Bruce S Kaplan, 4 years: 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: CaryWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Cary Village board, 4-year termAge: 61Family: Married, 4 children, 4 grandchildrenOccupation: Commercial Real Estate BrokerEducation: Bachelor of Science (Communications), University of Illinois (1972)Master of Science (Finance), University of Illinois (1974)Civic involvement: Former Member- Cary Grove Jaycees (1976-1990)Former Director- Bright Oaks Homeowners AssociationFormer President-Cary-Grove Business AssociationFormer Coach-Cary Basketball AssociationFormer member-Cary Economic Development CommissionFormer member-School District 26 Referendum committee (1981)Present Ambassador-Cary Grove Chamber of CommerceMcHenry County Association of Realtors, President (1989)Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The Village of Cary has developed a reputation over the years for being unfriendly to small businesses. Cary competes with surrounding communities for new business start-ups. High permit fees, cumbersome and lengthy review processes, unreasonable signage restrictions, high utility taxes all work in concert to make Cary not as competitive as it could be. Vibrant small businesses are critical for Cary's economic health. These businesses hire local people (job creation), pay sales taxes and make life more convenient for residents. The current Board recently passed a token temporary politically expedient ordinance to waive certain fees for new business (2011 only). These fees need to be reviewed and perhaps eliminated permanently to signal the business community that Cary aggressively wants new businesses.Key Issue 2 Transparency- A complete set of Village ordinances needs to be online and easily searchable by the public. They should also be available for purchase at the front counter without filling out a Freedom of Information Request. Committee and Board meeting agendas and minutes need to be published on line in a timely manner. The practice of hiding behind the Freedom of Information Act to control, delay or stifle the flow of information to the public needs to stop.Key Issue 3 Better listening and decision-making. The Village administration claims to be ""pro-business"". Why did a former Mayor dissolve the Economic Devopment Commission instead of working with that committee to make it more effective? The Village used our taxpayer money to acquire speculative real estate on Rt. 14. Since when is it the purview of a municipality to gamble with taxpayer's money? Why not use that money to buy downtown real estate and develop more parking, something sorely needed for over 30 years? What about the TIF District? Why designate a TIF District if you don't already have a developer lined up to do the project? Now the TIF is more than half used up and is hardly a benefit to potential developers. And the citizens have a right to be treated with respect when they address the Village Board without being shut down by the Village Attorney. Listening to your constituents and actually HEARING them is something I will do, if elected, and applying my business experience to the decision-making process will hopefully impact the process resulting in better decisions.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?As a Realtor for 35 years (all of them as a Cary resident), it has been my distinct pleasure to sell the benefits of Cary to individuals, families, builders, developers and small business owners. The prevalent attitudes of this and previous Village Boards have increasingly made it more and more difficult to sell those benefits. I feel I can bring a business-minded perspective to the Village to help make it more attractive for businesses to locate here. All the vacant stores, offices and industrial spaces represent an opportunity cost to this Village and the Village needs to work better with the landlords and prospective tenants to make those vacant spaces productive again. I have personally brought many small businesses to Cary and can help accelerate that process with my knowledge and expertise IF the Village decides to be more congenial and cooperative.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.Sales tax revenue has become a critical budget line item for many Villages, Cary included. The current non-food sales tax rate is 7% and is less than neighboring Crystal Lake which has a 7.75% rate. In spite of this disparity, many Cary residents do their primary shopping in Crystal Lake and willingly pay the higher sales taxes. Although I am not a proponent of raising sales or any taxes, it is clear that the selection or choice of businesses in which to shop is more important than the tax rate. By the way, the Village only gets 1% of the 7%.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 keep hearing that the police officers are directed to do revenue generating ticket writing rather than patroling the neighborhoods. If true, I would be concerned for the safety of residents. Gang activity is occasionally brought up as a concern. So is multiple families living in single family dwellings. Encouraging better dialogue Crime Stoppers, Neighborhood watch groups and the police department would be a method of addressing public safety.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?I have not been able to find a true depictment of the current fiscal budget online (which is where anyone should be able to find it). I have observed firings of a number of Village employees, so I have a sense that the Board is working hard to operate with a balanced budget. I have noticed road paving projects curtailed so I can assume funds are not so plentiful. I do not believe in tying up taxpayers' money in non-productive Village owned real estate assets. I plan to attend the annual budget meeting on Feb. 5 to better acquaint myself with the budget.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?The process of reviewing building plans has been repeatedly criticized by anyone who has built a new project in Cary. A builder submits a set of architectural and engineering plans and the Village Engineer (an outside consultant chosen by the Village whose fees are paid by the person building the project)spends a month or so and returns a list of required changes to the original set of plans. The builder makes those changes and re-submits the revised plans. Another month or so passes and the Village Engineer comes up with ANOTHER list required changes. This process is repeated. Someone needs to put a stop to this costly, time consuming, unfair and irritating process by better controlling the Village Engineer (Baxter and Woodman out of Crystal Lake) who have made building in the Village a pain in the rear. The Village Trustees have to treat this like their own money is on the line. More than one builder has told me they would never attempt to build in Cary again because of their bad experience. The residents should be concerned about this.