Jeffrey Berman: 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: Buffalo GroveWebsite: http://jeffreyaberman.com/Office sought: Buffalo Grove Village Board Age: 52Family: Wife, Jane, and daughters Laura and Claire.Occupation: AttorneyEducation: University of Illinois, J.D., Magna Cum Laude, 1987. University of Illinois, B.S. in Accountancy, with Honors, 1984. Illinois Certified Public Accountant, Certificate issued 1984.Civic involvement: Village Trustee, 1999-; Village President Pro Tem, 2011-; Board Liaison for Transportation; Board Liaison for Litigation and Legal Matters; Village Traffic Management Committee; Metra Citizens' Advisory Board Chairman, 2011-2013; Board of Directors, Lake County Transportation Alliance, 2012-; Route 53 Corridor Blue Ribbon Commission Finance Committee, 2014-; RTA Citizens' Advisory Board, 2011-2013; Northwest Municipal Conference Transportation Committee, 2001-; Buffalo Grove Plan Commission, 1992-1999; Village Team Captain, Relay for Life, annually, 2000-; Lake County Private Activity Bond Allocation Advisory Committee, 2001-; Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102 Superintendent Search Committee, 2002-2003; Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102 Strategic Design Committee, 2002-2003.Elected offices held: Village Trustee, Village of Buffalo Grove, 1999 to present.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?For over two decades, I have worked to ensure that Buffalo Grove is an outstanding place to live and raise a family. I bring a unique combination of experience and skills to our Village Board. I served on the Plan Commission from 1992 until 1999, when I was elected as Village Trustee. While on the Board, I also have served as in a variety of leadership positions, particularly for transportation, litigation and legal matters. I earned my Law degree and B.S. in Accountancy from the University Of Illinois. I have worked for some of Chicago's top law firms. My training and professional experience enhance my ability to analyze and define issues, and find solutions. I feel I provide unique insight that facilitates better decisions and helps the Village save time and money. I also have served as Chairman of the Metra Citizens' Advisory Board, and on the RTA Citizens' Advisory Board. I am currently a member of the Northwest Municipal Conference Transportation Committee, Board of Directors for the Lake County Transportation Alliance, the Route 53 Corridor Blue Ribbon Commission Finance Committee. I have successfully advocated on behalf of the Village regarding public transportation, electrical infrastructure, freight rail traffic and regional roadways. I also have led legislative efforts on matters ranging from the elimination of the vehicle sticker tax, to providing the public with a means to remove dysfunctional elected officials. In short, I don't just show up on Monday night. I work for our community, and I get things done.Should the Buffalo Grove golf course and municipal campus ever be re-developed? Now that the downtown proposal is dead, tell us what is your vision for that property going forward.The property is a golf course and I anticipate it will remain a golf course. I also believe it would be imprudent of any elected official to address the future of the property in absolute terms. The Board is duty-bound to investigate proposals and give them due consideration. That is what occurred with regard to the CRM proposal, and as the Daily Herald observed in its Soap Box Editorial, the process worked as intended. Facts were developed and, ultimately, a decision was made based on the facts. I have confidence that the process will work again, if invoked. But, I do not have any reason to believe we will see any such proposal. The key is the extensive engineering work required to prepare the property for development, and the magnitude of associated costs. Those facts were developed, primarily, though the engineering study commissioned by the Village. The changes in CRM's proposal in response to the study, its substantial recasting of the financial details, its conclusion that it could not proceed without a massive subsidy, and its ultimate withdrawal of its proposal, demonstrate the enormity of the challenges posed by the site. Those challenges remain a hurdle for any development. Thus, I believe the property will remain a golf course. There are further challenges ahead for the golf course, particularly finding ways to increase golf revenue so we can eliminate recurring subsidies. The new golf management team is working hard to address those concerns, and they are making progress.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I have been on the Board for sixteen years. One of the constants has been the commitment to responsible financial stewardship and careful financial management. We worked hard to maintain a strong a financial position, even through challenging economic times. The Village's strategic efforts over the past decade have resulted in significant restructuring and reduction in the cost of providing services. Each year, the Village works aggressively to manage expenditures, focusing on achieving increasingly lean and efficient operations. That has allowed for an undiminished service profile with only modest increases in the tax levy and comparatively insignificant debt load. The Village has been recognized for its sound financial position. Moody's recently confirmed the Village's "Aaa" bond rating, citing strengths in the diversity of the community's tax base, solid fiscal management, a favorable debt profile, and the Village's efforts to maintain a strong balance sheet with a conservative tax policy. The Village also received a "AAA" bond rating from Standard and Poor's, based on our strong