Robert (Bob) Cerretti: 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: GrayslakeWebsite: http://vte2013.comOffice sought: Round Lake Park Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 71Family: Married, three children, five grandchildren, two great grandchildrenOccupation: RetiredEducation: Eight years grade school, four years high schoolCivic involvement: Commissioner on the Round Lake Management Commission, on the Board of Directors of SWALCO, on a senior bowling league at Lakes Bowl, on a bocce ball league in Saddlebrook Farms, a greeter, usher, and on the Session board at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Round Lake.Elected offices held: Trustee for the Village of Round Lake Park from 2009 till the present time. Trustee and Elder for Calvary Presbyterian Church in Round Lake. President of the Italian American Club of Western Lake County.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Balance the budget and keep it that way.Key Issue 2 Have more businesses come into our village to help take the tax burden off our residents. One way of doing this is to finish main street.Key Issue 3 To keep our police department intact and to have an open door policy for all our residents.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My four years in this position, my involvement on committees within the village board, such as, environmental committee, finance committee and public works committee. I have been involved with village contracts such as refuse and recycling, life guard service and mosquito spraying. Being a senior, I know their needs, and listen very carefully to what they have to say to me. I am retired so this gives me a lot of time to devote myself to the village, various committees, and the residents. I will be a full time trustee not a part time trustee.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 think that the villages portion of what we get from the state is too low. We are not a home rule village, so we can't lower or raise the sales tax, only the state does that.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 concern they have right now are the influx of gangs. It is being addressed by our police department with the help from other organizations within the county. Round Lake Park has the best police department in the county.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 don't know where the budget could be trimmed any more. We are still looking very hard for ways to trim and with a little more time we may find some more ways to do that. I hope so. The budget at the present time does not give enough money to the police pension or raises for our employees.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?To tell you the truth, I do not have a good idea to better the community that no one is talking about. I am putting my efforts in solving the problems that the community already has. Doing that will make the community a better place to live.