Five candidates are vying for three four-year trustee seats on the Buffalo Grove Village Board on Election Day. They include three incumbents (Joanne Johnson, Lester A. Ottenheiimer, III and Andrew Stein) and two challengers (Gowri Magati and Mike Terson).

Buffalo Grove Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Andrew Stein

Age (as of Election Day)

61

Town/City of Residence

Buffalo Grove

Office Sought

Village board or city council

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race)

This is an Independent, non-partisan race

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Speech and Communications from Northeastern Illinois University
Juris Doctor from Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago Kent College of Law

Occupation

Field Compliance Principal, Allstate Financial Services, LLC, twenty-one years

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/Andrew-Stein-Citizens-for-Andrew-Stein-168898246489302

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Village Trustee, first elected in April 2011

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our board is to stay on track with economic development and infrastructure modernization while emerging from Covid-19. I intend to continue with plans to develop the Lake Cook Corridor, which means that Town Center and the Corridor will be re-developed. This will expand sales tax revenues and lessen the burden on residents. We have already commenced the biggest infrastructure modernization program in the history of Buffalo Grove. Failure to do so would likely lead to catastrophic failures and disruption of services to our residents. The current Board has been working with a vision off into the distant future and I will continue to support that vision. I want to keep Buffalo Grove one of the highest rated suburbs in Illinois and in the United States. Buffalo Grove is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Not all parts of the country are like Buffalo Grove. It is important to recognize that Black Lives Matter evolved because of disparate treatment and I support their peaceful efforts to bring about change. I do not condone violence and looting. Black Lives Matter hosted rallies in Buffalo Grove. I supported their right to assemble. The rallies were peaceful and well received.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

The Village and its Board have supported racial equality in its hiring practices and throughout the community. The State enacted a law, about twelve years ago, that requires police officers to record and report all traffic stops, as a way of determining if racial profiling is occurring. In all reporting periods, not one time was it determined that the Buffalo Grove Police Department or any Buffalo Grove Police Officer was racially profiling. Buffalo Grove may be able to do better when it comes to promoting diversity in Committees and Commissions. Buffalo Grove is a diverse community with a plethora of different cultures. Greater diversity will strengthen our community and make Buffalo Grove better. We can do better by reaching out to more residents. I will work with the other Officials, volunteers and staff to create a program to improve outreach to different groups and encourage their participation.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

I am encouraged by the current National coronavirus response. Our leaders are taking action to make sure that vaccines are available, with hopes that we will be able to resume a somewhat normal life. I am disappointed with the original National response. Not enough crucial information was shared to create a response that could have contained or minimized the effects. Regarding the local response, I am satisfied that the Village of Buffalo Grove did all that it could do. I proposed a face covering requirement ahead of the requirement by the Governor. We enacted ordinances designed to slow the spread of Covid-19 and were a community that had one of the lowest infection rates. We followed the science and limited and restricted operations of businesses to protect our residents. The fact is that this disease is transmitted days before symptoms appear. There are too many people that are vulnerable. We need to protect them until this disease can be controlled or eradicated.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

States are better equipped to distribute the coronavirus vaccine. The Governor can call up the National Guard to assist. Local governments can assist with logistics, but overall, the States are better equipped to handle distribution and delivery. I am concerned that there is not enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone in Category 1A and the State has already started vaccinating people in 1B.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am very active in the community. I am a member of the Link Together Coalition, working to keep children away from Drugs and Alcohol. I served on the Executive Board for three years. I am also a volunteer for Scouts BSA, working with youth. I have also volunteered in many other capacities. As Trustees, we are presented with a lot of information. The critical difference between me and the others is how I process that information. As a Compliance Principal, I do most of my investigation before visiting with a representative. As a Trustee, I read and ask questions in advance of meetings. I may ask a lot of questions leading up to the discussion. This helps me to better understand why we may be doing what we are doing. The result is that I do not have as much to ask during the meeting. This does not mean that I have my mind made up before the discussion. It gives me more time to listen and make a final decision.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I am an incumbent.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I am running for Village Trustee because I want to keep making Buffalo Grove better. I was first elected Village Trustee in 2011. I supported business development as a way of saving our residents money on taxes. I proposed Bringing Woodman’s to Buffalo Grove during that election. I contended that this would spur business development of the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor, bringing more sales tax to Buffalo Grove, and it has. In 2011, there were no sales tax generating businesses in Buffalo Grove at the Milwaukee and Deerfield corners. Now that area has retail, restaurant and services generating millions of dollars in sales tax revenue and increasing the assessed value of the property. It took great efforts by both village staff and elected officials, but with the change brought on by the 2015 election, this was possible. I supported the development of plans for the Lake Cook Road Corridor, Prairie View and Dundee Road and continue to support them going forward. We are having success, as Lake Cook Road is already seeing a transformation. Northwest Community Hospital is redeveloping their property, the Town Center is in the process of re-development and several vacant properties on Dundee Road have plans in the works. There is even more potential for Milwaukee avenue in the not to-distant future. I want to be re-elected as Village Trustee to see these plans to fruition. I want to keep Buffalo Grove one of the highest rated suburbs in Illinois and in the United States. Buffalo Grove is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Residents trust me and seek my help over others. I appreciate that trust. Even though one administration was not interested in my idea for developing the Deerfield and Milwaukee corner, I was persistent when a new administration was sworn in. With commitment from the new administration, and work from a dedicated staff, the Village was able to make this a reality. We have already recruited over one dozen businesses to this corner, Including Woodman’s, Verizon, T-Mobile, and two gas stations. This brings in over $1,000,000 per year in tax revenue. Some of these businesses relocated from a neighboring community. There is more to come.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The lord gave you two ears so you can listen twice as much as you speak.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The Village of Buffalo Grove is better and stronger today than it was when I first was elected. We are no longer reactive, we are proactive. We plan and follow the plan, making necessary adjustments. The Village is more transparent, and we include residents in the planning process. For almost 10 years, I have proudly served as a Village Trustee! I have worked cohesively with the Village Board, staff and volunteers to keep Buffalo Grove moving in a forward direction. With positive thinking, we have been able to proactively develop plans to bring new businesses to Buffalo Grove. We have maintained a balanced budget and a Triple A Bond rating. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to maintain our services without raising taxes. Our Village has so many positive happenings that I would like to see through to fruition. Together, we can keep Buffalo Grove one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.