Jason Lohmeyer: Candidate profile

BIO

Name: Jason Lohmeyer

City: Village of Barrington

Office sought: Village Trustee

Age (on Election Day): 48

Family: Married to my wife, Corryn, since 1996. We have a daughter who attends 4th grade at North Barrington in the Chinese Immersion program.

Occupation: Director of Finance at Lifeline Vascular Care

Education: Bachelor's Degree from University of Kansas in Accounting & Business Administration and an MBA from DePaul University. Passed CPA exam on first sitting 1996

Civic involvement: I have been a Barrington Village Trustee since 2015, Member of the Barrington Firefighters' Pension Board from 2009 to 2015, volunteer at Journey Care, a volunteer in the Northbrook Civic Foundation prior to moving to Barrington, and served as an election judge in several local and national elections.

Previous elected offices held: Barrington Village Trustee

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? 2015 - present

Website: BarringtonProud.com

Facebook: Barrington Proud

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

• What are the most important issues facing your community and how do you intend to address them?

Most importantly, we must carry on the village's tradition of fiscal responsibility. As Trustee, I will continue to help manage the village's finances responsibly and take a conservative approach to taxing and spending. The state of Illinois continues to create difficulties for municipalities, withholding revenues we have traditionally received and passing unfunded mandates. We have to be prepared for even more challenges coming our way from Springfield, so we will need to keep a close eye on our capitol and continue to put our village in the best possible position.

In an age of online shopping, we must focus on continuing to responsibly grow businesses, jobs, and activity in our village by supporting our local businesses so they can continue to thrive. I will continue to be a champion for our local small business community by providing our merchants local support and frequently visiting our stores to hear from them directly.

We also need to further enhance the quality of life for our residents by investing in our infrastructure to reduce congestion and improve walkability. We will continue advocating for the Route 14 underpass, decrease public safety response times, and provide walking trails and bike paths to support healthy lifestyles.

• What makes you the best candidate for the job?

From having served the Village of Barrington as Trustee since 2015 and been a resident since 2008, I have a strong sense of what the residents and my neighbors expect from the Board of Trustees. I will keep advocating on their behalf and making sure their voice is heard. I will continue utilizing my financial acumen and other skills to help guide and support our village's strategic vision to ensure businesses and jobs continue to grow. We will carry on Barrington's tradition of fiscal responsibility and enhance our quality of life.

• Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board.

My leadership style is to listen to the people I work with and represent so we can work together to find a solution. I want to hear everyone's opinions, thoughts, and counterpoints so I can ensure I am making a well-rounded, thoughtful decision. Instead of just relying on my own research, I want to hear the facts others bring to the table so we can discuss and reach a solution together. In my role as a Trustee, I know I represent the people of Barrington and I want to hear what matters to them before making my voice heard.

• How would you describe the condition of your community's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services people want?

Thanks to a strong tradition of fiscal responsibility, shared by our village and our residents, our budget remains in great standing. We will continue to take a responsible and conservative approach to our taxing and spending.

One specific action we have taken to prove our fiscal responsibility to our residents is that our Trustees voted to end all pay for themselves. We believe that local service shouldn't be about the paycheck, no matter how nominal the pay may be. None of the incumbent Trustees on our team have accepted pay for their service - one never receiving a paycheck and I've donated every penny of my paycheck back to the village. That is true leadership by example.

In our roles, we understand we represent the residents of Barrington and we will continue doing what is in their best interest financially.

• What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

We need to consider how the new telecommunication laws passed at the Federal and State levels will impact aesthetics in our community. Previously, local governments had a big say in where and how various towers were placed. Recent laws advocated by the telecommunication industry for the new 5G service will strip local governments of most control and gives them the right to utilize public infrastructure with nominal monetary compensation. We will need to develop unique ways to incorporate these antennas into the look and feel of our village.