Greg Marston: 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: Pingree GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Pingree Grove Village presidentAge: 40Family: Greg and Eileen Marston, who reside in the South Hampton neighborhood of Cambridge Lakes, have been married for thirteen years and are proud parents of two children Samantha (9) and Jake (6).Occupation: Marston presently works for Sodexo Healthcare as a General Manager at Centegra Health SystemEducation: Aurora UniversityM.B.A., Operations Management, 2010 - 2012Northern Illinois UniversityBachelor of ScienceCivic involvement: Currently serving as Village Trustee since 2007Illinois School District Community Finance Committee since 2007Chairman of Parks and Recreation Committee - 2007Chairman of Public Safety Committee - 2009Election JudgeElected offices held: Currently serving as Village Trustee since 2007Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Commercial Development - Route 47 CorridorOur community and its residents are in need of funds for fire, police and general services. Commercial development along Route 47 will help deliver those through sales tax revenue. The village board should actively work with developers and the county to deliver the commercial business that our community needs.Key Issue 2 Village Taxation An important issue is the need to replace Pingree Grove#146;s current taxation structure with one that is fair and equitable among all residents. Maintenance Special Service Areas, also known as SSA 4 and SSA 9, create an unfair taxation among village residents. We need to find ways to replace the maintenance SSA revenue stream with one that creates equity and builds the sense of a single community.Key Issue 3 Support our Schools Since 2007 I have worked with Cheryl Crates, D300 CFO to adequately fund our school system. I will work towards supporting our Cambridge Lakes Charter School along with bringing a middle school to Pingree Grove.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I believe my experience serving the village of Pingree Grove as Trustee along with my independent values help me make the most educated, informed, and balanced decisions. As a professional manager working for Sodexo, I regularly coordinate with teams of my peers to research, debate and resolve conflicting priorities. I will use this experience to work with the Trustee#146;s to further the village#146;s goals.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.Candidate did not respond.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.Pingree Grove Fire StationBecause the Pingree Grove Fire station is currently located south of the railroad tracks, emergency response time when a train is going through town can be lengthy. The current building is not adequate for a community with nearly 4,500 people. I would work with the Fire district in locating a new site and discussing funding options.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 single largest issue facing our community is balancing service needs with fiscal responsibility. When the needs surpass the current revenues the board will need to prioritize spending. As President I believe a balanced budget is something we owe to the residents of Pingree Grove.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?If elected, I would work with other board members, residents, surrounding communities, and the county to deliver sensible controlled growth to Pingree Grove's Route 47 corridor.