Candidate Questionnaire

Viola Mims violamims1@live.com, (708) 955-1964

Previous Political Experience:

Four years as Village Clerk of Maywood

Previous Community Experience:

A Realtor in Maywood 32 years, assist individuals in Homeownership

Readiness though pre-purchase workshop trainings, provided Comparative
Market Analysis (CMA) and Broker Price Opinion (BPO) for the courts,
attorneys, mortgage lenders and various banks for the purpose of purchase
and sale of homes, divorce, foreclosure and estimate of value

As a HUD-approved housing counselor through Proviso Leyden Council for

Community Action (PLCCA) worked to help distressed homeowners with
mortgage assistance options for foreclosure prevention, participated in the
National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program under the
Government MAKING HOME AFFORDABLE program

Criminal Justice Internship at PLCCA assists in referrals of individuals for

public benefits, primary care, mental health and substance abuse counseling
and financial assistance for those with low income and homeless. Assist in
the evaluation of troubled juvenile behavior using Biopsychosocial
assessment and working with juveniles after incarceration to help the
reduction of recidivism

Member of Proviso Maywood Rotary, Maywood Chamber of Commerce,

Neighbors of Maywood Community Organization (NoMCO), and League of
Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL)

Occupation:

Village Clerk of Maywood, Managing Broker of Vintage Realtors and

Associates, Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Intern with PLCCA, A&R
Mortgage Loan Originator, and Carol Stream Post Office Distribution Clerk /
Unit Supervisor

Education:

Westwood College; B.S. Criminal Justice, Triton College; Certified Residential

Real Estate Broker, Proviso East; Graduate
The role and function of the position of Village Clerk in the Village of
Maywood

Record keeper of the Village and act as the custodian of all records
Overseeing the local elections and conduct voters registrations
Attest the Mayor and Manager signatures on all legal documents and
agreements
Administer the Village Seal on all ordinances, resolutions and legal
documents as needed
Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees, Legal License and Ordinance
Committee (LLOC), Executive Session and Special Meeting, and Liquor
Licenses Commission Meeting
Appointment of the Deputy Clerk, working with HR in interviewing and
the hiring of the Administrated Clerk
Conduct staff meetings and evaluation of staff work performances,
administer disciplinary action
Oversee of preparing and issuing of permits, licenses, posting of
official notices, filing of documents and issuing employees ID
Review of board minutes and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request
Assuring transparency to the public

My understanding of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A request from the public to have access or given records and

information from the Federal, State or Local agencies to keeps the
public informed on governments action

My thoughts on FOIA as a law for promoting transparency in state

government

Is an excellent law promoting transparency and a way for the public to

hold local government accountable and track decisions made by
officials of the municipality
FOIA allow the pubic to be a watch dog over the way government
officials conducting and preforming the job and making decision for
economic growth in the community
The Village Clerk should and does have a role in promoting voters turnout in
elections

The role is to provide education and providing information to

residences to made it more convenient for voters to cast their votes
Posting information on the village website, such as early voting and
registration at convenient designated sites within the community or
nearby, mail-in and absentee ballots, online voting,
Having voter registration drives by partnering schools, non-profit
originations and neighborhood libraries and making announcements at
board meetings
Getting people involved by offering family, friend and neighbors rides
to the voting sites

Keeping past records and historical documents

Is important to the town because the records and historical documents

is a way of preserving our past and historical moment of famous
people and events that has present timeless treasures that once made
history here in Maywood

Village spending money on outside contractors and legal fees is it just

enough, not enough or too much

We should start utilizing staff to handle tasks, documents and projects

instead of hiring or sending information out, when we have the ability
to perform the business of the Village in house

Where does the village currently keep archival documents/material?

Maywood Public Library Local History Archives Room in the Carnegie

Building
Historic Preservation Commission is charged with preserving the
history of Maywood and safeguard the Villages history, architectural
and cultural heritage

Should material be easily accessible to the public?

The public has easy accessible to material with the assistance of staff

Should the village clerk be conversant with technologies such as social

media?
 Social media sites is a way to connect with the community and the
village clerk should be or have some knowledge of the technologies
when it comes to social media site such as Facebook, Instagram and
Tweeter these sites and others are widely used today

Thoughts on Maywood having a Facebook page to promote weekly board

and commission meeting

Facebook allows live streaming and that can boost attendance of our
meeting, also a way to create marketing of the village, one can reach
other professional where their town may be or have gone through a
transition with issues similar and instantly commutate strategies

Should the village clerk be in commission with counterparts at other levels

of government as the Cook county clerk, circuit court clerk of Cook County?

Yes, knowledge, growth and advancement is gained

Is there space for cooperation?

There is not only space for cooperation with other Clerks but a desire
to help and improve each other

Do you believe the clerk office has weakness / how can they be improved?

The clerk positon being part time / change the position to full time

Why you are best suited for this position

I am passionate about the growth of our village, and I believe that the
citizens deserve more than what has been given by elected officials.
We were elected to give the people a better and safer way of living
and have proud in our community.
I was elected to represent and fulfill ordinance and code guide lines
that were put in place to help build our village not tear down and I
have the ability to work together with others for the common wealth of
the people. I work for the people and I listen and hear and see the
need of unity in our community