Village Of Tinley Park Trustee Candidate Diane Galante: 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: Diane Galante

Age as of Election Day: 58

Town/City of Residence: Tinley Park

Office sought: Village board

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race): I'm running as an Independent

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No, I do not have family in politics or government.

Education: I earned my BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Chicago UIC

Occupation: I recently completed a 30 year carrier with BorgWarner Automotive, as their Sr. Accountant.

Campaign Website: Diane Galante Run For Office

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I was elected to my first term as a Tinley Park Trustee in 2019. That was the first time I ran for a political office.

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them. I believe the most pressing issue facing our board, is the toxic dump that has plagued our community for far too long. I have watched significant village resources be poured into developing the Mental Health property. We now have a real opportunity in front of us with the Park District's proposal to get the property cleaned up, and developed. Their plan received significant support from the legislators, who believe it will be a huge benefit to the area.

I believe the additional fields and indoor space would be a huge success. The feedback I'm hearing from the young families in the Bobcat and Bulldog programs, is very positive.

I want to rebuild the strong working relationships the Village needs to have with the other taxing agencies in and outside of Tinley Park.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? The most critical difference is that I'm an independent voice willing to speak up for the people. I ran with the One Tinley Park slate in 2019. I left the group after becoming concerned about the actions of members of the group not being in the best interest of the people, and the lack of independent thinking welcomed within the group.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? The current board has failed the community by forgetting the promises they made to improve transparency, reduce wasteful spending and improve the public trust.

A quick look at the Village Website will show the changes made to the standing public meetings after the current board took control. Even the monthly finance meetings stopped.

The biggest failure is the damage they caused to the relationship between the Village and Park District. They caused division within our community when they took steps to compete with the park district's 46-year tradition hosting the 4th of July. Creating an event on the night before, spending an additional $50k on a second firework show seems excessive when we are cutting costs elsewhere.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. I believe we can do more to reduce the FOIA costs and miscommunication being shared within the community. We need to increase the standard reporting made available to the public. We should reinstate the legal spending reports to get a full understanding where the significant spending is taking place. I disagree with the board's direction that we should fight cases at any cost to the taxpayer, for certain individuals.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? My 30-year career working for an industry leader in the automotive industry, surviving multiple market downturns by driving continues improvements and cost reductions.

Why should voters trust you? I have been an active member in the community for over 20 years, volunteering as a religious education teacher at St. Stephen, a leader for Girl Scouts and cub scouts, and taking the association chair position in Girl Scouts to keep the program running. I volunteered many years as a team mom and coach for the bobcats and a board member for the D230 consolidated Girls Lacrosse program until it made it into the HS program. I am currently a board member for Tinley Park Citizen Police Academy Alumni Assoc. and continue to volunteer hours in local organizations.

I have always given my time freely, to help build a strong community, and I have continued to do that in my role as Trustee.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success? I believe the most important thing we can accomplish for our community is to get the Mental Health Property cleaned up.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? I believe we need strong fiscal policy and internal controls in place to safeguard the assets of the village. We should give more visibility on the cost of projects and general spending for the people to be fully aware where their money is going.

Do you support the Illinois assault weapons ban, and would you support a local assault weapons ban in this community? I do not believe we should have a local weapons ban in our Community.

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 did/do believe Black lives matter, and supported the need for their voices to be heard. But I did not support or condone the actions of any individuals to destroy others property in the name of their cause. I believe those actions took away from the message needing to get out.

Do you support the SAFE-T Act? Why or why not? I did not support the SAFE-T Act as I believe it looks to make our community less safe. I do believe there needs to be a change to make sure everyone is treated equal, regardless of your bank account. But I do not believe this act was the answer.

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? I'm concerned with the crime in our community, especially the increase in violent crimes. I believe we need to continue to work to bring our staffing of patrol officers to the level recommend by the FBI statistics and the staffing study completed by the village.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development? I believe we need to be more aggressive looking for commercial development options as well as more focus on business retention.

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? The residents have been asking for more shops in the downtown area as well as the clean up and development of the Mental Health property. I believe we need to build better working relationships with other government agencies to work together on these projects to get them completed.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family? The only reason I could see to not complete my term is if would be at the detriment of the taxpayers.

The best advice ever shared with me was: To follow your passion and it will lead to your success.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I will continue to look out for the best interest of the people I represent, and I will not be afraid to speak up.