Andrew F. Burke: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Lake BarringtonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Barrington Village boardAge: 50Family: Married, three childrenOccupation: President and CEO, Insight Beverages, Inc.Education: Bachelor or Science in Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 1983Masters of Business Administration in Management, Loyola College, 1991Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Trustee, Village of Lake Barrington, 2007-2011Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Improving the financial health of the Village by increasing revenue through an expanded commercial and retail business base and the continued judicious management of spending.Key Issue 2 As Chairperson of our Roads and Infrastructure Committee, I intend to continue to address critical roads and drainage needs in the community.Key Issue 3 Continue to support the Village's open space initiative to help preserve and protect the countryside character of our community.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have four years of experience as a Trustee in the Village of Lake Barrington and have solid track record of success in the position. My business experience lends itself to helping to run the Village in a professional, transparent and cost effective manner. As Chairperson of the Roads and Infrastructure Committee, I have pushed hard for funding to improve road conditions and to address many significant drainage issues throughout the community.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I believe the present level of local sales tax is appropriate and competitive. My goal is not to raise taxes, rather it is to increase tax revenues by expanding the commercial and retail business in the Village.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.The biggest public safety concern that I hear discussed among friends and neighbors is distracted driving caused by motorists talking on cell phones and text messaging. I agree that this is a critical public safety issue that should be address through more aggressive legislation, policing and education.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The Village of Lake Barrington is fortunate to be in very good fiscal health despite the challenging economic climate we have been operating in for the past few years. We have a lean staff that is incredibly efficient and effective and we have cut most discretionary spending that does not adversely affect our level of service to the community. At current funding levels, we are in jeopardy of not being able to keep up with the roads and infrustructure replacement and repair work necessary to keep our roads and bridges safe, attractive and accessible.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to introduce programs in the village that would bring all of our residents together to improve the overall safety and beauty of the community. This could be accomplished by creating more neighborhood watch programs and encouraging more neighborhoods to become active in beautification programs.