State of the Village of Address

Annual State of the Village Address
featuring Village President Sandra Frum

Wednesday, December 7
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Sheraton Northbrook
1110 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 discuss some of the challenges and opportunities the community expects to face in the coming months.

In this annual address to the business community, President Frum will address several aspects of the Village finances, particularly proposals for sharing services with neighboring towns as cost saving measures. She will also discuss recent legislative attempts by others to “raid” the Village sales tax revenues. One proposal by the Chicago Metro Agency for Planning (CMAP) would change the sales tax distribution from point of sale to a formula that takes into account location of sale, population and property values per capita. Estimates are that Northbrook would lose about $3 million per year under this plan.

President Frum will also discuss the Village’s increasing need to respond to emergencies, including the winter blizzard, record breaking rainstorms this year and crippling power outages that resulted. The Village will be grappling with how to fund the Capital Improvement Plan and the projects listed in the recently unveiled Stormwater Management Plan.

With a lot of attention focused on the efforts to address development options for the downtown, as well as planning for the future of the property at Dundee and Skokie Boulevard, President Frum will discuss the challenges involved with the economic development process, commenting on factors such as zoning ordinances, property ownership, incentives and other factors that determine what the board can and cannot approve. To help business owners know where to turn for help, President Frum will highlight Village staff members who can help problem solve and serve as helpful resources.

A resident of Northbrook for over 32 years, President Frum has served on the Village Board for 22 years as a Village Trustee, prior to her election as Village President in April 2009. 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.