Harold Gianopulos: 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: Barrington HillsWebsite: http://www.restorecommonsense2011.comOffice sought: Barrington Hills Village boardAge: 45Family: Married with four daughtersOccupation: Senior Financial Advisor and Principal - Kovitz Investment Group, LLCEducation: Masters of Law in Taxation(LLM), The John Marshall Law School, 2005Law Degree (JD), The John Marshall Law School, 1999BS Business and Computer Information Systems Analysis, Taylor University, 1987Barrington High School, 1983Civic involvement: Barrington Area Community Foundation, DirectorBarrington Area Development Council, DirectorGigi's Playhouse, Inc., Treasurer DirectorHarriette's Song, DirectorParticipant in numerous Village meetings as a concerned residentHomeowners Against Lighting Ordinances (HALO)Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Preserving our rural, residential, equestrian friendly countryside by staunchly and intelligently protecting the 5-acre minimum lot size.Key Issue 2 Restoring financial discipline and providing a solid financial future for our village.Key Issue 3 Limiting government regulation, involvement, and intrusion in the lives of the residents of Barrington Hills. Eliminating unneeded and useless ordinances (such as the recent Exterior Lighting Ordinance).Questions Answers Describe your personal position on the outdoor lighting ordinance.The lighting ordinance was completely unnecessary and was a waste of Village resources. Furthermore it creates two classes of residents of Barrington Hills with separate and unequal legal rights to exterior lighting. While the proponents of the Exterior Lighting Ordinance claim that this ordinance will support the Village's Comprehensive Plan and further deter the disconnection of larger parcels of land on the periphery of the Village, I believe this ordinance will provide additional justification for a developer to deannex property from the Village given such undue and unreasonable restrictions.Generally speaking, do you see the village of Barrington Hills as the product of strong regulation or as a bastion of individual property rights? Should the practices of the past be changed or maintained?While some basic forms of regulation are necessary in any community, over the past several months and during the course of this campaign I have spoke with many residents and believe that the majority of the residents have chosen to live in private rural community of Barrington Hills in order to quietly and peacefully enjoy their properties.Should the village's requirement of minimum 5-acre lot sizes be maintained or should land owners have the right to divide their property as they see fit?Maintaining the minimum 5-acre lot size is absolutely critical to preserving the unique rural countryside environment we enjoy and have become accustomed to. No other issue is more important to the residents of the Village. There are a number of properties on the borders of our Village that are 20 acres or more. These properties are the only ones that may be subject to disconnection and ""subdivision"". The failed strategies of the past have resulted in the loss of over 600 acres land to neighboring municipalities and have cost us millions of dollars in legal fees. These strategies must not be allowed to continue.Would the village benefit from a modest amount of commercial development? Where, if anywhere, should a commercial area of the village be established?Barrington Hills is a residential community and the Village should not seek to attract businesses or other commercial enterprises. That being said, there are some very unique properties within the Village which do not lend themselves in any way to residential development (i.e. the property at the corner of Rt. 25 and Lake Cook Road). In such a case, on the extreme outer edge of the property, a small scale commercial use may be attractive and would merit consideration. Likewise it would be important that the interior portion of the property would be zoned residential (5-acre minimum lot size).Should equestrian uses of land within the village be further regulated?I do not support further regulation of the equestrian uses of land and I do support commercial horse boarding under the current Home Occupation Ordinance.