Michael Sarlitto: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Long GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Long Grove Village Board Age: 55Family: Wife of 33 Years - Marilee Three Children: Christina Closson, Diana and MarkOccupation: Management ConsultingEducation: Purdue University, Bachelors of Science - Mechanical Engineering (BSME) Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, Masters Business Administration (MBA)Civic involvement: Boy Scouts of America - Committee Member Past Scoutmaster American Lung Association, Annual Climb for Clean Air - Mt. Rainier, Washington Holy Name Society/ Men's Club Charities - Board MemberElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?Our Village faces strategic challenges of relevancy, functionality and brand in addressing its growth and sustainability goals and objectives. Our challenges are not unlike those that a business faces in charting and navigating their journey toward achieving financial, operational or commercial success. Constructing and executing growth strategies whether through merger, acquisition, organic or some hybrid combination of the three is quite familiar to me having 30+ years' experience involving these type activities. Key to successful outcomes with these activities is the ability to understand stakeholder motivations, build bridges between opposing views through effective communication and thoughtfully engaging all in building consensus solutions. I firmly believe that past performance and behaviors is an indication of future results and expected outcomesâ#128;brvbar; as a result; I have concluded that our Village leadership needs to change. In one of the Village's largest recent off-year election turnouts, our current divided leadership was handed a resounding defeat (83% to 17%) of their ill-advised pursuit by referendum of the first ever Long Grove property tax. I believe our electorate is thirsty for leadership that more fully embraces their responsibility, accountability and authority entrusted to them in representing them, building consensus and crafting solutions to the challenges we face. I ask my fellow residents for the opportunity to serve our community in a Trustee capacityâ#128;brvbar; if fortunate enough to be selected, will stand committed to delivering on their trust in representing them, uniting them and with fellow board membersâ#128;brvbar; crafting a more prosperous future for our community.What is your opinion of video gambling in Long Grove? As a trustee would you actively seek to repeal gambling, expand it, or leave it alone for now? Explain your thinking.While I am personally not a gambler and believe extensive build-out of gambling may do more harm than good in potentially deteriorating or cheapening further the current Long Grove family-oriented brand, I believe a protracted 28% vacancy rate among highly visible store fronts coupled with relatively flat restaurant revenues can be an even more damaging trend, hence the dilemma and apparent trade-offs with the gambling issue. Benefits of gambling seem to be mixed whether measured by sustainable revenue generating potential, clientele attracted, improved competitiveness for the retail dollar or societal impact and without thoughtful evaluation in the broader context of how it impacts Long Grove's brand and accompanying growth strategy, I'd caution on any extensive build-out. A more fundamental question may be: what do our residents think? Without a current, relevant and updated comprehensive plan reflecting a consensus of opinion regarding our collective vision for the Long Grove community, making judgment calls similar to the gambling issue will continue to plague Village leadership. We need a business and economic development compass, a process for evaluating opportunities and a structure of laws that attracts, encourages and promotes doing the right kind of business in Long Grove with the least amount of regulatory friction possible.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Allocation of Village financial resources should reflect village priorities. Thankfully, past generations of Village leadership believed in smaller, efficient and highly focused government. It has been one of the primary keys to delivering on a 59-year old "no tax" pledge our Village founders made in 1956 and which has been supported ever sinceâ#128;brvbar; that is, until this past Board's attempt to levy the first ever tax in March 2014. With a few exceptions, the overall structural cost of government operations appears modest, reasonable and manageable. The wisdom of our founders' strategy finds a majority of government operations paid for as variable costs hence, in an economic downturn, the Village can flexibly reduce expenditures without too much delay. Regarding capital spending, I believe more emphasis on Village-wide roadway maintenance could and should be a higher priority and the subject of a broader discussion in multi-year planning efforts including paving campaigns, consortium buying of paving/maintenance services, performance-based contracting if possible and better project planning and teaming with private roadway owners. While downtown investment may be both necessary and vital to successfully transitioning the Village Center to a more prosperous condition over time, thoughtful discourse in both the quantity, timing, risk and focus of investment needs to take place. Current plans seem to have a disproportionate share of revenues directed to a new village hall, water main and streetscape projects at the expense of village-wide roadway investment. We need a more balanced, return-on-investment (ROI) based approach to our project prioritization, rationalization and justification.Is the historic district on the right track? Explain how, in your opinion, Long Grove gets its "downtown" roaring again.Strategic challenges with Village relevancy, functionality and brand in addressing both growth and sustainability goals couldn't be on better display or experienced first-hand than taking a walk in the downtown these days. In order to know whether our downtown is on the right track or not, we need to know where we are going. Analogous to an ocean-going vessel, we know what port we are sailing from. Armed with a map (Village Comprehensive Plan), we may have a choice of ports to sail toâ#128;brvbar; our provisions (investment and time) will determine which ports are within reach. Our recent storm (protracted economic recession), may have blown us off course or slowed progress to some extent. Trends indicate continued cannibalizing of "brick-and-mortar" retail by internet-based buying which in-turn reshapes and redefines the consumer experience Long Grove may be in a position to create. Substantial retail development surrounds Long Grove in every direction with plans for more on the horizon. It is time to conduct an opportunity triage on options available for Long Grove historic district development beyond just retail. We may learn that many other viable options exist which de-emphasize direct revenue generating potential in lieu of re-establishing Long Grove as a destination point creating revenue generating opportunities in the surrounding village businesses. However, in order to begin any thoughtful discourse, I believe both property owners and the businesses that occupy those properties need to be fully engaged which is not readily apparent at present.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The Village has many assets, not least of which may be its location. In many respects, we are "surrounded" by many larger, more resource laden communities located at our borders in virtually every direction. While we have critical mass, are self-sufficient, self- governing and fortunate enough to continue as a non-Home Rule community, we are also geographically positioned as virtual "connective tissue" between other larger communities that surround us. Perhaps there are other functions and/or services that may be of particular interest to our surrounding neighbors that leverages our close proximity to their increasingly congested centersâ#128;brvbar; technology: a fiber-linked strategically located data center providing the computational horsepower and speed capable of servicing growing regional computer-based and telecommunication-based needs. The CFI headquarters shuttered since 2005 due to impending Rte. 53 extension plans may be a viable site for developmentâ#128;brvbar; other ideas include threads in various other industries capable of creating a growth engine for the community: education, transportation and healthcare.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Re-establishing my fellow residents' trust in their elected officials, bringing a sense of vision, energy and enthusiasm to community leadership, demonstrated transparent fiscal prudency and financial stewardship, reducing resident angst and worry concerning what their elected officials may be doing to them versus what they are doing for them.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope John Paul II Was a gifted, charismatic, multi-generational leader dedicated to meaningful outreach, listening, understanding, thoughtful discourse and respect for the human condition.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I am loved, I matter and I can make a difference.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?No regrets (yet!)What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Statics Dynamics - it taught me relationships between actions, reactions and consequences.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?They already know: love life to its fullest and thank God you are alive to enjoy it.