Renee Robinson, 2021 candidate for Hoffman Estates village board

Six candidates for three available seats

Bio

City: Hoffman Estates

Age: Candidate did not respond

Occupation: Bilingual Education coordinator and ESL teacher at Chicago Public Schools

Civic involvement: Involved in the Hoffman Estates Athletic Association; served as secretary and vice president of scholars for Chicagoland Pop Warner

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: Right now, under the current leadership in Hoffman Estates, residents lack a voice on the village board. I want to proactively work with our entire community to make sure that residents concerns are addressed at the board and that during this difficult moment we work together with our state and federal partners to bring upon best outcomes for residents.

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! Bill McLeod and the village board have been silent during this challenging time for our community. While other cities have been working to help their residents and businesses, Hoffman Estates has done nothing. Neighboring communities were helping their businesses by providing utility assistance, connecting business owners with helpful resources, and closing down streets and parking lots so businesses could safely operate outdoors. Meanwhile, McLeod's administration did nothing to assist our small businesses or residents, causing irreparable harm to our community.

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: If we didn't have an overwhelming amount of debt from the NOW Arena, it is very possible that we could have had significant cash reserves to help our businesses and residents. We must find solutions to our village's debt and have a rainy-day fund, or at a minimum use the existing village technology to come up with effective solutions to help residents and businesses in crisis.

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

A: When we have village government spending money recklessly it makes the village unable to respond to ongoing problems, whether that is a pandemic or regular needs such as infrastructure. This summer the village spent nearly a million dollars of taxpayer money to accommodate a beer tent. We also must do a much better job in finding grants from the federal government to support our residents.

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: Hoffman Estate's slogan is "Grow to Greatness," yet take one look around and you'll see our village clearly isn't growing at all. Neighboring communities are growing because they're open-minded and forward-thinking. Meanwhile, under Bill McLeod and his trustees, our village has stagnated. They're stuck in their old ways with no interest in evolving. This leaves us with fewer jobs and opportunities, declining property values and services, and increasing taxes.

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

A: With everything opening up, I would continue to communicate with the business community and help them stay open while adhering to the rules.

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

A: I support allowing recreational marijuana sales inside of Hoffman Estates. We must increase our village review and we know that these storefronts have contributed millions of dollars to neighboring municipalities.

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

A: We need to build a stronger community between all areas of Hoffman Estates. I would like to see an entertainment district developed once we get our village's finances in check and our village moving in the right direction.