Battinus to Run for Buffalo Grove Trustee Seat

Concerns about economic development and a desire to serve his community are the factors driving Buffalo Grove resident Jeff Battinus to seek a position on the Village Board.

Battinus said this week that he will run for trustee in the April 9 municipal election.

"I just feel that our village could use some fresh leadership," he said.

An avid jogger, Battinus said he's "pretty much seen every inch of the village" since he moved to Buffalo Grove in 2010.

"Unfortunately, the more I run, the more (I see) stores are leaving," he said. "I think there's more we can do as a board to attract new businesses."

He said while he hasn't formed a personal position on the proposed downtown development, he's heard concerns expressed by many residents who worry that its construction would drive up their property taxes.

"I think everybody can come to a consensus eventually," he said. "We need to involve everybody and it needs to be transparent."

"I am willing to talk to everybody, no matter what their side is," he added.

He said he'd also like the village to offer more services for senior citizens and residents with disabilities.

Battinus, who was appointed to the village's Health Commission soon after moving to Buffalo Grove, works as a recruiter for a national cancer center. He also recruits linguists for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, of which he is a branch chief on the national staff. He said he has participated in multiple deployments, supporting translation for high-level bilateral treaty talks in Washington, D.C.

As of Nov. 21, candidate packets have been picked up by six other residents, said Deputy Village Clerk Jane Olson. They include current trustees Les Ottenheimer, Andrew Stein and Beverly Sussman; Plan Commission Chairman and former trustee Eric Smith; Katherine Hedlund and a woman who only identified herself by the last name Krug.

Those who pick up packets will not necessarily run for election. Petitions are being circulated now by those who intend to seek election, but candidacies won't become official until the paperwork is filed between Dec. 17-24. Voters will elect three trustees to four-year terms.