Thom Koch Jr.: 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: Vernon HillsWebsite: None yetTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Thom Koch @ FacebookOffice sought: Vernon Hills Village Board Age: 67Family: My wife Jan KochTwo step-daughters Lorna (Jim) Wolter and Kim (Kirk) Jones4 Grandchildren Ryan and Owen JonesMegan and Sarah Wolter.Also 2 sisters Patti Volpert and Mary BerryOccupation: Teacher at Hawthorn Middle School SouthEducation: AA from CLCDid most of my under grad at NIUBA from Barat CollegeMA from Northeastern IllinoisCivic involvement: Member of the Kirk Players of Mundelein for many yearsServed on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Vernon HillsMember of the Vernon Hills Village Board 1993 to present.A member of State Rep. Carol Sente's Teacher Advisory Group.Elected offices held: Village Board Vernon HillsQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My experience. I have been on the board for almost 24 years so I have a strong background in our communities history. I am also continuously learning and looking forward. Also my dedication and commitment to the community. I have been teaching at Hawthorn Middle South for 30 years and have coached at both the middle school and the High school.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The local sales tax is at a good level. We are competitive with our neighbors. Our 7.25% is lower than Mundelein's 8% and only .25 above Libertyville. The extra .25 that was added under home rule is what allowed us to help with the renovation of the Hawthorn Mall which was something we needed.Our property tax may be a bit high but that is because we have great schools. The Village Board has worked hard to help both the school districts and the Park District to keep their rates as low as possible through our helping them get land and the purchase of facilities such as the former YMCA which is now the Lakeview Fitness center. We have also attempted to help the Fire Dept. in the same way. The Village property tax is 0. We have continued to watch our budget in effort to keep it that way.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?We are very fortunate to live in a community that is protected by a police department and a fire department that are both certified and highly regarded. Both departments are second to none. I believe they in a strong position to keep us safe in the future. Our outstanding Chief of Police is retiring this year and it will be important that we hire another great leader for our department.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Our budget is fairly tight. When the crash of 07/08 happened we were forced to cut several million dollars and some staff. Ever since then we have attempted to stay as lean as possible. Our road rehab projects could be stretched if we needed to cut any funding. I am a bit worried about our bond indebtedness. The addition of the bonds for the TIF district for the Mellody Farms project is a concern and part of why I voted against the project.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I think we need a way to partner better with our retail sales base to remain competitive. Internet buying is a major part of the future and we need to stay ahead of the curve on how our retail base fits with the new buying habits.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?We need to be keenly aware of internet buying. Our financial base is in retail sales. So called "brick and mortar soft good" stores are struggling, ie. Sears and Macy's just to name two. We must be very vigilant about this. It is one of the reasons that I voted against the Mellody Farms project. We also have to continue to work with other agencies to do what we can to alleviate traffic problems. Our local elementary districts are experiencing growth problems and we must continue to work to help them deal with this issue.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Aaron Lawlor. He is a former student of mine. I admire is commitment to our county and most importantly honesty.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My grandfather had the biggest influence on me and he taught me the value of community involvement and the importance of education.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I really have no regrets. I have had a great life so far. I think I would have started teaching earlier in life.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. I am retiring this June after 30 years of teaching Middle school, most of which has been US History and government.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?The same advice I give my students find your passion, find a job doing that and you will never work a day in your life.