Andrew Stein: Buffalo Grove Trustee Candidate

Name: Andrew Stein        

Age: 53        

Family: Married with two children         

Education: BA-Northeastern Illinois University, JD-Chicago Kent College of Law        

Occupation: Compliance Principal – Allstate Financial Services, LLC

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: Buffalo Grove Village Trustee, elected April, 2011. Park Commissioner, Ridgeville Park District, Evanston, Illinois. Elected April, 1981 served through June, 1984

Other community involvement: Village of Buffalo Grove Commissioner, Zoning Board of Appeals 6 years; Village of Buffalo Grove Appearance Review Team Member; Village of Buffalo Grove Committee Member to re-write the Sign Code; Cubmaster, Cub Scout Pack 36; Unit Commissioner, Aptakisic District of the Northeast Illinois Council of the Boy Scouts of America; Special Events Volunteer, Wheeling Park District (The Wheeling Park District covers about 700 households in Buffalo Grove, mine included); Volunteer for Buddy Baseball; Citizens Police Academy; Buffalo Grove Days Charity Softball Game, Most Valuable Player; Friend of the Vernon Township Food Pantry to collect food, money and overall raise awareness for those in need.

Position sought: Village Trustee, Buffalo Grove, Illinois 

Campaign E-mail address: citizensforandrewstein@yahoo.com

Campaign committee: candidate did not respond

Campaign Website: www.citizensforandrewstein.com

Campaign Facebook: Andrew Stein – Citizens for Andrew Stein

Campaign Twitter: None

Why are you running?        

I am running for Village Trustee because I make a difference in the community. I enjoy helping the residents in the community resolve issues facing them. I bring an independent voice to the Village Board. I am an active participant in the community and bring new and innovative ideas to the Village Board. 

In what ways would the village benefit from your service?

The Village benefits from my service because I am very active in the community. My life touches the lives of hundreds of others on a regular basis, making me very approachable. I make it a point to work very hard to make sure that the needs of the residents are addressed. Because of my service in the community I am regularly in touch and have a good feeling of the pulse of the community. 

What is the biggest challenge the village faces and what should be done to address it?

The biggest challenge that the village faces is recruiting and stabilizing business. Now that the village has hired a new Deputy Village Manager, we can focus our efforts better to recruit and maintain business. Buffalo Grove has one of the highest economic bases in the area. We are top rated by the rating agencies and ranked as one of the best places to live. While the retail occupancy rate falls in the 92% ratio, based upon recent information from Lake County Partners, there are still pockets that show great need for help. We need to take advantage of all available resources, including business fairs and the SBA to reach out for businesses new to the area. We should also consider creating a new position that will be solely responsible for business development. Where appropriate, we can offer incentives to recruit successful, established businesses to the community.

What do you think the village does well?

The village is very good at maintaining a high level of service to its residents while managing within its budget. This is done with fantastic management, foresight, planning, stability and a high level of volunteerism in the village.

What should be some of the village’s priorities over the next four years?

The top priority needs to be improving our sales tax base. This can be done by actively recruiting and stabilizing business in Buffalo Grove. Additionally, it is time to follow through on a plan to voluntarily annex in the business properties on the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor. This plan was put in place almost nine years ago, but has not been seen to fruition. It is time to try a new approach to find innovative ways to get these businesses to become part of Buffalo Grove.

Additionally, we need to finally address the Weiland Road/Prairie Road Project. If there is no longer a need for a bypass, then we need to see what needs to be done to qualify for Federal Money and take care of the project, once and for all.

What are your thoughts on the recent proposal to convert the Buffalo Grove Golf Course into a downtown? What do you think are some of its pros and cons?

At this time, the initial due diligence is being completed. We do not know if the concept can advance at the proposed site. If the concept advances, we need to have plenty of opportunities for resident input. I will not support converting public land to private use without proper public input. Moreover, I will not support a project that is not economically feasible, environmentally feasible or that detracts from the enjoyment of property.

What else would you like voters to know?

I truly enjoy being a Trustee. It is very special to me. It’s being dedicated to helping the residents of Buffalo Grove and doing so without fanfare. It’s being a host to the tens of thousands of residents and visitors that come to Buffalo Grove. It’s being part of making Buffalo Grove one of the best places to live and work in the United States. If re-elected, I will work to bring an even higher level of volunteerism to the village.