Adam Moodhe: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: BUFFALO GROVEWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Buffalo Grove Village Board Age: 53Family: Married to Mary Moodhe, with 2 Boys (9) and (5). Mary and I both grew up in Buffalo Grove, and chose to raise our family here because of our great schools, parks and community.Occupation: Sales Director, Decors USA, a Led Lighting Company for the Hospitality IndustryEducation: Adlai Stevenson HS. Community College of the Air Force. University of Illinois at ChicagoCivic involvement: Buffalo Grove Days 1985-1989, Cable Television Committee, Blue Ribbon Committee on Senior Citizen and Youth Concerns, Buffalo Grove Days, Audio/Visual Co-Chair 2001-Present, Emergency Management Agency Member 2004-Present. Cubmaster Longfellow Pack 381 2014-Present.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have been volunteering in the Village for many years and have been actively involved with many of the issues facing Buffalo Grove. My understanding of the Village, its people and strengths makes me a candidate that can start to work right away.Should the Buffalo Grove golf course and municipal campus ever be re-developed? Now that the downtown proposal is dead, tell us what is your vision for that property going forward.I would like to see the property stay as open space. If it was really needed for new municipal facilities I would only want to use 20 or 25 acres for that use with the rest being open. Any type of project that could even be considered for this property needs to take into account the impact building would have on both up and down stream areas. This includes other Villages downstream from us. The property was designed to help with flood mitigation in the Village, as well as active green space. The Village has already spent a considerable amount of money on increasing the drain water sewer capacity and flow. We don't want to see that project made obsolete so quickly. It may just be that the water mitigation costs for the golf course property are just to great a hurdle for any development.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The Village has done a good job of keeping expenses and costs down. There will always be areas that can be looked at for trimming, but we need to be careful.I do not want to see us trim so much that we start to impact the core services that we provide residents. Especially our Public Safety departments. The employees of the Village are mindful of their responsibility to the residents and given the proper environment can assist in finding areas that can become more efficient.According to the village engineer, Buffalo Grove faces enormous street reconstruction costs due to faulty road materials used in the 1970s and 1980s. How important is this for the village, where should Buffalo Grove find the money and how urgent is it to fix the roads?This is a project that will need to be addressed over the next 5 years, but it is not a "sky is falling" issue. Many of our roads were built around the same time and that means the replacement times are concurrent. The materials issue means that instead of being able to recycle the base material, new material may need to be brought in. This is what is the main factor in the higher costs. As residents we want decent roads, that also means we as residents have to pay for those roads. Our best plan will be to identify the roads that will need complete replacement and those that can use recycled material and prioritize the repair of those roads. By starting that process now we can put money in reserve to minimize any bond debt we might have to incur. The fact that the Village has, comparably, low debt helps make projects like this less impactful on taxpayers. There may be some cost to homeowners, but as a Trustee it is our responsibility to minimize that cost.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I have been asking for a comprehensive Economic Development plan for years. The Village has just now decided to start that process. I would like to see a permit fee reduction program for business remodeling. Upgrading the exteriors will help to attract new business and provide a fresh environment for existing businesses to reach new customers. Part of the Economic Plan should be to get a more consistent look of the businesses in our various retail corridors. This can help give a unique look and feel to Buffalo Grove. The plan needs to prioritize the existing corridors to maximize the revenues generated in the quickest time possible. Projects that require a whole new plan and building will not generate needed revenues for 5 to 7 years. We have viable areas that just need updating that can be (greater) revenue generating in less than a year.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?We need to assure that our Village departments maintain the excellent services they provide. And maintain the levels of accreditation they have received. If the Fire Department is not a ISO 2, or the Police Department is not CALEA accredited, that raises our homeowner insurance rates. Which amounts to a stealth tax. We need to care properly for our open space. That helps us control flood problems and keep the flood insurance rates down for those in the flood zones.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis. His sense of humanity is very uplifting.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Responsibility.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'll keep the things I've done and learned from. A do over might mean I don't meet a person that becomes a friend.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History was my favorite. Those that cannot learn from History, are doomed to repeat it.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Never stop learning and never stop loving. Knowledge gives you strength and love gives you purpose and balance.