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?

Serving as Maywood Village Clerk for the past 8 years and my passion to continue working toward growth and enhancing working relationships with residents to provides quality customer service.

My skills and experiences, as Village Clerk are records management, public relations, parliamentary procedures; municipal elections and the importance of the provisions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). These contributions are valuable to effectively work with the Village Manager, Department Heads, the Mayor and board of Trustees and maintain and serve the needs of the Village and residents in the community.

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

Competing interest are ongoing in any community. For effective results I listened, evaluated and presented suggestions, while adhering to the rules and guide lines establish within the Village of Maywood. I have learned the importance of being objective and maintain a positive attitude at all times. Using fairness and understanding can bring about a feasible solution for all parties.

3. What does transparency in government mean to you?  How would you put it into practice? 

Transparency is to be open, accountable, and honest, while providing proper information in a timely manner. These practices are currently in place. I have established a channel of open communication with residents that work well with our open door policy, ensure FOIA’s response are completed within the required time frame set forth by the State of Illinois. I will always be open and maintain integrity as the Village Clerk.

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?

Although we are in an era of electronic technology in the way we communicate and respond to our constituents. As an elected official, we must still remember the grass roots of communication. There are individuals who do not accept change, but change is inevitable.

The Clerk office is and has always been open for community walk-ins, who seek services, information, forms or records. Copies of all papers duly filed in the clerk’s office and other records and files of the clerk’s office are available upon request to the public via our website, emails, by phone and in person. We are staffed to address inquiries and assistance in pulling information from our website. When call comes into the Clerk’s office there is staff to address the inquiries and assistance the public to navigate through our website. All phone messages are returned within 24 hours.

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

We have resources that are in place. They are Town Hall meetings, virtual meetings, announcements, website, electric bill payments, and social media, emails and face-to-face participation and electric build-board. These are ways the community can and should be engaging with Maywood’s Village Government.

(I would work to reduce or eliminate those barriers) by informing the community of their availability in reaching out though resources we have made available, for those that were not aware. This process would not only reduce but eliminate those barriers.

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

Currently we have improved on issues facing Maywood such as decreasing the volume of vacant properties; not raising water rates in the past 5 years and improving our infrastructure, (streets, allies, sewers, water systems and new housing development throughout Maywood).

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

Every person has the right to be treated fairly and equally.

No! Every community has its own challenges. No one community dictates to another. Every individual should have equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. We have diverse communities and have many nationalities where equity is and will always be present. We all equally have the opportunity to grow.

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?

Through questionnaires, one on one communication and community outreach. (Barriers are) neighborhood involvement, language barriers and lack of government programs.

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

Viola Mims.

Serving as Village Clerk I treat everyone equally, I am fair, open-minded, trustworthy.  By community involvement, working with and sitting on the board of different community organizations, counseling youths and working with residents to help save their homes from foreclosure, training and educating individual on financial literacy, working with investor in purchasing dilapidated properties to rehab and place on the market for sale which has help increase property value here in the Village of Maywood.

My influence has been positive and the community has recognized that I care and believe in the wellbeing of our community. I am here to serve and I listen to their concerns. These efforts effect changes in people indirectly.

10. What do you feel is the most important function of the Clerk? What steps will you take to improve or expand community engagement with the office of the Clerk? 

My 8 years of experience has proven that providing efficient service with integrity, honesty, as well as respect and care for all individuals stand out first and far most. Carry out duties provided by the laws of the State of Illinois and the ordinances of the Village. As the Clerk, I am the keeper of the Village records, maintaining files of all approved Ordinances and Resolutions and other documents, attest the signatures of the Mayor and Village Manager and site in all meeting of the Board of Trustees. 

I continuously inform the community of their availability in reaching out though resources we have made available, for those that were not aware.

11. What is your position on the extent to which the Village includes or should include accessibility features? Please address both physical structures and virtual/information processes.

Accessibility for all to online that we have in the Village is that of virtual and technology whereas there are enhanced features to allow a residents electronic devices to research documents, information, forms, signing electrically, paying bills, zoom meetings and submit FOIA request online. These electric systems are already in place. On site, individual can physically come into Village Hall and present the same request that they are able to obtain electrically.

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