Annual State of the Village Address

Annual State of the Village featuring Village President Sandra Frum
Monday, December 3
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Pinstripes
1150 Willow Road
$25 in advance/ $35 at the door

Village President Sandy Frum will be the keynote speaker at this month’s legislative luncheon where she will present her annual update on major issues facing the Village of Northbrook, and will reflect on some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In this annual address to the business community, President Frum will review the past year’s major accomplishments, including the completion of the Village’s Downtown Study and the Master Stormwater Management Plan. Following through on projects identified in the Stormwater Plan, continuing to develop ways to viably revitalize the Central Business District, and realistically making land use decisions that fit with the Village’s Comprehensive Plan are critical for the future, according to Frum. She also notes the importance of having a strong and vibrant mix of commercial retailers within the community. “Northbrook has become a destination for fine dining and shopping not only for our residents but for people throughout the region.”

The Village is in an enviable fiscal position, she maintains, and has kept its portion of property taxes low with responsible contingency planning and a methodical review of expenditures. “Unfortunately, we have legislative threats to our fiscal stability. The State has failed to make meaningful changes to our Police and Fire Pension benefits; they have suggested that our local sales tax be redistributed to other communities and they have attempted to raid the Distributive Fund to balance their budget at the expense of ours.” Frum notes that through participation in the Northwest Municipal Conference she and Village staff will continue to educate and work with state legislators to protect our sources of revenue.
Business development also relates directly to the Village’s financial security notes Frum. “We need to be unified in our message and consistent in our approach and we must continue to have a diverse tax base,” she says. “We have a large variety of businesses in our community – probably more than our citizens realize. But we can’t take them for granted.”

First elected as Village President in April 2009, President Frum recently announced her candidacy for re-election for a second term. A resident of Northbrook for nearly 35 years, President Frum has served on the Village Board for 22 years as a Village Trustee, prior to her election as Village President. She chaired the Village’s Finance and Administration Committee and was instrumental in supporting efforts to improve the roads in the Sky Harbor business park.

There will be ample opportunity for questions and answers during this informative lunch. To make a reservation, call the Chamber office at (847)498-5555. Frum’s presentation will conclude this year’s Lunch and Learn lunch series.