Vanessa Kerrigan: 2023 candidate for North Barrington village board
Bio
Town: North Barrington
Age on Election Day: 61
Occupation: Corporate Attorney (resigned to be stay-at-home mom).
Employer: N/A, previously United Technologies Corporation
Previous offices held: Village of North Barrington trustee, January 2022 to present; Wynstone Golf Club, Ladies 9-Hole League vice president (2016-17); Hartford County Bar Association, chair of Barristers Ball Committee (2005-2006); Welles-Turner Memorial Library board of directors, Glastonbury, Connecticut, (2005- 2008), board member, secretary and president.
Q&A
Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council or village board respond to it?
A: The number one challenge for North Barrington is to ensure we have sufficient financial resources to meet our infrastructure needs, primarily roads and parks. We will address this challenge through judicious development of our capital plan to maintain the village's assets, namely our roads, underground pipes, culverts, parks and village hall.
Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?
A: Over the past several years the village board, president and administrator have turned around a budget that was in jeopardy from overspending and lack of a capital fund or capital planning. Today our village is operating at a surplus such that we have created a growing capital projects fund.
Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?
A: Stormwater management, road maintenance and development of our parks.
Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?
A: The current village government has been a wise steward of village resources: Ensuring expenditures are necessary, evaluating bids to ensure the village receives the best value for financial outlays, and looking for ways to save money when negotiating contracts. I believe that the current approach is sound, and that we should continue to look for ways to save money while maintaining high levels of service to our village residents.
Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?
A: Stormwater abatement is currently the number one infrastructure project facing the village. This issue impacts more than 40 properties as well as public infrastructure, resulting in roads becoming impassable due to flooding. Rather than delaying this project due to the economic times, the village is seeking to address this project via a multijurisdictional collaboration, involving state, county and local entities, and seeking grant monies that will fund up to 85% of the project.
Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board or city council.
A: In my current position as village trustee, as well as my positions on previous boards and committees and in my work with various charitable organizations, I have found that advanced study of the facts followed by collaboration with my team is the key to reaching reasoned, positive outcomes.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: I care deeply about our quality of life in North Barrington and am honored to serve as a village trustee. In that role, I use my business and legal experience to ensure that our village government remains transparent, efficient and focused on the needs of our special community.
Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?
A: My goal in serving as trustee for the village is to create a platform for the citizens to voice their ideas and concerns to ensure our community is always moving forward.