Why I Am the Person to make Maywood Secure Again

Village Free Press Candidate Questionnaire

Please submit answers (attached in a MS Word file or in the body of the email) to thevillagefreepress@gmail.com by
no later than at any time on March 1). Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability. Full
disclosure: parts, or all, of your answers are likely being published:

Name: Dr. Mary May Larry, Ph.D.

Age: N/A

My Maywood Slate and or Mary May Larry

Previous political experience: Maywood Liquor Commissioner

Previous community experience: Maywood Liquor Commissioner;

Business Professional; federal/state government contract writer; helped
Maywood secure the following:
IDNR Youth Grant - $489,600 and the DOJ - COPS Grant - $269,000.
Organized Maywoods first grant-writing seminar.

Occupation: Business Consultant, Grant Writer

Education: Banking Certificate, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree

Dear Maywoodians,

I am writing to present my candidacy for Mayor of Maywood. The time is now for a positive change.
My campaign committee, My Maywood, firmly embraces the belief that elected village officials should be effective
leaders in our municipal government. Therefore, in addition to asking for your vote for me as Mayor of Maywood, I
am asking that you re-elect Viola Mims as Clerk of Maywood; support Sammie B Rogers, Tanya Butler and Marcius
Scaggs for Village of Maywood Trustees; and Kimberley A. Hopson, as District 89 School Board Member; Patrick
Winters Park Dist. Board Candidate and we are supporting Jose Galarza, Jr. and Connie Tapia Maywood Public
Library District.

I am committed to working hard to improve the quality of life for all residents of our city, and know I can make a
significant difference protecting the integrity of our citizens. As Mayor, I will work tirelessly to move Maywood
forward as a working community with a new beginning.

Maywoodians, I personally feel your pain and see your disappointment. Lets begin to rebuild our Maywood
community, block by block.

HOMEGROWN

I attended Emerson Elementary School and graduated from Proviso East High School, Class of 1981. My family, the
Larry's, have been residents of Maywood for 48 years. Along with my three sisters and two brothers, our parents,
Rev. Tommie Larry, Sr. and Catherine Ann Larry, raised us in a single-family home on 3rd and Warren Avenues in
Maywood, Illinois. As general laborers, my parents instilled the values of hard work, discipline and personal
responsibility. I attribute my success in the business industry for over 25 years to them.

My volunteer and charitable giving efforts extends to several organizations, including Nate Comic Inc. and Larrys
Boys School Program. My memberships include a lifetime NAACP membership, AIPAC, The Order of the Eastern
Star, Maywood Chamber of Commerce, Maywood-Proviso Rotary Club Illinois and The Neighbors of Maywood,
Illinois Community Organization (NoMCO).

For 38 years, Ive been a serving member of Miracle Revival Center Cathedral of the Churches of God in
Christ (COGIC), located in Maywood, IL. The founder is Bishop Willie J. Chambliss and the Pastor is DeAndre
Patterson. I have served former COGIC predecessors - the late Bishop L.H. Ford and the late Bishop C. D. Owens -
as grant-writer, as well as program-writer. This denomination reports having over five-million members in the United
States. The National Council of Churches ranks this as the largest Pentecostal denomination and the fourth largest
Christian denomination in the U.S.

What is your understanding of the role and functions of the position of Mayor of Maywood? As Maywood Mayor,
my role and functions will be as Chief Executive officer. My leadership accomplishment as a Grant Writer and
Business Consultant will be used to launch Maywood forward toward growth and development to include a Co-op
grocery store; a 60/40 hiring rule for all new Maywood businesses stipulating that 60% of Maywood residents must
be hired; development of a thriving business district (Economic Development); lower taxes; a water assistance
program; community policing safe community; establish resources and programs for senior citizens and youth;
improve Maywood infrastructure to include paving all roads and allies.

What is your understanding of the role and functions of the Maywood Board of Trustees? The role and functions of
Maywood Board of Trustees is that the Board functions as the legislative body in the Village of Maywood. As your
next Mayor of Maywood, we will work as a cohesive team.

What is your understanding of Maywoods structural strengths and weaknesses/List a few structural strengths and
weaknesses that you may perceive the village to have? Maywood is currently in a crisis on multiple of levels.
Maywood is decaying and hemorrhaging with a non-existing economic development and deteriorating economy. The
only grocery store Aldis is now closed. Maywood is not a food desert. Under my administration, I will STOP the
hemorrhaging; I will work tirelessly to move Maywood forward as a working community with a new beginning.

What do you understand about Maywoods property taxes? Do you think theyre too low, just at the right level or too
high? If too high or low, what are some of your ideas for bringing them to the level you believe is sufficient?
Maywood property taxes are too high. We will lobby Springfield to reduce property taxes in order to allow our
community to have an opportunity to grow and develop into a thriving business. We must begin to attract new
businesses and developers into our community. I have already developed such a plan.

