Andrew H. Stein: 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: Buffalo GroveWebsite: http://www.citizensforandrewstein.comOffice sought: Buffalo Grove Village boardAge: 51Family: Married with two childrenOccupation: Field Compliance Principal for Allstate Financial Services, LLC.Education: Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Northeastern Illinois University, 1983 and Juris Doctor, Illinois Institute of Technology-Chicago Kent College of Law, 1999.Civic involvement: Village of Buffalo Grove Commissioner, Zoning Board of Appeals; Village of Buffalo Grove Appearance Review Team Member; Village of Buffalo Grove Committee Member to re-write the Sign Code; Village of Buffalo Grove Chairman Citizens Ad Hoc Committee for Off Track Betting; Cubmaster, Cub Scout Pack 36; Special Events Volunteer, Wheeling Park District (The Wheeling Park District covers about 700 households in Buffalo Grove, mine included); Volunteer for Buddy Baseball; Citizens Police Academy; Buffalo Grove Days Charity Softball Game, Most Valuable Player; Friend of the Vernon Township Food Pantry to collect food, money and overall raise awareness for those in need.Elected offices held: Park Commissioner, Ridgeville Park District, Evanston, Illinois, 1981-1984.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number 1 campaign issue is to attract businesses to Buffalo Grove. During the economic downturn, Buffalo Grove lost three car dealerships and over $1 million in annual sales tax revenue. We need to focus on bringing new car sales back to Buffalo Grove. The revenue generated will give our village the buffer necessary to continue to provide a high level of services to the residents of the Village without increasing taxes.As I proposed in 2009, the Village needs a proactive approach to attracting businesses and development to Buffalo Grove. We need to forge a partnership with the Buffalo Grove Chamber of Commerce to develop a separate web site, dedicated to attracting businesses. Additionally, a marketing campaign should be designed to educate prospective businesses that Buffalo Grove is a great place to live, work and play.Key Issue 2 My number 2 campaign issue is to take a closer look at the Weiland Road/Prairie Road improvement project. The Village of Buffalo Grove is cooperating with the Lake County Division of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform a Preliminary Engineering Study for Weiland Road/Prairie Road from Lake Cook Road to IL Route 22 in Lake County. Residents have recently come forward to voice objections to the project. There are questions as to the current validity of the traffic projections from several years ago. We need to take a closer look at those numbers to determine if the project to join Weiland Road to Prairie Road by bypassing Aptakisic Road is still necessary. Recent road improvements may have changed traffic patterns, making this project unnecessary. If the project goes forward, land will need to be acquired and a sound barrier will likely need to be constructed. The neighbors are concerned about how this will affect the quality of their lives and their property values. We need to take a closer look at this proposal.Key Issue 3 My number 3 campaign issue is to revise the current Fence Code. The current Fence Code permits for fences up to five feet in height without the need for a variance. While fencing is available in differing heights, the major home improvement stores stock fence sections in four foot and six foot heights. A five foot height is typically a special order. While I personally prefer a shorter fence, I have learned that I am in the minority. Our residents value their privacy, the privacy that is provided by a six foot fence. Residents of Buffalo Grove can currently appear before the Zoning Board of Appeals, of which I am a Commissioner, to request a variance to erect a six foot fence. They are required to demonstrate that unique circumstance or hardship requires them to have a six foot fence. This process can be very intimidating to many, sometimes requiring them to reveal medical history. Residents question why neighboring communities allow fences to be six feet or taller. If I am elected as a Trustee, I will work to change the Fence Code to permit six foot fences without a Variance.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am the best candidate for Village Trustee, Unexpired Two Year Term, for many reasons; I am an independent voice and bring dedication, service and experience to the Village of Buffalo Grove.It takes a special person to be a Village Trustee. Trustees are elected ""at large"" and not from districts or wards. A trustee needs to represent ALL of Buffalo Grove. I volunteer in both Cook and Lake Counties. I am dedicated to serving all residents in the community. I have been a Commissioner on the Zoning Board of Appeals for six years. I bring a unique perspective to the commission, which is evident by my independent voting record. I see shades of gray in a world that is not always black and white. A different view promotes debate. More importantly, when the discussion is concluded and the vote is taken, it is time to move on. As the Cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 36 in Buffalo Grove, I have made it a priority to provide excellent programs for not only the boys, but their families as well. We have developed programs for the entire family and have almost doubled the size of our Pack in just one year. In Scouting, we teach the importance of serving the community and I, along with our Leaders, instill that in our youth. During the past year we have taken on service projects to collect food for the food pantry, cleaned up Green Lake Park, helped make blankets for Project Linus and collected toiletries for a local woman's shelter. We still have fun, as demonstrated by our recent Pinewood Derby, Bowling Outings, Campouts and other activities. It is important to provide a balanced program. Although I am not a member of the Commission for Residents