Kevin Rehberg: Candidate Profile

Back to Carpentersville Village Board

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: CarpentersvilleWebsite: https://trusteerehberg.com/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kevin-Rehberg-Carpentersville-Trustee-505153469527769/Office sought: Carpentersville Village Board Age: 42Family: My wife Regina and I have two daughters: Hailey (5) and Quinn (8 months).Occupation: Commercial Development for an data auditing firmEducation: I am a proud product of the District 300 school system (Parkview Elementary, CMS, Dundee-Crown HS), Elgin Community College and Northern Illinois University, where I obtained a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.Civic involvement: GlenEagle Farms Homeowners Association, Feed My Starving Children, Chairman of the Audit Finance committee - Village of CarpentersvilleElected offices held: Carpentersville Village Trustee - (October 2012 to present)Questions Answers Many municipalities are met with the challenge of maintaining steady revenue streams while trying to lower the tax burden on businesses and property owners. How has the village handled that balancing act so far, and how would you improve/maintain that situation?The Village recently had significant economic growth with the opening of a much-anticipated big box store in an underserved area of town. This resulted in an increase in sales tax revenue. The infusion could have been applied to the Village budget in a number of different ways. As chairman of Carpentersville's Audit Finance Committee, I strongly recommended applying the new revenue towards prioritizing property tax relief instead of increasing spending. We approved a budget that reduced the portions of the property tax levy that the village board has the most control over. Unfortunately, even accounting for those tax reductions, unfunded-mandate pension increases (67% over just the last 5 years) obliterated the savings to residents. For perspective, non-pension related levy increases have averaged 1% a year over the same period.The best way to enact further property tax relief is to continue to grow the sales tax base. This is always easier said than done, which is why you will see the theme repeated by every candidate "â#128;œ although rarely if ever accompanied by an actual action plan. To that end, the Village recently hired a retail recruitment firm. I will detail what they plan to do in my next answer. Beyond any assistance they can provide, we need to focus our efforts on a revitalized east side and the Randall Rd. corridor.How would you suggest Carpentersville carry out its long-term goal of finding occupants for vacant buildings and properties throughout the village? What, if anything, is currently lacking in the village's business and economic portfolio?The most sought-after retailers (Chick-fil-A, Whole Foods, etc.) simply don't respond to cold-calling by municipalities. They have their own process of identifying new locations that are primarily driven by demographic metrics. Carpentersville has unique challenges when presenting demographic data, as we lag surrounding communities in key metrics such as household income and education. Also with one vacant property in particular, we are a victim of our own success. The Woodmans on Randall Rd. is so successful that no other grocery stores want to set up shop in the vacant Dominick's storefront right across the street. The key there is identifying establishments that don't directly compete with Woodmans. With the engagement of a retail recruiting firm, residents will finally have the capability to go beyond the misleading topline demographics and put our best foot forward. This firm will put together deeper-dive marketing materials that present a more accurate snapshot of the blue chip communities throughout Carpentersville. They also have demonstrated sustained success at getting this material in front of decision makers.Beyond retail establishments, Carpentersville has a healthy industrial and manufacturing base compared to surrounding communities. The potential is there to showcase these established businesses as models for other companies that may be weighing a move.Where in the village's budget, if anywhere, could expenses be trimmed? And on the other hand, should the budget allot more money toward any particular area, service or village department?I don't believe in sacred cow budgeting. Expenses need to be controlled and lowered whenever possible, regardless of previous funding levels. Our sky high property taxes are driving successful families out of the state in record numbers, so the stakes have never been higher. The village took some steps towards consolidating duplicative services with surrounding communities, but the amount of state-induced red tape caused pause. I would like to see consolidation efforts ramp back up again, this time utilizing innovative intergovernmental agreements to circumvent the red tape. Our neighboring municipalities are facing the same, if not worse, cost pressures that Carpentersville is, so the will is there. Carpentersville is also an excellent source of ground water. It is free of Chromium-6 (the chemical featured in the movie Erin Brockovich) while surrounding communities such as Elgin and Sleepy Hollow test well above California's public health goal for it. Perhaps there is some revenue to be had by providing a safer, superior product to the surrounding communities which continue to complain about the smell, color and taste of their own water supply. The Village board successfully entered into a partnership with Lake Marion residents to do exactly this, which has resulted in a win for everyone and most importantly, a healthier community.What are your biggest concerns regarding public safety, and how could those be addressed?My single biggest concern regarding public safety is cost. The expense increases attributed to public safety are outpacing our residents' abilities to pay for them. Then add in pension costs that have nearly doubled in just ten years and we have an unsustainable situation driven in large part by unfunded mandates pressed upon local governments by the state. Given how our hands are tied in dealing with the biggest part of the problem, we have to look to other areas. Equipment such as squad cars should have their lives extended beyond what they normally would be. Overtime should be reduced as much as possible. Lowering service levels below an acceptable amount isn't an option so everything short of that is on the table at this point.What can the village do to improve its relationship with union employees, particularly those in the fire department, and is there room for improvement? Please explain.When it comes to the state of Illinois, one of the most important tasks asked of elected officials is to sit on the opposite side of the bargaining table from public unions. This check and balance is necessary to drive the most value for the lowest cost to taxpayers. In this equation, the board acts as stewards of taxpayer resources while public union representatives act on behalf of their membership. It is said that the sign of a successful negotiation is when both parties are dissatisfied. A good negotiating team keeps every available option on the table to drive concessions in other areas. It is also important to note that our state legislators (while accepting huge campaign contributions from public unions) have restricted local government's ability to negotiate with public unions. This puts taxpayers at an enormous disadvantage even before opening offers can commence. So the simple answer to the question of "Ëœhow to make our public unions happy' is to fail in our responsibility to taxpayers and accept one-sided contracts with little to no effort in finding new and innovative ways to save money. So maybe the question here should be "Are you comfortable driving a hard bargain for taxpayers?", because making public unions happy is easy. That said, there is always room for improvement. Increased communication almost always helps to diffuse issues and improve these professional relationships.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are many other issues that are important to Carpentersville so I will have to be brief given the limit of 250 words or less.Downtown traffic: There are several options to remedy this traffic at the moment, including a potential roundabout. The community needs to see engineering data that realistically evaluates all of the alternatives "â#128;œ including the far less expensive options of altered signage or signaling, before making any decisions. Longmeadow Parkway: I am opposed to toll-based funding for this project. See my 2013 candidate questionnaire for more details as my position has not changed. I have met on multiple occasion with county board representatives to voice my concerns. Human Trafficking: This is something of an unspoken epidemic in the Chicago suburbs. Illegitimate "Ëœmassage parlors' open and immediately devalue surrounding commercial real estate. The far greater concern is that the women providing this service are not doing it through their own free will. They are modern day slaves. The owners of these establishments withhold their paperwork and subject them to emotional and physical abuse, making it impossible for them to leave. At my urging, the village board has taken big steps in stopping this, but more needs to be done. We also need to share our wins here with surrounding communities so they can implement similar changes to their municipal code. Community Image: Carpentersville's image does not match the fact that this is a wonderful place to raise a family. That needs to change.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I draw the most inspiration from my family. Setting a good example for them is the best kind of inspiration.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Complaining gets you nowhere. If you don't like something, work to change it into something you do like.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would definitely use the do-over to spend more time with my dad.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?U.S. History. Understanding just how unique this experiment in freedom really is makes me love and appreciate elected office that much more.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?You can achieve anything with the right combination of hard work and perseverance.