What is your understanding of Maywoods general business climate? Maywoods general business climate is
desperately in need of improvement. Do you think Maywood can improve its business climate and, if so, how? Yes,
Maywood currently has a non-existing general business climate. under my leadership we can improve our business
climate within of Village of Maywood. Currently we have a non-existing general business climate. I will use my
extensive experience as a businesswoman, and my many leadership accomplishment as a business Consultant, and
my 25 years of knowledge in the business industry in corporate America. To make The Village of Maywood Secure
Again.

What is your understanding of Maywoods reputation in certain industry circles (i.e., retail, manufacturing, etc.) as a
place to do business? Currently Maywood has a poor representation in industry circles of not allowing fruit and
productive businesses to invest in the Village of Maywood as result of current administration infighting. Under my
administration as your next Mayor of Maywood, we will work as a cohesive team.
Do you think Maywood can improve its reputation and, if so, how? YES, Maywood can improve its reputation with
business investors under thse right administration. I currently have investors standing ready to do business with
Maywood under our NEW ADMINISTRATION. on April 4th VOTE Dr. Mary May Larry for Mayor of Maywood
and the entire My Maywood Slate. MAKING MAYWOOD SECURE AGAIN!

What is your understanding of how Maywood is zoned? Do you believe that Maywood is zoned just right or can the
village's zoning codes be improved? And what is your opinion of how the village currently enforces its zoning
codes? After elected we must revisit our Village of Maywood Zoning Ordinance. The Village of Maywood features
categories of zoning districts, including residential, business and manufacturing. We will examine the process and
procedure which is in place to reduce the red tape to improve the process.

What is your understanding of TIF zones? TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF). Tax increment financing (TIF)
is a method of financing real estate development costs to promote development, redevelopment, and housing in areas
where it would not otherwise occur, as established often referred to as the TIF Act.
Do you believe that they have adequately mitigated blighted areas in the village? YES. Would you consider
approving a plan to create a new TIF district if it ever came to that? YES. Do you have some ideas about how TIF
surplus funds should be distributed? These TIF surplus funds should be distributed to projects to include constructing
buildings or other private improvements, cleaning polluted areas, redeveloping areas that contain blight, or paying
for public improvements such as streets, sidewalks, sewer and water, and similar improvements.

What is your understanding of Maywood's comprehensive plan? As your next Mayor of Maywood, we will work
hand-in-hand with the Planning Department to lay out a Master Plan. A master plan typically looks 10 to 20 years or
more into the future; it must be re-assessed and updated at regular intervals. Our community's vision for the future
had not been comprehensively evaluated for a long time.

Under this new team of leadership, we will outline a new vision for the Village of Maywood. That vision will cover
a broad range of topics that are important to quality of life (for example, schools, public safety or job training);
however, the Master Plan focuses primarily on those land use, development and infrastructure issues on which
village policy can have a direct impact. Do you believe that it is an effective tool for managing the village's long-
term economic and infrastructural development? Yes, under my leadership we will lay out a plan long-term economic
and infrastructural development of our Maywood building, roads and allies.

Do you believe that the village spends not enough, just enough or too much money on outside contractors, in
general, and legal fees? YES, the Village of Maywood spends too much money on outside legal fees. If you believe
not enough or too much money, what are some of your ideas for getting those expenditures to a level you believe is
sufficient? As your next Mayor, we will explore fixed-rate fees option in order to establish safeguards to limit the
windfall effect.

Do you believe that Maywood is a safe community? A safe community is a Healthy Community which makes a Safe
Community. If so, what are some things that make this so? We need to implement community policing Officer-
friendly. If not, what are some ideas you must make the village safer? A Public Health Approach to Violence
Prevention. Police once again walking the beat in ALL seasons.

Do you believe that the village spends not enough, just enough or too much money to settle police misconduct and
workmans compensation cases? After being elected I plan to establish an evaluation on the settlement of police
misconduct and workmans compensation cases. I will give a report to the residents within my first 100 days of
service. If you believe too much or too little money, what are some of your ideas for getting those expenditures to a
level you believe is sufficient? We must pay off Maywood debt. I submitted a PLAN to the Maywood Village Board
years ago, part of my plan included freezing all city hiring except for emergency personnel. Our Village of
Maywood is in debt. As a Village, we must discontinue chipping away at the debt and instead take a bite out of the
Village debt, by making BOLD decisions for the betterment of our Village of Maywood.

From what you can tell, is there currently a system in place that effectively evaluates the performance of village
administrators and employees? If not, do you think one needs to be implemented? As the next Mayor of Maywood, I
will implement a performance appraisal system that provides an opportunity for an objective dialogue between the
employee and the supervisor about the individuals work performance. An employee performance appraisal form will
be prepared for each employee every twelve (12) months. An interim review can be prepared whenever there is a
change in the employees performance sufficient to affect the overall rating of the previous review or whenever
departmental procedures require an interim review for special purposes.
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of the following village administrators (please make sure to
express your opinion on each employee): Once elected as your next Mayor of Maywood we will evaluate everyone
on an individual basis. To move Maywood forward in a positive and productive manner. As your next Mayor of
Maywood, we will implement mandatory quarterly town hall meeting to include every department head, to hear the
concerns of residents. Under our administration, we will conduct an annual survey to determine the level of
contentment with the Village, its leadership, quality of life and services provided to the community. Our goal is to
become a customer friend community.
Village Manager Willie Norfleet, Jr.,
Police Chief Valdimir Tally,
Fire Chief Craig Bronaugh,
Public Works Director John West,
Finance Director Lanya Satchell
HR Coordinator LaSondra Banks.

