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Politics & Government

Election Issues: Robyn Prince Sutcliff

Yorkville Patch asked all the candidates in contested city races the same four questions. Here are Robyn Sutcliff's answers in the race for Ward 3 alderman.

With election season in full swing, Yorkville Patch wanted to give readers a clear view of how local candidates compared on recent issues that surfaced before the City Council. Below are the answers from incumbent , who is running against for alderman in Ward 3. Funkhouser's answers can be found here.

Come back tomorrow to see how the Ward 4 alderman candidates answered the same questions.

Alderman Candidate Robyn Sutcliff

•  Did you vote to place a binding bike trails referendum on the April 5 ballot? Why?

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I voted in favor of the binding referendum for the bike trails.  A resident brought petitions with 800 signatures into City Council. This action forced the item on the ballot.  We simply voted to make it binding. A pedestrian friendly city is healthier, gets cars off the road and is attractive to potential new residents.  IDOT is covering 80 percent of the cost of the trails.  If passed, the average homeowner would pay $1 per month. 

• Looking at the water and sewer bond problem the City Council faced this winter in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, what do you think is the best solution?

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I think we have done the best we could in a terrible situation.  All options were investigated and presented to council. In the end, we chose the solutions that would have the least effect on our taxpayers.  We voted to put the sewer payments it on the property taxes this year. This had a much smaller effect on the residents than a sewer fee. Voting to default on our debt was not an option to me.

• Looking at the water and sewer bond problem for fiscal year 2012-2013 and beyond, what do you think is the best solution? Do you favor the proposed sales tax increase?

The proposed sales tax increase will be decided by the voters on April 5.  If this passes, the payment of bonds will shift from property taxes to the sales tax.  This will be less of a burden on all residents and businesses.  I will personally vote in favor of it.  Lower property taxes are good for us as taxpayers.

• How would you characterize the working relationships among current City Council members? How do you think you work/would work within that environment? 

Any one who runs for public office has a strong personality and tends to be a leader. Where nine leaders are in a room together, disagreements should be expected and tolerated. I always strive to be professional while stating my own beliefs. Through the disagreements and controversy, we have accomplished a great deal in the past four years. I would say it works.

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