Jeremy Lohman: 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: AntiochWebsite: www.facebook.com/Lohman4TrusteeTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lohman4TrusteeOffice sought: Antioch Village Board Age: 39Family: Wife - LynnDaughter - Sara (4 years old)Occupation: InvestmentsEducation: Bachelor of Arts degree - Carthage College; majors - Business Administration, Marketing, HistoryCivic involvement: Volunteer - Antioch Traveling ClosetElected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I've been attending meetings as a citizen for nearly three years now, and what I've seen is a board that is out of touch and is a "rubber stamp" on the vast majority of items, many of which have hurt the average citizen. I believe that some new blood and a fresh perspective are needed.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.Our citizens are struggling to make ends meet. They are underwater on their homes, and the property taxes (between all the taxing entities) are at a tipping point. This is causing many citizens to make the tough decision to leave Antioch. I believe that property taxes levels are too high. Citizens in Antioch have gone years at a time without a cost of living raise, and yet the property tax bill is going up and up each year without fail.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 departments are doing a good job in our community. I think that both departments are taking steps to be prepared for the years ahead. My concern with public safety is coverage during an accident, and mainly coverage for the rest of the village during that time. There have been incidents that have had multiple vehicles responding, and I wonder how much coverage is left for the rest of the village.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The budget for Antioch needs to be streamlined, so that it is easier to see all line items, and understand all costs and all departments. Back in 2015, the administration was threatening to make cuts should the EMS referendum fail. What that tells me is there are probably some items in the budget that could be trimmed so that the continuous cycle of property tax increases can stop.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Something that no one is talking about locally is term limits. Boards need to have fresh perspectives and fresh ideas, so I'm in favor of term limits for local officials. I think the last thing that we need are people becoming lifetime members of elected boards.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Property taxes are absolutely brutal, and the constant rise in taxes is starting to push families out of the area. For Antioch, we are so close to the Wisconsin border that when the taxes become too much, it's easy to look a few minutes north where you can get a similar house for a similar amount, but taxes are substantially lower than Antioch. I think the state needs to look into implementing a flat property tax rate, and if the state is not willing to, it should be looked into on the county level. A flat tax rate based on the purchase price of your house that would only change when doing major improvements/renovations, or when selling. This will better allow for homeowners to properly budget and not have to fork over an additional 2-3% each year, when household income is staying flat or barely increasing.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner; he is trying to run Illinois like a business, which is sorely needed with the financial state we are in.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Never take anything for granted, because you never know when something might be gone.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Traveling the world with my family, seeing some of the wonders of the world and going to each continent.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Financial Analysis - gave me an understanding how to get a business started and the process that business owners look at when starting a company.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?To follow your dreams; and that you can do anything that you put your mind to.