Politics & Government

Election 2013: Jayne Schirmacher

Jayne Schirmacher is running for the Orland Fire Protection Board of Trustees in the April 2013 election.

Campaign Info

  • Position Sought: Orland Fire Protection District Board of Trustees
  • Website:
  • Email:  jayneschirmacher@aol.com
  • Phone:
  • Hometown: Orland Park

Personal Info

  • Family: Daughters Jacquelyn, Jillian, Jianna and Jorie
  • Education: Did not finish college
  • Occupation: Realtor at Coldwell Banker Residential in Orland Park
  • Political Party Affiliation: None

Candidate Questions

Why are you seeking office?

I am seeking to be elected to the OFPD because I feel that I will help serve the taxpayers of our community in a positive manner. We need public transparency and accountability with respect to the tax spending. I feel a change with some new additions to the Fire Board will be helpful to our community.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

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Our entire community has been affected by the recent state of our economy. I want to work to see that we are spending our tax dollars where needed to protect our community. I will listen and research the issues to make and intelligent for our taxpayers.

What sets you apart from other candidates? 

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I can’t speak for the other candidates. I only know that I will do my job in protecting what I feel is best for the taxpayers of Orland Township. It is important to me to work within our means and at the same time keep our community safe. I will listen to the issues presented and will research to see what are the best options for our fire district and our community.

What are the biggest challenges facing the district? How do you propose to solve them?

To me the biggest challenges of the fire district are accountability with respect to the taxpayer, spending, communication with the public and having a good strategic plan in place for years to come. More information needs to be shared with the public to better understand not only the operations, but what diverse resources it takes to keep the public safe. I feel this can be accomplished with continued public education and improving the OFPD website with connection to social media.

How do you propose keeping a tighter budget that lessens the burden on taxpayers, while giving staff the tools to do their job?

We need to keep waste out of the budget. We need to keep a good staff to assure the district runs smoothly and our community is protected. We have to work within our financial means on a long range plan that balances funding and the needs of our entire population with emphasis on our aging population.

Does the current board engage in enough debate and discussion before voting?

I am not sure if the current board engages in enough debate. I know I feel it is very important to research and discuss all issues in detail before voting. We should have as much time as we need to make an informed and educated decision of what is best for our taxpayers. This is our job to make the best decisions for our entire community.

In December, the board approved issuing a $26.7 million in general obligation bonds to cover 100 percent of its pension liability. State funding is drying up, but the district was already able to cover 73 percent of its obligation, which is considered a healthy percentage. Do you agree with this course of action? Who or why not? If not, what could be done differently?

From what I understand, this approval was made on a sound financial principle.

In 2012, the district hired 11 new firefighters to cover several spots left vacated due to several instances, including injuries, resignations and leveraged removals. Do you agree with adding more personnel to reduce burn out and reduce overtime costs? Why or why not?

Again, from what I understand, we needed to hire new firefighters to maintain a staffing level that is needed for public safety. It was based on a strong financial speculation that there will be significant long term savings for the taxpayer while helping our community stay safe.

Have you ever been charged with a crime? Were you convicted? If yes, please say what the charge was, and what was the case's outcome as it stands.

No.

Are there any candidates in other races you would like to endorse here?


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