Kevin Geary: 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: Sugar GroveWebsite: http://www.gearyforsugargrove.com/Office sought: Sugar Grove President (4-year Term)Age: 49Family: Married to wife Laurene for 20 years. One son Michael a Kaneland Graduate and US Marine Veteran.Occupation: Owner of Advanced Realty Consultants as Realtor and Property Manager.Education: College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL LAS Electronics Coursework Taken Waubonsee Community College Course work for Real Estate Sales Licensure 1999 Continuing Education Real Estate Broker Licensure 2005 Real Estate Managing Broker Licensure 2012Civic involvement: Sugar Grove Park District Assistant Baseball Coach 1996 to 1999. Sugar Grove Village Board Member1999 to Present. Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for over 8 years. Downtown/ Main Street Re-development Committee member. Sugar Grove Corn Boil Board of Directors Member for over 13 years. Sugar Grove Economic Development Corporation - Associate member Holiday in the Grove volunteerElected offices held: Sugar Grove Village Board Member 1999 to PresentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I am a firm believer in open and honest government. The preamble to the Constitution begins withWe the people? and, in my view, any governmental body must serve the people that it gains its power from and should always be accountable to. One giant step toward open and honest government would be the village funding video recording and online streaming of every board meeting so the tax payers can stay informed on the issues before the board. Secondly, moving the meeting start time to 7 pm so that our residents who commute can attend meetings and participate in our democratic process. The third is to bring exceptional customer service and best practices back to the village.Key Issue 2 Another priority for the next four years is to diversify the tax base for the residents. This can be accomplished through commercial and industrial development. These types of developments can account for a significant part of our property tax base and it doesn't negatively impact our schools or other governmental services. Additionally, if these businesses are a point of sale, sales tax dollars can be gained. This, in turn, would lessen the burden on the already over taxed homeowner without having to reduce village services or programs. We can encourage commercial growth sooner by better utilizing relationships with significant business leaders within the area. This would attract new businesses to our village that can build off of our robust transportation, utility and business friendly infrastructure, and geographic location which would ultimately fund a healthy tax base and offer relief to existing property owners. One possible destination retailer, due to the geographic location of Sugar Grove, would be a Bass Pro, Scheel?s, Cabela?s, or other outdoor sporting goods super store. This would generate a great deal of sales tax revenue directly and bring customers to town for other businesses.Key Issue 3 Transportation improvements are another important priority for our area. This is not only a life safety issue but a community development issue as well. With the abandonment of the Prairie Parkway project, Sugar Grove must seek as much funding as possible to aid in the improvement of our roadways that also support economic growth and ensure the safety of all who travel to and through our community. Our first class community and unique geographic location coupled with the world class events and attractions (i.e. Rich Harvest Farms) put Sugar Grove at a great advantage over our surrounding communities. There are several important projects that could benefit from Prairie Parkway funds such as the addition of a full interchange at I88 Rt. 47, road improvements to the portion of Rt. 47 that is also US30, and US30 West to Dugan Rd.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I care a great deal about Sugar Grove and my friends and neighbors throughout the community. This is why I find it easy to volunteer my time, whether as an assistant baseball coach, Corn Boil President, volunteer for Holiday in the Grove, or Veterans? Park Director. I believe the best way to lead a community is to get involved and the best way to really capture the needs of our community is to listen. Public officials need to work together as a team. There is noI? in Geary.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.First off, I believe it needs to be said that Sugar Grove is not a home rule community and cannot, on its own, raise taxes (sales or other) without going to referendum (asking the voters? permission). I approach the question from a different angle, which is how can Sugar Grove be successful in growing our commercial areas? This question has the ability affect the community in two specific ways. The first would be property taxes. Sugar Grove has many undeveloped commercial lots and land that are not reaching their full potential. When fully developed, each commercial lot building will pay their proportional share of property tax. The village's share of the tax bill is 6% of the total and by broadening the tax base with new commercial development, this will offer relief to the residential property owners. The second is sales tax. Having commercial businesses that charge sales tax in our community is good. As a byproduct of growing the above, you have job creation, which is also good. When the daytime population is increased, it also creates a demand for other businesses and services including restaurants, hotels, hair salons, car repair, etc. In many cases the money spent in Sugar Grove comes from outside of our community. Approximately one out of three purchases comes from an individual outside of our community.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 believe one of the most serious issues in our community today is the issue of Bullying. I know that the Kaneland schools have begun to address this issue, but I believe that each community has a responsibility to work at all levels to help educate and prevent bullying, including cyber bullying.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 believe that the village is due to for a review of the village salaries and compensation packages to make sure we are commensurate with surrounding communities and I believe we have an obligation to eliminate the anomalies. I would use resources such as openthebooks.com to compare our salaries and budgets to neighboring communities.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?A critical area that is underfunded by the village is emergency management. We must be prepared for both planned and unplanned scenarios such as special events like the Solheim Cup requiring traffic control services or a major disaster like a train derailment or tornado that would require relocating many residents to a safe zone. I believe the village could get grants from FEMA and other governmental agencies for CERT training (Community Emergency Response Teams), Citizens Police Academy, and other safety programs. In addition to the initial training, the village should fund annual joint disaster drills with local, state and federal resources.