Election 2011: Village Candidates on the Role of a Village Trustee

April 5 is coming up fast. To help you get to know the candidates for the contested Woodridge elections, we asked the candidates for the and the a set of questions. We'll be posting the answers to those questions throughout the week.

What do you think is the role of a Village Board member, and how do you see the relationship between trustees and other city officials?

The role of a Village Board member is to be a voice for the people and to make sure that the town government is running efficiently and serving the needs of the people. A Board member plays a critical role in making sure that government lives within its means. Families are making do with less and government should be no exception. We need to focus on core services such as good roads and police protection. The relationship between trustee and other city officials should be one of mutual respect and cooperation. We are all working together for the same purpose, to make Woodridge better. But we must also not be afraid to question and challenge one another with our ideas, which is essential for creative solutions.

Oversee the operations of the village, keep the affairs of the village transparent, continue the progress initiated by Mayor Murphy.

I feel the role of a Village Board member is ensuring the core services provided to residents are met, maintaining the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve, making sure our residents are safe, stimulating and retaining business while remaining financially sound. The relationship between Trustees and other village officials has to be collaborative and a partnership, where all are working toward the common goal.

The Village Board’s roll is to listen and understand what the residence of the village want and provide policy guidance to the Village administrator. The Village Administrator is responsible for implementing that policy. Priorities are: Police, water in and out of residences and business, roads…all other items are secondary.