Village Of Homewood Trustee Candidate Anne Colton: Election '23

Patch is providing candidate profiles for several races in the area. If you are a candidate seeking an opportunity to complete our profile form, please email lauren.traut@patch.com. Please note your position sought.

Name: Anne Colton

Age as of Election Day: 62

Town/City of Residence: Homewood

Office Sought: Village board

Party Affiliation: Independent

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Attended University of Illinois and Columbia College

Occupation: I've been a documentary filmmaker and business owner for 35 years

Campaign Website: www.coltonforhomewood.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Trustee, Village of Homewood, 2009-2018; Trustee, Homewood Library 2006-2009

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them. Our most pressing issue is engagement with the residents and business owners. We need to find ways to open dialog with residents before major issues are voted on, so residents feel like their voices are being heard and that their opinions are being considered.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I have a strong history of engagement with the community. I have a rich history as a community volunteer with the schools, library, HF Soccer club and the village, and I am fully accessible to residents and business owners alike. I don't wait for them to come to me, I go to them.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? Again, the problem is in engagement. The current village board doesn't reach out proactively to get the community's pulse on issues -- they tend to wait until people react negatively and then try to start the dialog from there. We need to bring people in from the beginning, so we can truly collaborate with our residents and stakeholders.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. Transparency and accessibility are key. I want to be fully available and I want people to know that they can ask me anything and I will respond to the best of my ability. And if I don't have the answer for them, I will find the answer and bring it to them.

Also, I want to make sure that we are doing enough to support our small businesses. We spend a lot of resources on attracting businesses, but I want to make sure that we are also putting the same effort into retaining existing businesses.

And finally, we need to improve our relationships with the other taxing bodies. The schools, the parks and the library are all serving the same people as us, and we can do a better job if we're working together and not each in our individual silos.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? During the nine years I was on the village board, I regularly met with residents, went to their meetings, went to other taxing bodies' board meetings, and educated myself on the issues. I treated the position of trustee as a job and made myself fully accountable to the people of Homewood.

Why should voters trust you? My record. In my nine years on the board, I stood up for what I believed in and was never afraid to speak my mind. But I also wasn't afraid to CHANGE my mind. You can find many instances where I allowed new data and information to change my mind on issues. That's why engagement is so important -- to open myself up to critical data.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success? Creating more opportunities for residents to have their voices heard in a relevant, authentic manner. To have their voices MATTER.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? I think the current board does an excellent job of managing the budget, and I will help them continue in their excellent work. We may disagree on specific examples of allocation, but on the whole, we are very much aligned in our desire to keep our expenses as low as possible while providing outstanding services.

Do you support the Illinois assault weapons ban, and would you support a local assault weapons ban in this community? I believe in common sense gun laws and fully support an assault weapons ban.

Do you support Black Lives Matter, and do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality? If not, what specifically should be done to do so? I fully support Black Lives Matter, and I think we can always do more to support racial equality. I would like to see citizen-led committees that can serve to support and make recommendations for the board on various issues, the most important of which is Diversity Equity and Inclusion. I would also like to see a Green Committee, a Youth Committee, a Social Media Committee, and any other committee ideas that bubble up from our residents.

Do you support the SAFE-T Act? Why or why not? I support the idea of taking wealth and access to money out of the equation when it comes to justice. People of limited means deserve the same treatment by the justice system as wealthy people.

What are your thoughts on the crime rate in your community, and what more can be done to combat crime — especially violent crime — in town? Any crime is too much crime -- we need to work with the police departments and the neighbors to find ways to keep our community safe. I look forward to working with our police department to find ways to keep our neighborhoods safe while promoting positive relationships between the police and the people in the community.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development? On the whole I think that the village does a very good job with economic development. However, I want to make sure that we put equal value on business retention as we do with business attraction. If we keep our businesses strong, we won't have as many storefronts to fill.

When it comes to development, what are some key areas for improvement or additions you feel are most wanted by residents? What will need to be done to make this happen? Again business retention is key. And we need to make sure that we are creating opportunities in other neighborhoods besides downtown and Halsted Street. I'd like to see us move some our community events out of downtown and into areas like Cherry Creek, Southgate, and West 183rd Street. Those businesses deserve our support as well.

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

The best advice ever shared with me was: Be yourself and tell the truth.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? You can learn more about me at www.coltonforhomewood.com. And please reach out and contact me -- the more I talk to residents, the better job I can do representing you!