Braiman, Stone and Sussman in Buffalo Grove village board

Experience prevailed in the race for Buffalo Grove village board, but there was still some room for new blood.

Jeffrey Braiman, an 18-year trustee, was elected to another term.

"I have been doing this for a long time, so you hope that what you have done means something. I think the vote total is a validation not only of the work that I have done, but the work the entire board has done over the last 10 to 15 years," Braiman said.

Braiman will be joined on the board by two newcomers, Lisa Stone and Beverly Sussman, who take over seats vacated by Bruce Kahn and Brian Rubin.

Voters encountered an unusually cluttered ballot this year, with six candidates running for the three spots.

Sussman, a teacher and businesswoman who has served on the village's commission for residents with disabilities and the 50th anniversary committee, is a 37-year resident. "I'm going to bring my experience as a mother, a teacher and a businesswoman to the board. I just want to continue to make Buffalo Grove a great place to live and raise a family."

Stone, a self-described grass-roots activist and former District 96 PTO president, said, "I want to see a true engagement of the community," with citizens getting involved in think tank groups regarding such issues as employment and drug awareness. Stone had made addressing heroin addiction a central issue of her campaign.

The campaign generated charges between candidates over tactics being used. Joanne Johnson, who ran closely with Braiman became embroiled in controversy with Stone, particularly in the final days of the campaign.

"I'm proud to have been a candidate for village board," Johnson said. "I feel I ran an honorable and knowledgeable campaign, and I congratulate all the winners, especially Jeff Braiman and Beverly Sussman."

The other candidates were Andrew Stein, who has served on the village's zoning board of appeals, and Mike Terson, public relations and marketing manager for the Buffalo Grove Park District.

Stein is a new resident, coming from an area that was annexed five years ago. He was disappointed but gave credit to the other candidates, particularly Braiman, whom he called an excellent trustee.

"If I choose to run again, I will try to have a better system and try to emulate what they did, while still trying to run the type of campaign I did, keeping it to the issues," Stein said, adding he plans to continue doing his best on the ZBA.

Terson, an alumnus of Buffalo Grove High School, at 38 was the youngest candidate as well as the only one from the Cook County side of town.

"I had a lot of great conversations with a lot of people. I learned a lot, not only about the way people feel about Buffalo Grove and how things are run," he said. "I learned a lot about myself, and all in all, it was a great experience that I will take a lot of positives from."