Buffalo Grove board race pits experience vs. fresh perspectives

Experience versus fresh perspectives was the theme this week when the nine candidates running for three seats on Buffalo Grove's village board made their pitches to residents at a League of Women Voters forum.

Those who've served on the board or on village commissions touted that experience as giving them a leg up on the others.

Trustee Eric Smith, a chiropractor appointed to the board in 2017, also cited his volunteer work for Rotary Club and the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, as well as his service on the village's planning and zoning commission.

"I have not just served, but I am a proven leader," he said.

Fellow Trustee David Weidenfeld noted his work on the village's Lake-Cook Road Corridor Plan and board efforts to attract new businesses and help others to expand.

"In working with these organizations, it was important to me that we not go down the path of spending large chunks of money to lure people here, and instead we have worked by doing tax sharing," he said, citing the nearly $10 million in net sales tax increases expected from Woodman's over the next seven years. "The residents of Buffalo Grove did not pay for that."

Adam Moodhe also noted his experience, which includes service on the Buffalo Grove Days Committee, the village's Emergency Management Agency and the planning and zoning commission.

"I have attended countless village board meetings long before running for trustee, not merely as a spectator but through active participation," Moodhe said. "I have worked with every sitting board member and I know the staff members."

Lawrence Steingold, an attorney who has served on the zoning board of appeals, said he handles retail property issues on a daily basis, dealing with property management groups such as mall owners as Simon Property Group and Westfield.

"I offer knowledge of how to negotiate with these property managers," he said.

The newcomers said they would bring fresh blood and perspectives to the board.

Tim Kobler, a police officer in Willowbrook, said he is committed to maintaining the village's world-class police and fire departments, promoting smart growth redevelopment and protecting green spaces.

Soojae Lee, an attorney, said he would promote economic development in a strategic manner and pay attention to the maintenance of the village's aging infrastructure.

Lee, whose parents came to the United States from South Korea, added that he would "bring diversity to the Buffalo Grove board of trustees to reflect the growing diverse population in Buffalo Grove."

Rachel Hausman Masse, a Realtor in Buffalo Grove for 10 years, said she wants to see redevelopment of the Town Center to attract more young families to the village.

Gregory Pike, a banker specializing in commercial banking and institutional markets, cited his work in a Chicago Public Schools program called Real Men Read and the Chase Saturday Scholars, which prepares inner-city students for college. He also serves as chairman for the board of directors for Accion Chicago, which provides microloans to small businesses.

"It is time that we make Buffalo Grove an exceptional village through economic development and through reduced tax burdens," he said.

Carolyn Pinta, a Spanish teacher at Twin Groves Middle School, has perhaps been the most visible of the newcomers. She founded Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America of Buffalo Grove and is the president of The Pinta Pride Project, which is behind Buffalo Grove's first Pride Parade.

"I'm not just a talker. I take action," she said.

Election Day is April 2. Besides three trustee seats, voters will decide a village president's race between incumbent Beverly Sussman and challenger Michael Terson.