fiscal management and financial stability. Even a cursory review of the Village Capital Improvement Plan reveals a veritable laundry list of ways in which we could further invest in ourselves, by repairing, expanding and improving our infrastructure. One area, as addressed elsewhere, is the street program. Budgetary pressures and revenue constraints annually require deferring, sometimes indefinitely, many of these needed and worthwhile projects. This is an area where, revenue permitting, devoting additional resources would provide a beneficial return for our community.According to the village engineer, Buffalo Grove faces enormous street reconstruction costs due to faulty road materials used in the 1970s and 1980s. How important is this for the village, where should Buffalo Grove find the money and how urgent is it to fix the roads?The issue is not unique to our Village. It pertains to materials that were widely used many years ago. The Village is not experiencing a catastrophic situation, but rather must plan to address accelerated deterioration of certain roads over time. Just as the Village has plans to address other capital needs, such as for sewer and water infrastructure, the immediate concern is to plan for the financial impact. The Village will continue work to refine the engineering and financial analyses in 2015. Certainly additional funding will be needed, from a variety of sources. Currently, our annual street maintenance program is funded through State Motor Fuel Tax, and local sales tax. The costs have increased over time, while dedicated revenue streams have abated. These sources are sufficient to maintain local streets to established standards. Absent significant changes in the MFT, however, they will not be sufficient to pay for this additional work. Economic development and growth in sales tax revenues could provide some of the required funding. The Village is committed to aggressive pursuit of business development. Economic activity has improved and the Village's sales tax base has returned to levels comparable to the pre-recessionary peak in 2006, and continues to grow. The Village will have to work to continue that trend. The Village also will explore a combination of strategies based on other sources of revenue, issuance of tax supported bonding, and reallocation of budgetary commitments to accommodate the additional expenses. None of these choices will be easy.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?One issue looming on the horizon as our housing stock matures is the need to prospectively address the impact of "tear downs," particularly as older areas of the community continue to mature. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has described the Chicago metropolitan area as the "epicenter of teardowns." Teardowns can impose significant social costs. Local residents often see the new homes as destructive of a neighborhood's character. The construction process can be disruptive. Area assessments may increase, and the stock of affordable housing may be reduced. Tear downs also carry benefits, and many advocates support property owners' rights to choose how to use and improve their property. Encouraging housing renewal helps maintain the vitality and desirability of a residential area, and may also help to curb urban sprawl. The practice of demolishing and replacing older homes has, in other areas, generated substantial controversy, and local jurisdictions have responded in a variety of ways. Our community, given the relative youth of its housing, has not experienced many tear downs, or related controversy, so far. Nevertheless, the community can begin to formulate policies before teardown activity increases, thus forestalling undue controversy.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The most important issue the Village must deal with is the budget and the need to maintain financial stability. We have worked long and hard to maintain a balanced budget, provide the level of services our community requires, and still minimize upward pressure on property taxes. We have earned accolades for our financial results, including our AAA bond ratings. But we cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue to find efficiencies and other means to curtail costs. We must also increase and diversify our revenue streams. Economic development, in all its forms, will be critical to that effort. This must be our first order of business. In addition, I believe that transportation issues remain critical to the future viability of our community, and preservation of our quality of life. Throughout my time on the Board, I have worked to improve mobility for our residents, through enhancements to public transportation and roadways. Among the priorities for the future are the eventual completion of the northward extension of Route 53, a project of critical regional importance, and also the further improvement of service on the North Central commuter line.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Larry Page and Sergey Brin. This duo changed the world with their revolutionary Google search engine. Google continually innovates and inspires thinking in new ways.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Carpe diem. Losing my mother and grandfather two weeks apart at age 12, I learned never to take tomorrow for granted. Seize the day.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have learned from experience, both good and bad, and I believe in looking forward, not backward.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." History always gives us perspective and guidance. A close second was English.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Choose a career that brings you joy. That way you never work a day in your life.