Sussman, Braiman file for Buffalo Grove president
Buffalo Grove Trustee Beverly Sussman officially challenged Village President Jeffrey Braiman Monday as both filed petitions for the village's highest office.
And because five candidates filed for three seats on the village board Monday too, Buffalo Grove is assured of having a lively municipal campaign all around.
Monday was the first day for candidates filing for the April local consolidated election. All over Illinois, mayors, village boards, city councils and members of park, school, library and fire protection district boards will be elected. Filing will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 22.
Buffalo Grove Trustees Steve Trilling, Jeff Berman and Mike Terson filed Monday, as did residents Dave Weidenfeld and Dan Petersen.
The debate over the recently shelved downtown development proposal appears to drive many of the candidacies. Sussman, who at the start of the process opposed referring the project to the plan commission, also said she believes public comment was unfairly limited during the plan commission hearings on the subject.
Braiman said such a potentially village-altering project deserved an evenhanded review in which all voices were heard.
The candidates said they are not running on slates. But Braiman and the incumbent trustees are supporting each other's candidacies, while Sussman, Weidenfeld and Petersen recognized more similarities among their three perspectives.
Sussman is halfway through her second term as trustee, so she would remain on the village board if she loses her bid for the presidency. She said her candidacy was sparked by attending the plan commission hearing on the 120-acre downtown development project early this month.
With many residents concerned about the impact of such a change to the village, Sussman said she was upset by the fact that rules were imposed on the hearing allowing only three minutes per person and potentially no more than 30 minutes for all public input on a single subject.
"This was the first time," she said of such restrictions being imposed. "When I left the meeting that night I was very, very upset. I want residents to know that I truly care about them. I want to hear what they have to say and I will treat them with dignity and respect."
Braiman said the plan commission's normal procedures for any development project were used on the downtown proposal. Though he acknowledged that the scope of the plan was extraordinary, he said it deserved the same fair hearing as any other.
"No one was prohibited from speaking and no one was cut off, so I don't know what the issue is," Braiman said. "We heard from people who were opposed to (the project) and from people who were in favor of it, but we were obligated to give it due diligence."
Last week, the village board itself decided that the $100 million tax increment financing district the developer was seeking was too big a risk.
Braiman said he thinks some residents unfamiliar with the development review process may believe some officials were favoring the project just because they didn't oppose it from the start.
"In my mind, it's never been a political issue, it's been a development issue," Braiman said. "And part of a development issue is its financials."
Braiman said he's been involved with village government for 30 years, on the village board for 24 years and now village president for the past four. He said he believes the village is in a good situation with its finances, services and public safety and he wants to see that continue.
Sussman said the recent handling of public input on the downtown project showed that there's room for improvement by ensuring that the village puts the voices of its own residents first.
"It was that night (of the hearing) that put me over the edge," Sussman said. "I was that angry. When something is controversial, I don't feel it's right."
Election Day is April 7, 2015.