Kevin Burt: 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: Fox LakeWebsite: http://focusedonfoxlake.comOffice sought: Fox Lake Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 50Family: Married, 3 children, 2 grandchildrenOccupation: Business OwnerEducation: Gavin '77 Grant '81 Monmouth '84 Keller Graduate School of Management '97Civic involvement: Dockers Duffers, Shop with a Cop, Fox Lake Cares, Adopt a FamilyElected offices held: Village of Fox Lake Trustee 2009-2013Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 First and foremost on my agenda is the continued pursuit and acquisition of a hotel/restaurant development for the Lakefront park area, as it is extremely important for us to create some new development and revenue streams for the Village. New revenue and new jobs will help lift some of the burden of funding essential services from the residents. We?ve met with many developers, investors and consultants, and the unanimous consensus is that the Lakefront Park area is the best place to begin our redevelopment of Fox Lake. This was also recognized in our recently completed Comprehensive Plan, which was passed unanimously by our Village Board. It is of the utmost importance that this first new venture be successful if we are to bring more and different investments to town.Key Issue 2 Second on my agenda is to build upon the Hotel development and revitalize our downtown area with complimentary developments for our existing businesses. Our Comprehensive Plan identifies a mix of commercial, residential and retail development that will help our current business owners bring in new customers, and hopefully create adestination? of our downtown. The general thinking is; with a Hotel, the train, Rt 12 and the water, it would be a natural progression to move down Nippersink to Grand, then spread East and West from there. But again, the importance lies in doing our best to bring in complimentary businesses so they help each other expand. The old adage,any business is better than no business? could not be further from the truth. A business that opens and fails does more harm to the Village's perceived viability than a vacant storefront.Key Issue 3 Third, and no less important is the utilization of the Road Study completed by HR Green. This study is a very comprehensive look at our street infrastructure, and the needs going forward. We must find a way to implement the suggested maintenance schedule, and get our roads back to acceptable condition. The challenge, of course, is how to fund this. I think it is one of our biggest challenges going forward. I also think it is our responsibility to find new and innovative ways to fund it WITHOUT going to the property owners. It's why "Trustees get paid the big bucks". There are some potential revenue streams which can be earmarked for roads, and new development and commerce would be an obvious step in the right direction, which is why that is objective #1 and #2.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have been involved with Village of Fox Lake at a government level for the last 7 years, beginning with the 911 board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and currently the Village Board. I have over 20 years of business management experience, covering, finance, personnel, and planning. I have been instrumental in the creating nd implementing of annual budgets as large as $75 million. I am focused on the future of Fox Lake, and feel I have had a very positive affect over the last 4 years.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.Fox Lake does not have a local sales tax, however, I feel the overall tax level attributable to the Village is the lowest it can be while still being able to sustain essential services. Having said that, I always look for ways to responsibly lower the burden on residents. This is the reason why new development is so important to our future. This new revenue can replace other streams to reduce or remove the utility tax, vehicle sticker program and the Village's portion of property taxes. But any lowering or removal of existing revenue for the Village MUST be done responsibly. Removing existing sources without corresponding cuts in services or a replacement will land our Village right back in the financial quagmire we just pulled ourselves out of.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.Gangs and drugs infiltrating our Village seems to be the biggest concerns of residents. We see more prevalent signs of this activity daily. We have, however, taken several positive steps to help eradicate the issues. Our Police Dept. has been instrumental in developing and implementing new programs that combat these problems. They have developed a gang task force officer whose main objective is to learn about the gangs and use this knowledge to effectively fight them. They have also implemented the "Crime Free" initiative to help property owners evict problem tenants. They have also reinstated the School Officer Program, which has an on duty Officer located in the High School. This allows him to establish rapport with teenagers, and allows them to get to know the officer. They learn to understand the police are not the enemy, and could very well be the answer they are looking for. While these steps have helped reduce the problem, we will stay vigilant to make sure we continue to progress.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?We have done an excellent job of maintaining a "fat-free" budget. Three years ago, we eliminated any areas that were not essential to operation. This was done in order to re-establish a working reserve fund for our daily operation. Since that time we have maintained a lean budget that allows us to offer the needed services to the residents without having to raise taxes absorbingly. We have some areas which will be requiring additional funding in the near future, and we look to new and innovative ways to create revenue. Not to beat a dead horse, but this is why "Strong and successful development is essential".What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?With all the talk of water shortages, and aquifers running low, and Lake Michigan water being brought to Fox Lake, we need to be thinking of water reclamation, rather than finding new sources of water. We discharge 9 million gallons of water per day into the Chain o Lakes, which then gets used by several communities south of the dam. This water is essentially cleaner than the water in the Chain. Why not treat this water to drinking standards, use it for our residents AND sell it to neighboring communities who are in need of new water sources. Instead of the Village spending untold millions for Lake Michigan water, we could be producing a new revenue stream and secure our future needs for water, without relinquishing control.