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Name: Robert Zubak
Age: 64
Town: Barrington Hills
Office sought: Village Trustee
1. What skills, qualities or experience do you possess that separate you from your opponents?
I have lived in the village for only one and a half years but already realize what a wonderful community and how different Barrington Hills is from other towns. My career was spent in the Municipal Finance business, managing portfolios and studying municipal credits. This experience gives me a solid background in understanding tax policies, pension obligations, village funding issues and ways to keep a village financially sound. My work experience gives me an advantage over the opponents in making solid policy decisions for the village.
2. What can the Village of Barrington Hills do and what should it do to ease the property tax burden on homeowners?
The current tax levy has not changed over the past twelve years and provides enough tax dollars for a high quality of village services. However, residents feel our property taxes are too high, so I would continue to cut wasted expenses and work to make our local government more efficient. The most important action would be to elicit feedback from village residents to determine what services they value and which services are not as important to them. The comments from the residents will help me to focus on areas where the budget could be trimmed.
3. How would you describe the climate in Barrington Hills's government for businesses? What needs improvement? What's working?
There are no commercial properties in Barrington Hills so there are no related sales taxes to be collected. Barrington Hills is a rural, residential community and is not looking to attract business development.
4) What will be the biggest challenge that Barrington Hills residents and their village government will face over the next four years and how will you meet it?
The biggest challenge Barrington Hills will face over the next four years will be a large increase in traffic from several different projects around and going through the village. The current administration has allowed the Long Meadow Parkway project to be built through the village as well as the Plum Farms development along the southern border of Barrington Hills. Both projects will ultimately require the widening of Routes 59 and 62, which could increase traffic through the village by over 50%. Increases in traffic flow will require additional police monitoring and added roadway repairs, which could lead to an increase in property taxes. I would work to cut wasted expenses with an eye on making our local government more efficient to offset the impending cost pressures that are already in the works.
5) Do you have concerns about the rise of home-based businesses in Barrington Hills and how they should be addressed.
Many types of businesses can be managed from resident's homes. Lawyers, accountants and other professional services are examples of home-based businesses that can be run as sole proprietors or with minimal staff. Barrington Hills is a rural, residential village with current zoning laws prohibiting more than two non-family workers to be employed on residential property. At present, the process for proving there is a violation of the ordinance falls completely on the surrounding neighbors of the alleged violators. I would propose that the village government become more involved in the process of identifying violations and following through on eliminating zoning abuses.
6) Is Barrington Hills out of options on the Longmeadow Parkway project. If not, why not?
Unfortunately, the time for the Village government to fight this expansion was four years ago. Trees are already being trimmed in the Barrington Hills portion of the Longmeadow Parkway project. I am against this project coming through Barrington Hills. Regrettably, there does not appear to be a way to stop the widening of Algonquin Road to accommodate the increased traffic caused by the acceptance of this project from the current administration.