Craig M. Takaoka: 2025 candidate for Vernon Hills village board

Bio

Office sought: Vernon Hills village board (Vote for 3)

City: Vernon Hills

Age: 57

Occupation: Medical sales

Previous offices held: Vernon Hills Village Trustee since 2017

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

Managing the growth of our community both from a residential and commercial perspective. The village staff in place is phenomenal and relatively new.

Our police department led by Chief Patrick Kreis has great leadership as well maintaining a very safe environment during this growth period.

I am confident they will continue what has been established over the previous years of Vernon Hills' tremendous growth. The village board is very fortunate to work with such a tremendous group of people at the village led by Kevin Timony and Jon Petrillo.

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?

We are very fortunate to have such a strong sales tax base, along with a very fiscally responsible Village staff that will allow Vernon Hills to continue to prosper.

We are continuing to grow residentially and commercially in a responsible way, which will allow us to avoid a municipal property tax that other communities have. We will continue to allocate funds and resources for the betterment of the community.

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?

We continue to improve our infrastructure on a continuous basis without any major financial hurdles due to our strong financial position. Again, this is due to the continued growth in our community.

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.

I have had the pleasure the past eight years to work with a strong village staff that makes our decision making process seamless.

I believe my experience as both a business owner and private sector allows me to bring insight to the staff and board with all of the growth that has been occurring the past eight years.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My eight years experience as a village trustee working with previous and current staff, along with my business background in the private sector and as a business owner.

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

I would like to hold town hall meetings where more input from the community on what the village should focus on is something I would like to implement.