LF_032317

LakeForestLeader.com news
the lake forest leader | March 23, 2017 | 3
Candidates debate key issues
Christa Rooks
Freelance Reporter
Though labeled as a
debate, conversation was
friendly among Village of
Lake Bluff Trustee candidates
on Sunday, March
19, at the Lake Bluff Recreation
Center. The debate
was sponsored by the
League of Women Voters.
Incumbent candidates
Bill Meyer and Eric Grenier
were joined by Aaron
Towle, who is the current
Village Clerk, and Kate
Briand to discuss both
their qualifications and issues
such as historic preservation
laws, increasing
communication between
the village and the residents,
and improvements
needed in the village.
With concern over the
impending demolition of a
historic landmarked home
on Sunrise Avenue, a topic
of conversation at both
recent Village Board and
Historic Preservation Commission
meetings, historic
preservation laws remained
a topic of conversation
throughout the debate.
“I think we can find
a way to find common
ground to improve what
are considered to be the
weakest historic preservation
ordinances on the
North Shore, according to
Landmarks Illinois [magazine],”
Briand said. “I
think we can maintain the
character of the village
and improve our historic
preservation ordinances
simultaneously without
causing too much consternation,
and we need to do
it soon.”
Meyer agreed that historic
preservation laws needed
to be improved though also
balanced with property
rights.
“I certainly agree that
we could use more tools
to deal with historic preservation,”
he said. “We do
not have the tools to be
able to do a whole lot. Of
course, we have to balance
the interests of private
property rights and historic
preservation.”
The candidates also
talked about projects that
had been accomplished
over the past year that they
were proud of.
“I’m very proud of the
development we did with
Target,” Grenier said.
“That project really has
gotten activity going on the
west side [of Lake Bluff].
Towle also mentioned
measures the village has
taken to reduce reliance on
property taxes in the village.
“I think one of the biggest
things we’ve done as
a village is to diversify our
revenue source,” Towle
said. “We have increased
our sales tax revenue to
the point that we’re not as
reliant on property taxes. I
think we need to continue
that, to find other revenue
sources.”
The candidates agreed
on a majority of issues
and conversation stayed
friendly.
“All four of us seem to
have the best interests of
the village in mind so I’m
confident that whatever
happens in the election,
the village will go on,”
Towle said.
Conversation was decidedly
more heated between
Shields Township Supervisor
candidates Teresa Darraugh
and incumbent Cynthia
Maloney.
When discussing their
qualifications, Maloney
named her accomplishments
as supervisor.
“When I was elected ... I
knew the levy had been cut
by 55 percent, but I didn’t
know the budget hasn’t
been cut, so I’ve spent the
last four years trying to
bring the budget into balance,”
she said. “We are
increasing programs without
increasing the cost to
taxpayers, and I’m very
proud of that.”
Darraugh disagreed
with Maloney, and noted
that the party she is running
under, the Shields
Township Active Reform
Team, has been responsible
for much of the increase
of public programming.
“[The party has] reduced
elected officials’ salaries
by 50 percent,” Darraugh
said. “So it’s not the levy.
The levy was reduced by
40 percent, but they’ve
eliminated benefits for
elected officials. Because
of that, we’ve been able to
put more money into public
programs.”
The Dial-a-Ride program
and location of the
food pantry was also discussed.
Darraugh felt the
food pantry should be
relocated and the Dial-a-
Ride program, which provides
transportation to disable
and elderly residents,
should be eliminated due
to its inefficiencies and
costliness. Maloney replied
that the food pantry
was in the best place and
the Dial-a-Ride program
was necessary to residents
who relied on it.
“This election presents
a choice between two different
candidates,” Darraugh
said in her closing
statement. “The current
supervisor who not only
attempted to expand programs
like Dial-a-Ride
but also attempted to raise
her salary and didn’t work
Please see debate, 7
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