Charlotte K. Pruss: 2021 candidate for trustee in Oak Brook

Six candidates are running for three, 4-year seats on the Oak Brook Village Board.

Bio

Town: Oak Brook

Age: Didn't answer

Occupation: Village Clerk of Oak Brook; retired dietitian and HR professional at Rush and Hartgrove Hospital

Civic involvement: Officer of the Oak Brook Women's Club, volunteer at Christ Church of Oak Brook

Q&A

Q: How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state and federal authorities?

A: It is primarily the responsibility of state and federal authorities to guide the pandemic response. The board will relay information and updates through media such as community email as needed. Additionally, as Village Clerk, I have always been intentionally responsive and welcoming of resident and visitor communication and intend to continue this as a trustee.

Q: Did your town continue to adequately serve its constituents during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.

A: No services were materially impacted and the village remained responsive to residents. Unlike other localities, Oak Brook has a robust community of valuable and profitable businesses, meaning revenue was resilient despite the circumstances, and development continued to flourish.

Q: In light of our experiences with COVID-19, what safeguards/guidelines should you put in place to address any future public health crises?

A: The board looks to state and federal officials who form and guide health policy. It's the board's job to comply and disseminate information and to explore further implementation where necessary.

Q: What cuts can local government make to reduce the burden of the pandemic on taxpayers?

A: As trustee, I will work to optimize spending and services with the goal of extracting maximum value for our residents and visitors. In order to take an especially fiscally conservative and cautious approach in response to anticipated economic weakness caused by the pandemic, the board has aggressively cut spending going so far as to reduce our paramedic staff by nine.

Therefore, while I support minimizing taxpayer burden, other solutions should be explored while ensuring no new or increased taxes.

Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what infrastructure project can be put on the back burner?

A: Residents have expressed dismay with slow and unreliable cable and internet service, especially frequent interruptions and outages. It's imperative that fiber optic connectivity be installed throughout the community and that we encourage telecom companies to move faster with construction of our 5G network.

On the other hand, plans for a 22-story condominium building across the street from Oak Brook Club should be reconsidered.

Q: Do you plan to address businesses that don't adhere to the governor's order to close or restrict business?

A: I advise businesses to follow state and federal guidance while at the same time standing in full support of the best interests of our businesses.

Q: Do you agree or disagree with the stance your board has taken on permitting recreational marijuana sales in the community? What would you change about that stance, if you could?

A: The Oak Brook board in response to public comment has previously voted against permitting the sale of recreational marijuana. While some jurisdictions have sought tax revenue via this method, many of these same jurisdictions have reported that permitting marijuana sales ended up being more of a hassle than anticipated.

Importantly, Oak Brook is in a fortunate position receive significant revenue from Oak Brook Center and related commerce.

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

A: Our residents are struggling to obtain COVID vaccinations, and appointments are typically scheduled months away and require travel to other communities. Therefore, we need to make an effort to participate in, announce and disseminate the Vaccine Buddies Program, which efficiently and effectively coordinates COVID vaccinations, making appointments more timely and more easily accessible to our residents.