Gayle Deja-Schultz

On the Record

What experiences do you have that make you a good candidate for office?

I have worked with corporations and not-for-profit organizations in the field of Business Development, Marketing, Public Relations and Special Events. I have achieved my CMP designation from the CIC and have been a keynote speaker at local and national conferences. I am currently the Director of Special Events for the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago and I am responsible for all of the organizations events and fundraisers, as well as developing their sponsorship programs to achieve their financial objectives. Additionally, I have also had the honor of writing state legislation. I was the constituent that brought House Bill 180 to State Representative Kay Hatcher. The bill sought to keep protesters 1000 feet away from funerals, including military funerals, and restrict any protesting an hour before or after a funeral. I assisted in the drafting of the bill and was asked to testify before Committee in Springfield. The bill achieved record bi-partisan support from both houses and was signed into law. With my diverse background, I hope to implement my many years of business experience and community involvement to help the Village of Sugar Grove to achieve their goals in a responsible manner that will be beneficial to all residents.

What are your top three priorities if elected?

I would like to first offer suggestions and further assist in facilitating responsible growth and development within the Village in a manner that will keep our small town atmosphere, yet welcome new and exciting businesses to Sugar Grove. Through this growth, I believe that we will be able to strengthen our community resources, provide more support to improve our school district and increase our recreational programs. My next goal would be to develop a plan that would allow the Village to use a common sense approach to streamline our government processes in order to increase our reputation in being a “business friendly” village to ultimately enhance the lives of the residents of Sugar Grove. Lastly, I believe that communication with residents on a regular basis is key to insure an understanding of what their needs and expectations are in regards to the future of Sugar Grove. While I understanding that some information may be privileged or confidential, I would implement programs in a responsible way to keep the residents more informed and involved.

Would you support freezing your taxing district’s levy until housing prices rebound? Why or why not?

In an ideal situation, if expenditures and revenues were equal and remained flat, I would be able to answer yes. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of the situation and as expenses increase, the village must increase revenues to compensate. I will however work diligently to continually monitor the Village\\\\\\\'s revenue and expenses, keeping an eye on the bottom line. I will make recommendations to solicit proposals from many vendors to ensure the best and completive pricing, and award bids within Sugar Grove whenever possible. I would also encourage programs that would assist in the overall successful development of the community, while maintaining a balanced budget. In order to facilitate this successfully, I believe that we need to attract new businesses that would further complement our community, therefore growing the tax base and reducing taxes to our homeowners.

What one decision by the village board do you most disagree with and why?

There is not one particular decision that I strongly disagree with, but more the overall administrative processes. There is a reoccurring complaint that I frequently hear which is; due to the Village’s variety of lengthy or overly complicated procedures, many businesses have found Sugar Grove difficult to work with, ultimately giving the impression that Sugar Grove is not business friendly. If elected, I would passionately investigate these allegations and review all government processes to insure that they are streamlined as effectively as possible to provide businesses with a more turn-key approach, yet still facilitating responsible growth within our community.

What was the biggest accomplishment of the board in the past year?

In the last year the Village Board successful approved The Mallard Point Rolling Oaks Area Drainage Project and construction began in an effort to start to alleviate water issues residents were experiencing. The Board additionally approved various infrastructure projects, such as constructing right turn lanes on the north, south and east legs of the intersection at Cross St. and Route 47. The plans are to include storm sewer, utility adjustments, traffic signal modification, guardrail, and curb with gutters. I will continue to work to set the ground work for other projects by securing additional grants for our community infrastructure and trying to further simplify the government processes so that projects can move forward in a timely manner and be beneficial to all residents.

Why should voters elect you to office?

Besides my extensive business experience, I am a strong community leader with years of involvement in many organizations. My husband is a Fireman and also a Veteran and we have an active membership in the Sugar Grove American Legion. I am a member of the Kaneland WINS, a group that provides leadership and support for women in business, serving as President for the last two years. I am an advocate for Senior Citizens, being involved for several years with Kane County Senior Resources and a past Board Member. I additionally drive for the Meals-On-Wheels program, bring holiday gifts through Senior Service Associates and in years past have developed the Illinois Senior Spelling Bee with Representative Hatcher“s office. I am further invested in the community by volunteering at school, sport and scout activities, as well as an active committee member of the Sugar Grove Corn Boil. With my years of experience in business development and my high level of community involvement, I am the perfect candidate to assist in the future development of our village and lead us into a great tomorrow. For more information on why I should be your candidate, please visit my website at www.GayleDeja-Schultz.com.