Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring, and why would those contributions be valuable in the office you are seeking?

My motivation comes from the desire to be an active part in the betterment of the community my family and I live in.  I feel that my work background in housing and in food manufacturing gives me a unique perspective that will add value to the board.  

2. When in the past have you had to balance competing interests? What process did you use? What did you learn?  

Working in housing you are working with families and their life challenges while still maintaining compliance, this requires a level of emotional intelligence coupled with other resources to attain the best possible outcome.  I learned that collaboration is essential to be successful.  

3. What does transparency in government mean to you? How would you put it into practice? Do you believe the Village of Broadview operates in a transparent manner?

Transparency means meetings, finances and decisions should be open to the public, open for discussion and deficiencies by those not doing so be held accountable.  Documents should be available for review by a reasonable request and I do believe that Village of Broadview is operating transparently at this time. 

4. As more of our local discourse happens in social media, what is your view on how local elected officials should communicate with and respond to constituents? How will you engage with the breadth of the community, and not only those on social media?

At this time, my view is that Broadview People’s Party use of social media, such as Facebook page, web page and use of other social pages such as the proviso page on FB works well and there are many Broadview residents that are reached in this manner.  However, social media is never a replacement for having boots on the ground and being in the neighborhood and speaking to the residents as we have been doing.  We are engaging the community during the cold and pandemic safely and have done so by going door to door, phone banking and making ourselves available physically during the week at our campaign office.  

5. What barriers do you see for community members who wish to engage with Broadview’s village government? How would you work to reduce or eliminate those barriers?  

As a resident, I have not experienced any so cannot speak to any but if there are any as a Village Trustee, I will hear all concerns and work towards eliminating any valid barriers.  

6. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing Broadview, and how do you intend to address them? 

I prefer to focus on two issues at this time.  First would be that all taxing bodies begin to work collaboratively for the greater good of the Village of Broadview.  I do not know the exact history of what has transpired in the past or how it has gotten to where it is now and it does not matter.  Rear view mirrors are for parking.  We are moving forward, and the children of Broadview deserve the best of the parks and the library and all the services the entire Village can provide.  Second, I am deeply troubled with the former Mayor and past board members history of lawsuits when they served for the Village.  This is all done with our tax dollars and now some of those that were in these lawsuits are running for a seat on the same party.  Are they going to sue again and win monies again of our tax dollars? AGAIN? 

7. How do you define equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking? 

I define equity as the fairness in how you treat all people of all protected classes including political affiliations.  However, as I watched chaos all summer long the stronghold of the elite class was untouched, and their children are guaranteed to go to and Ivy League schools where their professors teach about inclusion, social justice and equality.  While this elite class is guaranteed the social prestige, every class below continues to suffer and try to figure out what true equality is.  Real equity would be that 50% of the student body come from low-income families who meet the academia criteria get to attend Ivy League schools.  

8. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing this community in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

I think there may be cultural barriers that may hold residents back from experiencing the community which is part of my platform. I plan to engage the Hispanic community and not assume what they want but seek out what would interest them. 

9. Name an influential Broadview community member. How did this person’s influence change Broadview? As an elected official, what do you imagine your influence will be on the community?

I have personally been influenced by all residents who are actively engaged in the community to make it strong.  From my neighbor next door, to my running mates, the Fire Chief, and of course Mayor Thompson. There are so many amazing people in Broadview and if you want a history lesson of Broadview, just chat with Judy Abraham. 

10. What impact can a municipality such as Broadview have on climate change, and how will you prioritize that work among other issues?

The impact is large even when the act seems small such as providing a recycling bin.  However, it is only through human activity that we make the significant change and educate the community about recycling. 

11. What do you see as the most pressing issue relating to housing in Broadview? What policies would you advocate to address this issue? Do you consider support for affordable housing to be a core function of our village government? Why or why not?

Our aging senior population has expressed a need for community housing. They find it more challenging each day to maintain their properties as family members become more distant. This has especially been prevalent with the recent pandemic. I believe the Village of Broadview has a responsibility to our senior population in providing viable choices for their quality of life.  These choices include community housing, access to medical attention and social and supportive services. Mayor Thompson has put into place the Broadview Housing plan which has recently been unveiled through a town hall meeting “Home for a changing region”. I hope to work closely with this initiative given my extensive background in housing.

12. In recent months there have been calls in many communities to defund the police or reimagine public safety. How do you define public safety? Do you begin from the premise that increased policing is the most effective response to increased crime, or would you propose other solutions?  

I believe in continuous improvement which is a core in quality assurance. I believe every department can reform and performance should continuously be assessed. However, to make statements on any changes that the police department should make would be premature at this time.  Given the past year, I believe the BPD has done a great job. 

13. What do you believe has caused the recent swell in carjackings in the surrounding area? Do you see an appropriate law enforcement response to this situation?

Carjacking increases are on the rise across the city and history tells us when there is a lack of work there is increase of crime.  I believe the Broadview Police Department is on top of things and monitoring activities to keep residents abreast of crime.  

14. What is your development vision for Roosevelt Road? What form do you feel development should take there? How would you confront the parking situation?  

I would absolutely love to see Roosevelt Road be aesthetically appealing and continue the planned street scape improvements along Roosevelt east. We really need to focus on filling vacancies with viable businesses that the community needs and address parking needs bases on those businesses.  

15. Do you believe there is room for a human-scale development approach in Broadview? Why or why not? 

I do believe self-sufficiency is important and having the skills set to be part of the workforce makes for a viable community.  Collaboration with agencies to develop and build skills will be an essential connection to have refer residents to.   

16. How would you evaluate the success of Broadview’s plans for Covid-19 mitigation at the Village? Do you feel the Village has adequately protected its employees, and that there has been adequate transparency with respect to case tracking?  

Mayor Thompson has done a tremendous job in mirroring CDC recommendations.  Mayor Thompson gives regular updates through social media, robocalls, email blasts and printed material at the Village Hall.  Each communication includes updates on the number of cases in Broadview.  

17. How do you believe the Covid-19 pandemic has affected Broadview’s Village finances, and what policies do you favor going forward as part of the recovery? 

Per the Board Meeting, Villages finances are in order and had a surplus after receiving reimbursement funding through the Cares Act. 

18. Do you believe the Village of Broadview is financially healthy? Do you feel the current Village budget is balanced? What is your approach to fiscal transparency? 

Most Definitely.  I have been in attendance virtually to the most recent finance committee meetings and know that the Village of Broadview currently has a balanced budget.  I support fiscal transparency in its current form.  

19. As an elected official, do you believe you have a responsibility to speak out about private labor practices? If so, how do you balance that responsibility with the tax benefits larger corporate operations may bring to the Broadview community? 

My job as Village Trustee is to support and protect our residents and business community.  There are entities that are currently in place outside of the Village of Broadview that currently address these issues.  

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/24/21.]