The population of Maywood has changed rather dramatically in the last 10 years, with the village having
experienced a significant infusion of Hispanic residents. For instance, the student population of both Districts 89 and
209 is more than 50 percent Hispanic. Do you believe that this growing demographic is adequately represented in the
village? If not, what are some of your ideas for reaching out to the Hispanic community in Maywood? Outreach
efforts to include the Hispanic community in Maywood will be implemented through our quarterly community-wide
town hall meeting.

Do you believe that Maywood should be a sanctuary city? Explain why or why not? A sanctuary city is a loosely
defined term for a city that welcomes refugees and illegal immigrants. Each of us was either brought and or came to
these shores other than the Indian who then populated these grounds.

What is your general approach to economic development? As your next Mayor of Maywood, we will implement
shrewd strategies for growth and development, to include community planning whereas businesses thrive on a
walkable main street; families live close to their work destinations, and tourist attractions bring investments into the
local economy. Developments will support walking, biking, and public transit which helps reduce air pollution from
vehicles while benefiting community residents as a cost savings. How involved do you feel board members should be
in the process? Board members should have 100% involvement. Do you feel that village officials are too aggressive,
not aggressive enough or just right in their pursuit of development opportunities? The current village officials are not
aggressive enough.

The village owns a substantial amount of commercial property throughout Maywood. What are your thoughts on
how the village should go about selling (or preserving, if you don't believe it should be sold) the land and/or
properties that it owns? Are there instances in which you would support a prospective developer acquiring village-
owned property at a significantly lower price than the propertys appraised value? Do you have ideas on how the
village can speed up getting the property that it owns back on the tax rolls (if you feel that the process needs to be
expedited)? Appraisers use recent transactions of similar homes in the area to assess your homes potential value
but the houses must have the same amenities, features and condition to be truly comparable. This must be a
community wide effort to internally first to clean up our community from blight. The Fight Blight initiative is
working hard to combat and clean-up local businesses with the help of engaged citizens. Blight threatens public
safety, lowers property values and degrades quality of life. Maywood neighborhoods can become safer, cleaner and
more beautiful places for all of us to live if we work togetheras One Village, One Maywood.

When elected, what are the three things that you would do as mayor right after your swearing-in (and right after
means within your first two months as mayor)? Be as specific as possible.
When elected Mayor of Maywood I will give the green light to my council of twelve community individuals to sit
with developers who stand ready with contract proposals. I will sit with our Maywood police department to
strategize for a safer community; instituting police walking the beat in ALL seasons. I will outline a blueprint and
network with churches, grassroots and non-profits to develop a safe zone for our community youth to STOP the
murder and slaughtering of our children and babies.

If you have a specific "vision" for Maywood, please lay out, in detail, what that is. My plan and vision is for
economic development. I am a Business Professional and Committed Servant of the Community and have been a
resident of Maywood for over forty-eight years. I have seen the highs and lows of our community of Maywood and
have over 25 years of success in the business industry as a grant-writer and business consultant, and with corporate
America, which will be a great asset in moving Maywood toward economic stability and growth, along with my
knowledge of federal and state government contracts. I helped the Village of Maywood to secure the following:
IDNR YOUTH Grant - $489,600 and the DOJ - COPS Grant - $269,000, which has been used to provide timely and
necessary services to village residents. My vision as Mayor of the Village of Maywood includes the launch of a new
Maywood where there are numerous quality business developments and multiple small business opportunities
providing Job Growth and Training, Infrastructure Rebuilding, roads and paving, safer neighborhoods, a Maywood
newspaper, lower taxes, better schools and parks, and mentoring programs.

Under my leadership as Mayor, the Village of Maywood would indeed make a major step forward.

These are just few reasons Maywood residents are supporting my campaign for Mayor/President for the Village of
Maywood, and why should you do the same. Contact me and Ill be happy to send additional information, as well as
facts about the issues that make this election so important.

Our campaign office is: 9 N 5th Ave Maywood, IL 60153 * Phone number is: 708-343-4738 * Email address:
marymaylarry@gmail.com
Websites address: www.mymaywood.com and www.drmarymaylarry.com

Thank you for your time, support and I hope youll join me in WINNING the office of Mayor/President for the
Village of Maywood on April 4, 2017!
VOTE MARY MAY LARRY FOR Mayor of Maywood.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Mary May Larry, Ph.D. Punch 2 on April 4th, 2017 For Mayor of Maywood