Mary Meirose Oppenheim: Candidate For Deerfield Trustee

DEERFIELD, IL — Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Deerfield Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Four candidates are vying for three four-year trustee seats on the Deerfield Village Board on Election Day. They include two incumbents (Robert Benton and Mary Oppenheim) and two challengers (Christopher M. Goodsnyder and Rebekah Metts-Childers).

Current trustees Barbara Struthers and Dan Shapiro are not running for reelection. Shapiro is running unopposed for mayor with Harriet Rosenthal not seeking a fourth term.

Deerfield Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Mary Meirose Oppenheim

Age (as of Election Day)

68

Town/City of Residence

Deerfield

Office Sought

Village board or city council

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race)

Deerfield Caucus Party

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA, Northwestern University – Art /Sociology
AA, College of Lake County – Horticulture

Occupation

Artist/Printmaker, 1974-90; Landscape Designer 1990 – 2010, employed by several large area design/contracting firms and as a private practitioner; Speaker/Educator, News and Views – 2011 – 13; I am currently retired, and have returned to the studio making art.

Campaign website

in progress - no name yet

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Trustee, Village of Deerfield, 2009 - 2013; 2017 – present
Board Member, Deerfield School District 109, 1991 – 1999
Various Boards of Service Clubs and Civic Organizations including the Optimist Club and Friends of the Library

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our most immediate issue is keeping everybody safe and making sure we do everything we can to keep down the spread of the virus. Dealing with the aftermath of the Covid pandemic promises to be a pressing challenge at least in the short term, and quite possibly for a long time ahead. We will need to help families that may be struggling and find resources to either help them directly or refer them to agencies that can. The closing of existing businesses, the curtailing of new business development, and the resulting downturn in sales tax revenues has and will continue to impact the ability of the Village to maintain services and infrastructure. We’re coming to this crisis from a fairly comfortable financial position – we have not (yet) needed to lay off staff or cut back on services to our residents, and have been able to offer some relief to businesses through cutting fees and changing some regulations. We will need to redouble our efforts to attract and support business and to figure out creative ways to continue our capital improvements going forward with our reduced revenues. So far, we have postponed and reorganized work that needs to be done and used some reserves in order to keep within budget. Availing ourselves of every opportunity for outside funding and making sure we make the most long-term cost effective choices for programs and projects will be critical as we struggle to keep up the quality of services while holding the line on property taxes.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I wholeheartedly support the Black Lives Matter movement, and my heart goes out to all of the people who have struggled to make their voices heard. I am encouraged by the support that I have seen locally for the movement and the interest our residents have shown in learning about our community’s history on inclusion and working to do better. We need to keep up the conversation to raise awareness and do everything we can to promote racial equity and inclusion. Racial bias and brutality in policing is a horrible reality and the Village has always made it a priority to ensure that our police force is culturally responsive and operates with absolute fairness. We have a very good record in this regard, as evidenced by the statistics the Village keeps and the evaluations we have received during the outside accreditation process that the Police Department goes through yearly. The review is constant, and the staff is always working to be aware and improve on past performance.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

I feel that our Board is very culturally responsive and supportive of racial equality. Given the regrettable lack of diversity in our community, the Village has tried to identify ways to support and encourage more diversity, but our ability to do this is somewhat limited. We have made a concerted effort to encourage, and are currently finalizing ordinances that mandate, affordable housing to be included in new developments in an attempt to open our community to a wider and more diverse population. The Village does not tolerate discriminatory practices and supports programs and outreach promoting racial and ethnic diversity so that everyone feels welcome here. We can always do more, but I think we’re trying.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

Given the lack of coordination and direction from the federal government, I think that the State of Illinois has done a good job of keeping people informed and working to control the spread of COVID. Science and experience have shown that the mandates that were put in place have been effective in limiting the spread of the disease, and I absolutely support them. I am proud of our local response. Throughout the crisis, the Village has reached out with information on a very regular basis and educated our residents on how they can stay safe and prevent the spread of the virus. We have encouraged and made suggestions as to how people can support businesses and each other through the crisis, and set up connections to refer those in need for help. The Mayor has worked tirelessly to comfort and keep our residents informed of the latest CDC and County data and recommendations. Since the virus does not respect boundary lines, I think that a mask requirement needs to be state or federally mandated to really be effective, and I would hope that we are moving in that direction.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

