Buffalo Grove trustee candidates tee off on Terson with mailer about golf course

A slate of three Buffalo Grove trustee candidates has sent a mailer warning residents that village president hopeful Mike Terson wants to redevelop Buffalo Grove Golf Course and the changes will cause flooding problems.

Terson said the ad misrepresents his position and contains information that is “completely untrue.”

The mailer sent by trustee candidates Rachel Hausman Masse, Tim Kobler and Lawrence Steingold said Terson “wants to build retail and high density housing on Buffalo Grove's vital flood prevention infrastructure,” referring to the golf course.

Containing the words “FLOODING ALERT!”, the mailer also referenced Terson's $5,000 contribution from Chuck Malk, the developer who had proposed the golf course development.

“I think the piece speaks for itself,” Kobler said, adding Terson made his position clear at a recent candidate forum. “It's an issue that may come before the board, and I think it is important that residents understand how we feel about it.”

Masse said Terson talked about developing the golf course property four years ago and has received a campaign contribution from a developer. “That's what their intention is, and I think it's a horrible idea,” she said.

A photo of the mailer was posted on social media by another trustee candidate.

Terson is challenging incumbent Village President Beverly Sussman on the April 2 ballot.

Terson said the idea any development on the golf course will make flooding worse is inaccurate. He pointed out the village did an engineering study at the time of the downtown proposal showing flood control could actually be improved with the project.

“I think it is unfortunate that people who are wanting to be leaders in the community are not only resorting to that kind of negative attack ad, but saying things that are completely untrue,” he said.

Terson said that given the community's economic development position, “We need to be able to have conversations about all of our options and look at all of our assets and how that will impact our community in the long term.”

Malk said his campaign contribution comes with no strings attached, and he has no development plans in Buffalo Grove.

“Terson's a good guy. I think he's really sincere. That's why I made a contribution,” Malk said. “But there is no quid pro quo or anything like that.”

Sussman said she saw the ad, had no hand in creating it, but agrees with its views on flooding and what it said about Terson.

“My opponent said that he will build on the Buffalo Grove Golf Course. He took money from Malk, who wants to build on the Buffalo Grove Golf Course. So, conjecture shows that that's probably what they are interested in doing.”

One of the trustee candidates Terson supports, Carolyn Pinta, expressed her outrage at the mailer on social media.

One of nine candidates running for three trustee seats, Pinta said this has been the first sour note in an otherwise positive campaign.

“This is just really unnecessary nastiness in a local election,” she said.