Meet Your April 5 Candidates: Rosemary Palicki, Niles Trustee

"All politics is local" and "The closer to home, the greater the impact on your pocketbook" are two truisms in politics.

The candidates in local elections affect how much you pay in taxes, and what you get for your money, more than candidates in Springfield and Washington, D.C. 

So who are these folks who will impact your life and money? Find out here.

Accessibility: Citizens need to be able to contact their elected officials to voice their opinions, so Patch is noting how accessible they are. Rosemary Palicki's contact information is listed on whitepages.com

Rosemary Palicki, Candidate for Village of Niles Trustee

1)    How would you assess the state of the state of the village's budget? How should it balance the budget?

The Village is again relying on reserved funds in order to balance the budget.  As these are finite amounts I am concerned about our continued reliance on the reserves to balance the budget.  Village officials and managers need to look carefully at expenditures and see where we can trim expenses in order to live within our means.

2)   What needs to be done to maintain or improve Niles' business, retail and industrial climate in the future?

As sales tax revenue is critical to supporting village expenditures, we need to address upgrading our current major shopping center to a destination that is attractive to all ages and offers people a recreational spot and opportunity to relax, not just a place to shop.  Our industrial park offers the possibility of developing a train station and retail district using the property formerly occupied by Grainger.

 3)   What, if anything, does the village need to do to adequately fund police and fire pensions?

We need to work to meet actuarial recommendations for funding and not just be satisfied with meeting the statutory recommendations.  Our deficit has been made worse by unwise decisions in past years by village officials to skip contributions to these funds.  As a result, we are further behind in our funding.  We can’t hope that the state of Illinois will keep moving the mandatory date for full funding further “down the road.”

 4). Briefly tell us what, in your background or education, has prepared you to make a contribution on this board. Can you offer an expertise that would be a resource to other board member? 

As manager of the adult English as a Second Language Program at Oakton Community College I was responsible for handling the state funding and grants that supported this program.   As dean of students at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago I worked with students and parents in difficult and challenging situations.  My experiences taught me good listening skills and the ability to bring conflicting viewpoints to resolution.  After attending almost all the village board meetings for the past 5 years, I have observed the board in action and am aware of areas that need to be improved to fulfill the promise of open, ethical and transparent government.

 5) What is your top issue (or two or three) and what's your position on it (them)?

The Village of Niles has failed to set policy in the Code of Ethics that addresses how vacancies for appointed and elected officials are to be filled.  This needs to be done to eliminate the appearance of favoritism. 

A five-year plan should be in place and be frequently reviewed detailing the needs of our infrastructure and a plan for maintaining or improving it.

Budgetary reviews need to be done that address shrinking the difference between expenses and revenues without dipping into our reserves or raising taxes. Trustees need monthly year to date financial information that shows line item expenditures, not just the bottom line of revenues and expenses. 

6) Is there anything else would you like voters to know about your positions on issues, involvement in the community or point of view?

 Healthy government begins with voters having choices when they go to the polls.  As an independent candidate, my loyalties and priorities are to the citizens.  

I am not a politician and have no desire to make politics a career.  I offer myself as a candidate who has demonstrated the courage to speak out about issues, issues that have defined the image of Niles in an unfavorable light.   I encourage everyone to vote.  It’s your village, your tax dollars, your future.