George E. Duberstein: 2025 candidate for Hainesville village board

Bio

Office Sought: Hainesville village board

City: Hainesville

Age: 85

Occupation: Retired officer in U.S. Army

Previous offices held: Hainesville village trustee since 2015

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it?

Construction of an additional water well is imperative to insure redundancy and availability of water for our residents. The village board has already approved this project to start in the coming fiscal year. Fiscal concerns are to be addressed subsequently.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

Community finances are exceptional; we are debt free. Top priorities for spending include an additional water well, the paving of the public works parking lot and annual street paving.

Other areas of concern are the maintenance of the woodlands and wetlands and further elimination of invasive species. Since we use a zero-based budgeting system, the entire budget is scrubbed each year to ensure only valid expenses are approved.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

As mentioned earlier, construction of the additional water well is the most important infrastructure project to be addressed by the village in the near term. Since we are currently debt-free, we have the flexibility of using a combination of village monies and affordable loans.

At present, there are no major projects that need to be curtailed. We decide during annual budget deliberations if there are any projects that must be curtailed or eliminated.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

Since being elected to the board in 2015, I've been successful in interacting with other board members to reach successful policy outcomes.

I listen to others with an open mind; I don't prejudge; I ask open-ended questions and take a common sense approach to issues. I am not ideological in my approach, especially since board member are of various political viewpoints.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My entire life has been one of service, and I care about this village. I've brought to the board expertise, experience and lessons learned as a 27-year officer in the U.S. Army, as a world traveler with exposure to various cultures, as a successful business owner, and as a volunteer and elected official in a variety of community organizations through the U.S. and Europe.

In addition to my required legislative duties as a current village board member, I developed and manage the annual Civil War Event, the document shredding and recycle event, and the compost giveaway event to name a few.

I've saved the village thousands of dollars that would have otherwise gone to outside contractors by co-writing a five-year plan for the restoration of Cranberry Lake and updated the village Emergency Operations Plan. I've represented the village as a board member of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County as well as other activities in the county. I would like the opportunity to continue to serve the village.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

Finding ways to obtain a sit-down restaurant or a small motel to come to town.