David Oppenheim: 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: Vernon HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voteforafreshstartvernonhills/#Office sought: Vernon Hills Village Board Age: 48Family: Wife Karen works in Human Resources at Accenture. Daughter Hannah,15, is a sophomore at Vernon Hills High School and daughter Maya,13, is an eighth grade student at Hawthorn Middle School South..Occupation: PediatricianEducation: 1990-- Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) Phi Beta Kappa1994-- Doctor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine1997-- Pediatrics Residency--IU School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for ChildrenCivic involvement: Created the community group Build Something SpecialElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?A person given the trust to help lead a community should have certain qualities including a good work ethic, sharp financial acumen, good communication skills and a strong sense of altruism.I believe that I possess these qualities and would make a excellent trustee for Vernon Hills.As a practicing pediatrician I have the opportunity to benefit the lives of my patients on a regular basis. In addition, I have served on several professional boards and committees including serving as chairman of pediatrics at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for five years. Most recently I organized a community group to oppose a decision made by the village board to allow a very large retail facility in front of our community which was a violation of covenants on that property. I did this primarily to protect other families who would most be affected. This effort took a great deal of research, an understanding of village ordinances, and significant organizational and communication skills. I hope to continue to help my fellow community members as an elected trustee of Vernon Hills.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The village is in a very strong financial position with cash reserves of over 125% of annual expenditures and a AAA Standard and Poor's bond rating. The village currently assesses a 0.25% Home Rule Tax which is lower than many of the surrounding communities.While the village does not levy a property tax, residential property taxes overall are extremely high. This causes many in the community to move out of their homes once their children have completed their education. This is a sad situation and one that I hope can be addressed. The village needs to keep this in consideration as new residential units are created. Impact fees must be commensurate with the actual stress that new development puts on a school system.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?Our police and fire heroes protect and defend our community admirably. The internationally accredited Countryside Fire Protection District (our village's primary fire service provider) covers 24 square miles and serves over 36,000 residents with responsibility for 5 villages and parts of unincorporated Lake County. The department responds to over 4000 dispatched calls annually, approximately 70% percent are for Vernon Hills. Over 95% of the department's calls are handled within 8 minutes. Vernon Hills is fortunate to have Station 2 of the department near the village's geographic center thus providing for a much lower response time for each call than in distal communities.The Vernon Hills community can be equally proud of its extremely safe character from a crime standpoint. Although the village ranks much higher than many communities for total crime, the violent crimes are almost non-existent. Given the dense retail nature of the community it is expected that the theft rate would exceed that of its neighbors. Our police department has an officer to resident rate significantly lower than the state average (1.59/1000 vs 2.23/1000 in 2013). Having dealt with both the fire and police departments on a personal level I can attest to their efficiency and professionalism. I have no doubt that going forward this will continue. Although I don't have any specific concerns and recommendations for modification I look forward to working with both departments in the coming years.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I look forward to providing a comprehensive fresh look at the budget and making recommendations as needed.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Create a networked community watch camera system to discourage burglaries and assist in resolution of crimes.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe that there should be term limits on elected officials in municipal positions. Lack of change produces apathy and discontent.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Justin Trudeau, I very much appreciate his efforts to promote diversity and tolerance.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always try to do your best and you will have no regrets.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have no regrets but perhaps I would have traveled more with my family.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Advanced Biology class in high school was taught by an engaging and dynamic teacher and helped solidify my interest in pursuing a career in medicine.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be kind