Carmen Circelli
North Riverside Village Clerk Candidate
Age: 66 | Occupation: Business accounting | Education: Business College
Questionnaire
Why are you running for North Riverside village clerk? What motivates you and what experience and perspectives would you bring to the job? How would those be valuable as an elected official?
I’m motivated and interested in being Village Clerk to bring more transparency to the table. I have experience in gathering data of all kinds, more importantly financial data. I hope to bring forth a new agenda that will allow the Village Clerks position to bring forth as much information as possible to all Residents.
What is your understanding of the role of the village clerk and what do you feel is the most important aspect of that role?
The Village Clerk’s position maintains recorded copies of Village Board meeting’ minutes, Agendas and filing the necessary paperwork to be submitted to the County Clerk’s Office while maintaining those same records and making them readily available for the Public.
What is the clerk’s responsibility to ensure information about village government is available to the public? How do you intend to ensure North Riverside’s government is transparent and accountable to the public? What is the clerk’s role in communicating with the public?
I propose to work closely with Village Staff and the Village’s Webmaster to ensure the Residents have complete access to all files online. Furthermore, I would make sure that I not only record, comprehend and relate the exact words that were spoken at meeting. I have witnessed that there has been a great deal of paraphrasing in the past. I want to vehemently stress that I would not post Meeting Minutes that are not word for word.
Social media has become an important way for local officials to communicate with local residents, but not everyone in the village is on social media. What do you feel is the best way for elected officials to use social media to communicate with residents and how will you communicate with the wider community beyond that?
The Village recently (after more than a decade) has decided to make a Village Government Facebook page. I would like to expend on that social media avenue and build on it. To be more transparent with those involved. Those who are not using social media can simply come to the Village or call to receive any information they desire.
Are there any services the clerk’s office should offer that aren’t being offered now?
A full comprehensive plan on getting the residents the information they need to vote. Where to vote and when to vote. Have to keep the residents up to date.
What would be your priorities as village clerk and how would you accomplish meeting those goals?
Keeping people informed on current events such as changes in polling places track all information and put the current changes on the website so people are informed.