Mike Terson: 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: Buffalo GroveWebsite: miketerson.comOffice sought: Buffalo Grove Village Board Age: 44Family: Wife - Nicole Son - JackOccupation: Public Relations and Marketing Manager for the Buffalo Grove Park DistrictEducation: BA - Northern Illinois University AA - William Rainey Harper College - 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Diploma - Buffalo Grove High SchoolCivic involvement: Executive Board Member - Link Together Coalition Board Member - Lake County Youth Empowerment for Success (YES) Coalition Member of the Buffalo Grove 50th Anniversary Committee Longfellow School Parent VolunteerElected offices held: Trustee - Village of Buffalo GroveQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?In addition to the four years of experience I have on the Village Board, I have also dedicated my professional life to the Buffalo Grove community, having served as the public relations and marketing manager for the Buffalo Grove Park District for the past ten and a half years. I am dialed into the goings on in the community every day; and, I am the most accessible person of all the candidates. Most importantly though, I am a forward thinker who makes logical decisions and am always looking for ways to make Buffalo Grove the best community it can possibly be.Should the Buffalo Grove golf course and municipal campus ever be re-developed? Now that the downtown proposal is dead, tell us what is your vision for that property going forward.While the CRM Properties project didn't come to fruition, there are a lot of variables that are still relevant. We still own the golf course property, which runs in a deficit of approximately $150,000 a year; and, the course is need of capital improvements of over $1 million. Another significant variable is that we don't have a central business district/downtown; and, Lake-Cook Road is by far our busiest thoroughfare, making it an ideal corridor for a downtown. I think we'd be doing the community a disservice if we didn't at least continue to explore the possibility of developing the golf course and municipal campus into a downtown. So far we've scratched the surface, seeing only one developer's idea. But, that does not mean that another concept won't ever be presented. I realize that it is not a popular position with some; however, I honestly feel that we as a community cannot be afraid of change, and should consider and explore this kind of progress.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?While cutting spending is always a popular direction to go with taxpayers, including myself, the fact of the matter is that we have cut and cut and cut the Village's budget year after year. It is at the point where the only thing left to cut are services that we as residents expect. Our issues are not spending issues; what we have are revenue generating issues. Our financial issues can only be solved through economic development and shifting much of the tax burden from residential property taxes to sales tax.According to the village engineer, Buffalo Grove faces enormous street reconstruction costs due to faulty road materials used in the 1970s and 1980s. How important is this for the village, where should Buffalo Grove find the money and how urgent is it to fix the roads?This is definitely an important issue that we cannot ignore. We are still figuring out many of the details; but, the early projections that we are hearing indicate that this problem alone will cost the Village upwards of over $50 million over the next two decades. The Board and staff will need to work together to figure out how we are going to finance a project of that magnitude, as well as what we can do to try to generate revenue to lighten the burden on the taxpayers.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Buffalo Grove is a community filled with talented people who love and support the arts. We have been very successful with events like the Farmers Market, the Arts Festival and Buffalo Grove Days. I'd love to see us implement an annual music festival. Willow Stream Park is currently being renovated; and, as part of that project, a new music pavilion is being built. The community has hosted other large scale events at that location. I think that a music festival would be well received by our residents, while also supporting our local businesses and bringing in revenue for the community.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Since 2011, I have been a member of the Link Together Coalition, which is a group that works to reduce youth drug and alcohol use; and, I now serve on their executive board. I am also a board member of the Lake County YES (Youth Empowerment for Success) Coalition, a group I joined in 2012 that also works to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth, as well addressing issues of bullying. As the dad of an almost middle school age child and the husband of a local second grade teacher, keeping the children of our community safe is of the utmost importance to me. These issues never go away; and, I will always work hard to make sure that we as a community are providing our youth and their parents with resources to stay healthy and safe.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala YousafzaiWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be nice to people and treat them with respect.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time with my friends and family members who are no longer living.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was speech. It helped me to be more confident, and to be able to communicate effectively with any size group of people.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?You will spend a lot of your life working; choose something you truly enjoy, and find people you enjoy being around to do it with.