Lauren Roman grew up in Homewood, graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, moved away and came back to raise her family.
She has served on the Homewood Board of Trustees for six years. She hopes to return to the board to help keep the momentum going.
“Things that I am passionate about have moved in the right direction,” she said. ” I’m the only board member who has kids in the school. So I think I have a unique perspective from that point too.”
In addition to economic development successes and good fiscal management, she said she is encouraged by strides made recently in community engagement.
She cited the two Civics Academy sessions that were held last year to introduce residents to village government operations.
“We’ve had a lot more of an online presence in the last couple of years,” she said. “I would like to see all of those things continue to grow.”
She also advocates doing more research on an issue that has concerned residents for years, the amount of parking in the downtown area. Planning for a new five-story residential development in the village hall parking lot has resurrected the issue.
“I think we need a new parking study,” she said.”We’ve had lots of changes in our downtown.”
Regarding the village hall housing development, she is urging a more deliberate process. “It just feels rushed in my opinion. I think we need the housing, but I don’t know if I agree with it being that location.”