with Disabilities, I volunteer to help the commission in many ways. I participate in the Buddy Baseball game, have written a guest essay supporting the Commission and have secured grant money earmarked for use for the Buffalo Grove Days Monday ""Fun and Food"" for persons with disabilities.I have also helped the Vernon Township Food Pantry by raising donations of food and money in excess of $1,000 in value in 2009 and by seeing to it that 1,100 pounds of food that would have left our community in 2010, was permitted to be delivered to the Vernon Township Pantry instead. I am currently working on a project to provide the Pantry with additional funds in the future. As a special events volunteer for my local park district, I work to bring excellence to their annual egg hunt by donning a bunny suit and entertaining hundreds of children each year. If elected, my dedication and independence will be the focus of my term of office. My goal is to encourage even greater participation of volunteers in our community, making Buffalo Grove an even better place to live.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.There is a delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses. My opinion of Buffalo Grove's present level of local sales taxes is that the taxes are just about right. Buffalo Grove continues to provide a high level of service while keeping a close eye on expenses and waste. I am proud of our community and the top level rating that it has received from the rating services. Provided that there is continued growth in business and sales tax revenue, now that the economy appears to be improving, there is one sales tax that I would look at for a possible phase out, the 1% Restaurant Tax. I am hoping that this can soon be a thing of the past. When an appropriate time arises, I would also like to consider cancelling the taxes on utilities that were added last year.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.I have reviewed and discussed public safety concerns with residents in Buffalo Grove and find that the vast majority of residents, over 95%, feel safe in Buffalo Grove; they also feel that the Buffalo Grove Police Department does an excellent job. However, two areas of concern emerged:1. The enforcement of drunk driving laws and 2. Drug education and the investigation of local drug sales and drug dealers.The Buffalo Grove Police Department is stellar in its enforcement of drunk driving laws. Under the leadership of Chief Balinski, the Police Department has been recognized for being one of the best Police Departments in the State of Illinois and one of the best in the nation for taking drunk drivers off the road. As a Village Trustee, I would support our Police Department in continuing their education and enforcement efforts to keep drunk drivers off the road.Drug education, drug dealers and drug sales come under the jurisdiction of many governmental bodies and agencies: Buffalo Grove Police, Cook County Sheriff, Lake County Sheriff, Illinois State Police, The DEA, the FBI, MEG, the School Districts and Homeland Security, to name a few. We, as a village, must assist with and promote awareness of programs available to our residents and children. The first step to preventing abuse of illegal drugs is timely education of both children and parents. The schools have established drug awareness programs such as D.A.R.E. We can assist the schools with communication about the programs. We can use all avenues available to us, including: the Village E-News, Police Blotter and the Municipal Channel. It is important that parents are aware because drug use has changed over the years. Parents need to know what to look for, how to address the issues before they become a problem, how to address the problem once it arises. The drug of choice has changed over the years from marijuana to stronger substances such as heroine and ecstacy. Smelling your children#146;s clothing for the tell tale odor of marijuana doesn#146;t work with these potent drugs. Additionally, teens have begun a dangerous practice. They have been taking leftover prescription drugs from home and misusing them to get high. The danger of this practice needs to be brought to the attention of children and parents as well. Greater diligence in communicating when and where forums will be held can make sure that both parents and their children get the necessary education to fight the war on drugs. If elected Village Trustee, I pledge to work with the Village and the Police Department to support awareness and efforts to combat drug use. Our community deserves everyone#146;s support in the fight against drugs. 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?Economic times are tough, but the Village of Buffalo Grove has been very careful with budget planning, actually reducing the budget for 2011. I do not feel that the current budget needs to be trimmed further. In the event that the economy provides additional sales tax revenue, I would like to see those resources used to provide money for youth and senior services and to focus on business in the Village.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The idea that I have to better the community, that nobody is talking about, is to create a way to help promote current businesses in Buffalo Grove. We can use existing resources to promote and spotlight a different business each week, without adding significant cost to the Village. By creating an application process, each week a different business could be spotlighted in the Village E-News and on the Municipal local cable and U-Verse channels. The business owner could create the message to deliver to the public, including any specials that they can offer to those mentioning that they saw their business mentioned in the ""Buffalo Grove Spotlight on Business"". This will benefit all by offering deals to residents, increasing sales by the merchants and increasing sales tax revenue to the Village. This will encourage businesses to come to and stay in the Village of Buffalo Grove.