Pete Douglas: 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: BarringtonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Barrington Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 46Family: Wife, Stephanie Douglas Sons, Charlie Douglas (17) and Drew Douglas (13)Occupation: Sales Executive, EnservioEducation: BA, DePauw UniversityCivic involvement: Board Member, Barrington Area Community Foundation (current) Vestry Member, St Michael's Church (current) President, Board of Directors, Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services (past) Prior volunteer work with Barrington Youth Football and Barrington Youth BaseballElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Barrington must continue on the path of responsible development of the downtown district. This requires a business environment that encourages commerce, a deliberate plan and an engaged community.Key Issue 2 The Village must maintain a balanced budget.Key Issue 3 Barrington is a small community, but the issues of the day tend to either be discussed in public by a few or in private by many who will not impact the outcomes. We need to encourage civil discourse, increase engagement and open up a more collaborative environment. We are a community of great talent and insights and we'll be better off if more people participate in the process of identifying opportunities/finding solutions.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My personal, career and volunteer experiences have prepared me to successfully serve as a Village Trustee. I will bring an honest and transparent approach to finding solutions to difficult challenges and will passionately pursue an agenda to balance the budget, create a vibrant downtown, increase engagement and maintain a safe/healthy community in Barrington.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.I am not in favor of raising local sales taxes and will support efforts that make Barrington a better place to do business and shop.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.The single biggest safety concern remains the existing and potential risk associated with the increased rail traffic that runs through Barrington. Mitigating the chance of incident requires a significant effort and coordination between CN/EJE and local/federal levels. The incumbents have worked diligently to solve the issue and I will heighten focus on identifying/funding/implementing a solution if elected.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?Village President Darch regularly articulates (accurately) that state-level pension-reform is required in order for Barrington to shift budget priorities from long-term mandates to nearer-term opportunities.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Pedestrian right-of-way cross-walks across Hough Street and Main Street. I look forward to working directly with the community to identify innovative solutions to everyday and broad-scope opportunities