Are projects like the proposed cross country course for the former Settler's Hill Landfill appropriate?The plan for the Settler's Hill landfill to create a cross country course would be appropriate. It has been approved to be environmentally safe it would allow individuals to use the track for sporting events and bring more tourism to Kane County, without spending tax payers dollars.Do you believe Kane County's elected officials, including the board, are fairly compensated? Or is it time to explore raises for all the elected offices?I believe the Kane County's elected officials are well compensated for their work, they do for the community. I also believe the discussion of increasing elected officials income should not be one of our priorities. There are other items in Kane County that should be addressed that would benefit our constituents.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?A few issues that are important to me is to be transparent with constituents in regards to information they should know about their district and the county. Also, making sure constituents have access and know where to get any important information they need. This could be done by having each board member more involved, by informing their constituents either bi-weekly or monthly on any upcoming votes, events, and updates in the county.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To be true to yourself and never forget from where you came from. Always give back to the community and expect nothing in return.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?History helped me understand the past, present and future of certain life experiences. Everyone has a story to tell and a history to create.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?To not take "no" for a answer, make sure you never forget where you came from and how you got to be who you are.