Kevin Geary

Video

See recent video below of Kevin Geary talking about the issues.

• Kevin Geary

On the Record

What experiences do you have that make you a good candidate for office?

The first 23 years of my career were spent in Telecommunications where I held a number of professional positions such as Technical Training Specialist, Customer Service Representative, and Quality Control Process & Metric Engineer. The last ten years I have spent working and building my own Real Estate and Property Management business. With my diverse background I would like to bring my Quality control, Customer Service, and Business experiences to the table and apply my outstanding business skills to our Village Projects, Programs, and residents need’s.

What are your top three priorities if elected?

2.1. Open and honest government I am a firm believer in open and honest government. The preamble to the Constitution begins with “We the people” and, in my view, any governmental body must serve the people that it gains its power from and should always be accountable to. One giant step toward open and honest government would be the village funding video recording and online streaming of every board meeting so the taxpayers can stay informed on the issues before the board. Secondly, moving the meeting start time to 7 pm so that our residents who commute can attend meetings and participate in our democratic process. The third is to bring exceptional customer service and best practices back to the village. 2.2. Diversify tax base Another priority for the next four years is to diversify the tax base for the residents. This can be accomplished through commercial and industrial development. These types of developments can account for a significant part of our property tax base and it doesn’t negatively impact our schools or other governmental services. Additionally, if these businesses are a point of sale, sales tax dollars can be gained. This, in turn, would lessen the burden on the already over taxed homeowner without having to reduce village services or programs. We can encourage commercial growth sooner by better utilizing relationships with significant business leaders

Would you support freezing your taxing district’s levy until housing prices rebound? Why or why not?

Yes, but I think it is important to look at long term solutions by diversifying our tax base through commercial development. I would like to approach the question from a different angle, which is how can Sugar Grove be successful in growing our commercial areas? This question has the ability to affect the community in two specific ways. The first would be property taxes. Sugar Grove has many undeveloped commercial lots and land that are not reaching their full potential. When fully developed, each commercial lot & building will pay their proportional share of property tax. The village’s share of the tax bill is 6% of the total and by broadening the tax base with new commercial development, this will offer relief to the residential property owners. The second is sales tax. Having commercial businesses that charge sales tax in our community is good. As a byproduct of growing the above, you have job creation, which is also good. When the daytime population is increased, it also creates a demand for other businesses and services including restaurants, hotels, hair salons, car repair, etc. In many cases the money spent in Sugar Grove comes from outside of our community. Approximately one out of three purchases comes from an individual outside of our community.

What one decision by the village board do you most disagree with and why?

The continued awarding of no-bid engineering contracts to a preferred vendor with close ties to the village president. Under my administration I would require a common sense bid process and see to it that the process is followed. This process will allow the residents to see who is bidding, what they are bidding, and that the village is being responsible with the tax payer’s money.

What was the biggest accomplishment of the board in the past year?

I believe the citizens of Sugar Grove have had many successes as a result of the efforts of village board from a McDonalds, to JimmyJohns to Walgreens. The business residents have most requested is an urgent care facility. While Sugar Grove has many outstanding physicians, the opening of the “Rush-Copley” emergency care facility has increased the quality of life for all residents. Additionally, with the recent announcement of the International Crown to be hosted at Rich Harvest Farms the world will be in our backyard and having a first class medical facility readily available is essential.

Why should voters elect you to office?

I care a great deal about Sugar Grove and my friends and neighbors throughout the community. This is why I find it easy to volunteer my time, whether as an assistant baseball coach, Corn Boil President, volunteer for Holiday in the Grove, or Veterans’ Park Director. I believe the best way to lead a community is to get involved and the best way to really capture the needs of our community is to listen. Public officials need to work together as a team. There is no “I” in Geary.