Kevin Richardson: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Lake BarringtonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Barrington Village President (4-year Term)Age: 55Family: Married for 25 years to Lynne Jolly Richardson. Two daughters: (1) Mary Ellen Richardson and (2) Charlotte RichardsonOccupation: Attorney; President of a Public Affairs, Communications and Reputation Management Consulting FirmEducation: B.A., Economics, University of Notre Dame (1979) J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law (1982)Civic involvement: (1) Co-Chair, Lake County Water Supply Advisory Committee (2010 to 2012) (2) Board of Advisors/Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame (2011 to Present) (3) Board of Visitors/Graduate School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University (2002 to Present) (4) Member, Mayors? Water Council - U.S. Conference of Mayors (2010 to Present) (5) Public Affairs Committee, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1998 to Present) and (6) Board of Directors, Metropolitan Planning Council (1997 to Present)Elected offices held: Village Trustee, Village of Lake Barrington, 1999 to 2005 Village President, Village of Lake Barrington, 2005 to presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number one campaign issue is to continue efforts to promote new and expanded commercial development in Lake Barrington Pepper Road Business Park and Market Place Shopping Center as a way of holding the line on residential property taxes and assuring that needed services are properly funded.Key Issue 2 My closely-linked number two campaign issue is the ongoing implementation of Village initiatives focused on preserving and enhancing the low density, high green space character that residents prize. We work on the Pepper Road Business Park and Market Place Shopping Center as a way of creating new revenue streams that can be used to enhance and protect our community's unique character.Key Issue 3 My number three campaign issue is to expand community-building initiatives such as the annual Lake Barrington "Barn Stomp" as a way of providing residents with expanded neighbor-to-neighbor social opportunities.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I am proud of my record and believe the community has made great strides in econonmic development, open space environmental enhancement and the updating of Village infrastructure during my tenure as Village President. I believe I have the experience and skills necessary to help the Village maintain its high quality lifestyle, bucolic atmosphere and strong financial position as a low tax community.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The Village's sales tax level is competitive with that of neighboring communities in the region. Lake Barrington takes pride in its well-known reputation as a community with an outstanding business climate. Operating revenues and expenses have remained essentially flat since FY2008 while the Village has simultaneously completed some $3.6 million in capital improvements through the use of reserves and funds approved via referendum.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.While not public safety-specific, friends and neighbors voice concern over two related issues. First, is holding the line on spending and taxes. Second is protecting the semi-rural, low-density character that Lake Barrington enjoys and that community residents desire. These issues are most effectively advanced by establishing a clear community vision and then shaping policies and procedures to advance the vision. Lake Barrington seeks to maintain its low-density, countryside atmosphere in a manner that is fiscally responsible and avoids placing upward pressure on residential property taxes. It is for this reason that we outsource wherever possible (i.e., having the Cuba Township Roads District perform our snow plowing, road maintenance and culvert/drainage repair is far more inexpensive than we could undertake our own), seek new economic development in our business park along Pepper Road and in the Market Place Shopping Center and work with environmental partners such as Citizens for Conservation in purchasing open space.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The key to proper budgeting is found in the fundamentals. If the framework for budgeting is right, priorities will be properly identified and funded. One of the key elements of creating a proper budget framework is done up-front: namely, is a particular service or activity better done in-house or by an outside entity? A great example is the tremendous value Lake Barrington taxpayers receive from the Village's agreement with the Cuba Township Roads District for snow plowing, road paving and patching and drainage/culvert repair. By outsourcing this function to the Township Roads District, we receive these services for less money than if we performed them for ourselves. Similarly, our partnership with Citizens for Conservation (CSC) on open space acquisition and maintenance has leveraged taxpayer dollars and worked to assure that open space will remain available to our community in the future. A key element in establishing a proper budget framework is to make sure the budget matches and advances the community's vision. We intensely focus on enhancing the economic performance of the Business Park along Pepper Road and in the Market Place Shopping Center so that benefits for the residents - such as open space preservation and community building activities - can be funded in a way that does not put pressure on residential property taxes. The combination of having an outsource-bias for services and a clear vision on holding the line on residential property taxes as we protect our semi-rural, open-space atmosphere assures the right line items are funded in each year's budget.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I applaud the efforts of Trustee Chris Mitchell to explore new and increasing ways to use the Internet and social media to further the Village's sense of community and make doing business with the Village more e-friendly.