This is the fourth in a series profiling the five candidates for the Buffalo Grove Village Board. To avoid any bias or sense of endorsement, they are being posted in alphabetical order this week. Responses have not been edited. Today’s profile features Lester Ottenheimer III.
Candidate's name:
Les Ottenheimer
How long have you lived in Buffalo Grove?
39
Please provide brief biographical information:
· Indiana University/School of Public and Environmental Afffairs
· BS in Public Administration. Indiana University School of Law – J.D.
· Married to Karen and have raised 3 sons, Scott, Alex and Adam in Buffalo Grove.
· Practicing attorney - Managing Member of Ottenheimer Law Group, LLC.
Are you affiliated with any political party? If so, to what extent are you being supported by that party?
Buffalo Grove Trustees are nonpartisan.
What civic activities, if any, have you been involved with?
Former member, campaign chair and president of United Way of Wheeling/Buffalo Grove.
Why are you running for the Village Board?
I have served on the Village Board since appointed in 2011 and have successfully been reelected for three 4 year terms. The primary focus during my tenure on the board has been economic development, fiscal responsibility and transparency. As a result of hard work and dedication, I am proud to say these efforts are paying off.
Woodmans, has built a store in Buffalo Grove and with it came the development of the Shops of Buffalo Grove Shopping Center.
Over the past several years the Village has entered into various agreements with a number of industrial companies to encourage them to either relocate to Buffalo Grove or increase their presence in the Village. The nature of those transactions allows the firms or companies to recoup their relocation or expansion expenses and costs through a sharing of the new or increased sales tax generated by those entities. This has meant significant revenues to the Village including the revenue generated from Woodmans.
This all resulted at no cost to Buffalo Grove taxpayers and enabled the Village to cover expenses for services it provides that otherwise would have been paid for by increased sales taxes. While not as visible as some other developments, this is REAL economic development that provides for a broad and sustainable economic base for the Village now and in the future.
Through hard work and perseverance, Town Center has been totally redeveloped into what is now known as The Clove. In addition, other economic developments have occurred such as the soon-to-be opened Lazy Dog and the redevelopment of the Dundee Corridor, which includes a Tesla dealership as well as residential and commercial properties. (Bison Crossing).
There are plans for redevelopment of existing strip malls and more. This creates tax dollars which eases the burden on residents.
Since I have been on the board, I have worked hard to keep property taxes down--with no increase in the last 6 years.
Since my tenure on the board, the Village has achieved an AAA Bond rating and has won numerous awards for financial management. And because of such sound fiscal management, the Village has been able to continue to deliver services while having a flat tax levy. This is made possible only because of the prudent financial management that the Board has exercised and I am proud to have played a role in that.
I have always been a believer in transparency in government. The Village has made it a priority to educate and inform all the residents of all village business which is relevant to them and the Village has an open-door policy. The Village has reached out to all sectors of the community and has urged all to get involved in Village Government.
I want to continue to work on those issues and ensure that those policies are forever perpetuated. I want to finish what I started.
I have the knowledge, history and experience to continue to lead the Village. I am familiar with how the Village works and operates, what its strengths and weaknesses are and what needs to be done to keep the Village strong both financially, operational wise, and what is in the best interest of the residents.
Through my leadership, knowledge and passion for the Village, Buffalo Grove is thriving and has seen tremendous upturn in economic development. Examples include, but are not limited to The Clove - a complete redevelopment of Town Center into a vibrant hub for residents and businesses - Byson Crossing - a complete transformation of the old Rohrman properties into a thriving space featuring a Tesla dealership, residential and commercial developments - continued growth along the Lake Cook and Dundee corridors including opening of the new Public Works facility and the start of the Fire Station 25 rebuild.
Have you served on a village committee or commission before? If yes, which one and how long did you serve and in what capacity?
I have served on the Buffalo Grove Days Committee for 2 years and I have served on the Village Plan Commission for 14 years, 11 of which I was chairman.
The village has continued to attract new businesses. What do you think of the recent initiatives related to economic development?
The recent initiatives related to economic development speak for themselves. Examples include Woodmans, The Shoppes of Buffalo Grove, The Clove, Lazy Dog as well as others.
Should the village continue with its current economic development strategies or consider alternatives? Why?
The Village should continue with its current economic development strategies, as it is paying off.
