Longtime trustee Braiman will run for Buffalo Grove village president
Longtime Buffalo Grove village board member Jeffrey Braiman is running to be the town's next village president.
Braiman, 58, said he hopes to restore confidence in village leadership that's been battered in recent weeks by the recall of one village trustee and public reprimand of current Village President Elliott Hartstein.
“I think we need to take action to restore the confidence and respect that only a few years ago enabled our village to be considered one of the 50 most fabulous places to live and raise a family,” he said.
Hartstein has not yet decided whether to seek re-election in the April 5 election. Braiman said he called Hartstein Sunday to inform him of his decision to run for village president.
Braiman said this is not the first time he has considered running for the post. He considered it in 1999 when state Rep. Sidney Mathias stepped down as village president to serve in the state legislature. But Braiman deferred to former Trustee Brian Rubin, who had decided to run.
He described his leadership style as different from Hartstein's, saying he would like to think he would have handled conflicts with recently recalled Village Trustee Lisa Stone in another way.
“I'm not one generally to be confrontational,” Braiman said. “I think I try to do things in a low-key, reasonable fashion. Maybe that would have been more successful.”
Braiman admits the relationship between him and Hartstein has been rocky. He cites concerns that Hartstein was paying too much attention to regional and statewide issues, and not communicating with the board, or taking as active an interest in local issues.
Braiman did support Hartstein's recent candidacy for state representative, saying his interest in state issues would make the House a perfect place for him.
Braiman, an attorney, has served on the village board since April 1991. He was the top vote-getter in the most recent village board election.
Before joining the board, he served on the village's Transportation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Plan Commission.
A resident of Buffalo Grove for 25 years, Braiman is married and has three children.