Profile for Kim Van Wormer, candidate for 3rd ward alderwoman

Kim Van Wormer is running as a challenger to incumbent Irene Collins for the third ward city council position. She will appear on the Republican party line as well as an independent “KVW” line on third ward ballots on election day, November 5, 2019.

Background

Van Wormer was raised in Amsterdam, New York. After graduating from Amsterdam High School, she attained a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Russell Sage College. She also graduated from a joint-program between Union Graduate College and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with a master’s degree in bioethics, which is a multidisciplinary field that draws upon medicine, law, theology, philosophy, and economics, in order to address ethical dilemmas that arise in political settings. Shortly thereafter, she completed the summer institute at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Lastly, she graduated from Albany Law School with a Juris Doctorate.

Currently, Van Wormer works as a solo attorney and practices criminal defense, personal injury, and family law. She is also mother of four young children.

On the issues

The candidate’s answers to five questions are listed below. The answers are in the candidates own words, with minor edits for clarity.

Question: What specific steps must the city take to correct the problem of over-estimation of revenues and under-estimation of expenses?
Answer: In order to prevent problems relating to the over-estimation of revenues and the under-estimation of expenses there must be proper record keeping, frequent review of revenues and expenses, conservative estimates on revenue, data collection pertaining to the over-estimation and under-estimation, and a process to evaluate and address these discrepancies immediately to prevent it from occurring in the future.
Question: What are the next steps the city needs to take to correct the fund balance deficit problem?
Answer: In addition to what is already stated, there should be an evaluation of where spending can be reduced, plans for economic growth in the short term and long term, and all measures should be re-evaluated to determine its efficacy.
Question: Where do you currently stand on moving forward (or not) on the KCG Development residential project?
Answer: I am not sure what my position on this would be. There are not a lot of recent articles about this project. The last article that I have found indicates that the project has to reapply to federal tax credits. I have also not asked residents their opinions on this specific issue.
Question: What are your top 3 qualifications from previous positions/experiences?
Answer: My first qualification is that I have multiple educational degrees that are very difficult to obtain, that I accomplished while being a mother of four children. Secondly, I have a proven ability to excel at tasks that I undertake. Third, I have a positive demeanor, strong communication skills, and extensive knowledge of various topics.
Question: What are your top 3 goals if elected to the position?
Answer: My first goal is to ensure that 3^rd Ward residents are represented. This entails proactively seeking solutions to protect their interests, being easily accessible, and getting back to them promptly. The second goal is to seek innovative ideas to increase revenue and cut costs. This can include, but is not limited to, utilizing technology, such as computers, to cut expenses, ensure preventative maintenance, and monitor the consumption of resources. It could also include community initiatives, such as recycling, water and energy conservation, fire and crime prevention programs, and the use of volunteers. Also, joint purchasing agreements for capital expenses, sharing services of seldomly used equipment and machinery, and eliminating unnecessary outsourcing. The third goal is to establish an interactive platform, possibly through the website I already created (kimvanwormer.com), to encourage active participation to problem solving city-wide issues. It would provide up-to-date information to residents regarding frequently asked questions and have a forum to spark discussion about various issues.