Like most people, I find the vaccine rollout painfully and frustratingly slow. The Village has no health department, so our role in vaccine distribution is limited. We can, and have, kept up the flow of information to residents to let them know how to access vaccines and have talked with local providers and state and county officials to get the latest updates from them and urge them to open more locations and expedite the process. When more vaccine becomes available, the Village could volunteer Village sites for vaccinations if that was requested, and offer assistance in registering to those who have problems with technology, or provide transportation to those who might need it to reach the vaccination site.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My experience as a School Board Member, Plan Commissioner and Trustee has given me a familiarity with the community and a wide perspective on issues that we face. I have worked with so many different and varied groups throughout the Village, municipal, business, public, private, charitable and social, that I’ve gained a real insight on what’s important to people and how they fit together. With that grounding, and through my professional expertise, I think I offer a really well-rounded perspective and portfolio that enables me to make well informed, balanced judgements on all aspects of Village governance.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I think we always need to be sure we’re making the very most of our financial resources, getting the greatest benefit for the least cost and investing our money in ways that last.
I am keenly focused on maintaining and upgrading the Village’s infrastructure – we have aging systems facing new environmental and regulatory pressures and we need to keep up with those demands.
I believe reducing our carbon footprint and promoting, educating and living more sustainably is a critical and pressing need.
Government must always be open and transparent – we need to keep the lines of communication abundant and easy to use and give timely responses to requests.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I believe that over my 2 terms on the Village Board I have proven myself to be a capable and effective Trustee. During my tenure, we have stood up to pressure and enacted a ban on assault weapons, brought new businesses to town, and overseen major residential developments that included affordable housing units. We built a new Wastewater Treatment Facility, successfully upgraded and rebuilt roads, bridges and other infrastructure using low interest bonds and outside funding. We implemented energy saving and cost cutting measures in Village facilities, upgraded codes to require more sustainable practices in building and development, set up a consortium to enable residents to purchase solar and renewable electrical energy, and hired new waste removal services that expanded recycling and will soon introduce curbside composting. We increased cooperation between the Village and other local entities, including the School Districts, Park District, Lake County and neighboring municipalities for the benefit of our residents, and worked closely with our local representatives to lobby Springfield to safeguard our fair share of tax revenues and for state funding for projects.
Through all this, I take pride in the cooperative and respectful relationships I’ve developed and maintained with my Board colleagues, Village staff, community volunteers and residents. I’m confident that I can continue to be successful in that role.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

I don’t think I can point to only one accomplishment that would define my term as a success, since there are so many things that we need to move forward on. Completing the interrupted redevelopment of Deerbrook Mall would be very high on my list. I would really love to see a Green Action Task Force get organized and reach out into the community to educate, encourage and implement significant environmental and sustainable practices. If we could identify, tackle and overcome some of the drainage and flooding issues that are causing infrastructure and property damage, I would consider that a real success for our residents.

Why should voters trust you?

Why should they not? Throughout my years of public service, my goal has always been the greater good – to work for the best interests of the most people. I have no particular axe to grind or special agenda to push. This is a volunteer job, and there are really no perks that come along with it. I have never accepted any campaign contributions from any interest group or individual, and neither I nor anyone I know stands to benefit in any financial way from any decision that I make as a Trustee (and am only one vote among seven). I would hope that my dedication to serving this community for as long as I have would convince my fellow residents of my sincerity and win their trust.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I think it goes without saying that we need to always spend taxpayer dollars as wisely as possible. There is constant pressure and juggling to be able to fund all of the needs of our residents within the limits of our resources, and we need to make our choices based on how we can get the greatest benefit, the most bang for our buck, for the widest population. We need to look for the best long term investment and for economies of scale when we plan projects, and be ruthless and creative when cutting costs and looking for outside funding. The Village has been very prudent fiscally over my tenure on the Board, and we take very seriously our role as caretakers of our residents’ money.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No. I am totally aware of the time and emotional demands of the job and am happy to make the commitment.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

There are always at least two sides to every issue – never jump to a conclusion without hearing all the other points of view. Also – never lose your sense of humor!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?