A key component in the village's economic development plans is "The Clove" which will, when completed, include retail stores, restaurants, open space and multi-family housing. Are the existing restaurants and rumored future restaurants strong enough anchors to make "The Clove" a success?
The existing restaurants and future restaurants are in fact strong enough anchors to make The Clove a success. These businesses will, in turn attract other businesses. It is well known that "Business attracts Business".
Which business development plan do you think should be a priority? Lake-Cook Road corridor, Dundee Road, Milwaukee Avenue or the Prairie View concept? Please explain your priorities.
The Lake Cook Road corridor and Dundee Road corridors are a top priority for development in the Village. Both those corridors have brought substantial new businesses and they continue to grow. Those two corridors are major "Gateways" in to the Village.
Is the village’s economic development incentive policy clear? Do you think it adequately creates predictability and appropriately assists in making the most efficient use of limited local resources when supporting proposed development projects. If not, how would you update the policy?
The Village's economic development incentive policy is clear. Its economic development policy contains a "win win" for the Village and the developers.
Do you think the village should continue using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts to entice economic development?
Yes. This is evidenced by the Lake Cook Road TIF which has brought the Northwest Community Healthcare Center and The Clove. The Dundee Road TIF districts have caused the redevelopment of the Rohrman dealerships and Bison Crossing.
Do you think there are forms of incentives other than TIFs that the village should consider using to entice economic development. If so, what manner or type of incentives do you think would be helpful and effective?
There are other forms of incentive other that TIFs. Direct Financial Incentives such as cash grants, tax credits - offering tax deductions to businesses based on factor like job creation or hiring within specific demographics; loan programs providing low interest loans for small businesses through public-private partnerships. Enterprise Zones - designating specific geographic areas with tax incentives.
How do you think the village should encourage redevelopment of existing retail areas that are struggling?
The Village has encouraged redevelopment of existing retail areas by the use of the TIFs as set forth above. There needs to be collaboration between these businesses and the Village to determine how best to redevelop them, including incentives as set forth above.
The village has engaged in intergovernmental partnerships for programming and sharing facilities. Do you think the village should continue to pursue partnerships? If so, to what extent?
The Village has been successful in creating intergovernmental partnerships. It has recently built a new Public Works facility and is leasing excess space to a school district and another intergovernmental agency. It is imperative to facilitate these relationships, all to the benefit of the residents.
Is the village properly managing its workforce costs? Is there a need for adjustments in the number of employees and/or compensation levels at the village? If you deem adjustments are necessary, how would you implement them?
The Village is properly managing its workforce costs. It has reduced its workforce costs by outsourcing. In addition, in 2019 the Office of the Village Manager had six full time employees and currently has three and half full-time employees. Village wide at its peak in 2019 the Village had 273 full-time employees. For fiscal year 2025 the Village has reduced that number to 255 full-time employees.
The Village recently made a major capital investment and operational change by moving Public Works from its location on the Village campus to Leider Lane. Do you agree with the decision to do so? Are there other projects you would like to see the village undertake?
The building of a new Public Works facility was a necessity. The old Public Works facility was outdated and inefficient. The rebuild of Fire Station 25 is also a necessity due to its inefficiencies. Fire Station 25 has simply outgrown its space. The Village Hall and police station also need consideration as they are structural issues, inefficiencies and outdated technologies.
The village has spent considerable money on a "rebranding" effort that touts the village being "Smart. With Heart." Do you think the plan is effective and what do you think a measurable outcome or return on investment should be?
The Village's rebranding has been effective. While perhaps not popular to everyone, the rebranding has brought a sense of community and engagement.
Some of our volunteer groups (commissions, committees) have seen shrinking membership. What would you do to engage the community on a broader scale? Do you think the community engagement initiative is an effective program to get residents involved? What would you do to encourage broader demographic participation?
The demographics of the Village have changed substantially. As a result, the Village has put a lot of emphasis on community engagement. The Village has established a "Champions Program" in which certain residents have been chosen to involve specific demographics of the community. In addition, the Village has established a "Stakeholder Program" which involves the invitation of residents to workshops for new developments or redevelopments that may impact those residents directly or indirectly. This has proven to be very successful.
Do you think the Village communicates well with residents? If not, what changes would you like to see made?
The Village communicates well with residents. It has designed a new website which is much more user friendly and invites participation. The Village has established newsletters to keep all residents apprised of everything that is happening in the Village.
