We write this on behalf of involved citizens of Northbrook, which include the network of citizens close by the previous Green Acres Country Club. A organization of investors, led with the aid of using David Kahnweiler, the Non-Executive Chairman of Colliers International, which incorporates companion William Fausone, who sits at the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Colliers International, bought Green Acres with the rationale of redeveloping the assets.
Despite that the assets has been zoned Open Space for nearly a century, the possession and improvement organization submitted excessive density improvement proposals for the site, one produced from 800 housing gadgets and later, a 2nd for nearly six hundred housing gadgets. Both have been rejected with the aid of using the Northbrook Village Board of Trustees.
SEE ALSO: Northbrook Village President Election Results
The rejected proposals might have overcrowded our schools, multiplied site visitors on Dundee Road and the encircling community streets, removed maximum of the open area at the site, and pressured our town services, Police Department, Fire Department and every other carrier the Village of Northbrook provides. To date, an inexpensive concept has now no longer been submitted.
One of the excellent approaches to apprehend a candidate or candidacy is to "Follow the Money". "Follow the Money" is a catchphrase which indicates that political affect or favorable remedy may be introduced to mild with the aid of using inspecting who the primary marketing campaign donors are to the applicants which can be running.
So, we determined to "Follow the Money" and spot who precisely is donating to Gene Marks & United4Northbrook's Campaign.
The Illinois State Board of Elections internet site information display that over 60% ($28,000.00+) of United4Northbrook's marketing campaign contributions got here from donors OUTSIDE the Village of Northbrook. As a ways as neighborhood election marketing campaign contributions go, this quantity seems to us to be strangely massive in greenback quantity and in percent of general bucks from non-citizens that can not vote in our election.
Question: What feasible hobby should those donors which can be ALL non-Northbrook citizens have in our elected officers or our election? Why are they attempting to persuade our election after they do not even stay here
Answer: The one issue they ALL seem to have in not unusualplace is a DIRECT connection to Colliers International, the agency with a lot to benefit financially from growing the Green Acres Country Club. But, it's far WHO they're and the truth that lots of them appear like selecting to masks who their actual employers are, and this is MOST concerning.
Under Illinois Campaign Finance laws, political contributions of the sizes indexed beneathneath should be registered and consist of facts as to the donor's agency, for functions of transparency, and to make certain that people and agencies do now no longer violate marketing campaign contribution maximums set with the aid of using law. However, the contributions beneathneath do now no longer seem transparent. In truth, they increase a easy question- why did not they listing their affiliations with Colliers
Take this pattern of United4Northbrook donors as an example. This facts become taken at once from the Illinois State Board of Elections donor internet site listing in addition to Colliers very own internet site which we accept as true with to be reliable. We do now no longer assure their internet site's accuracy:
Dan Arends, who is living in River Forest, IL, donated $one thousand to United4Northbrook. Mr. Arends indexed his career as "Real Estate" and his agency as "Dan Arends". However, in step with the Colliers internet site, Mr. Arends has labored for Colliers for over 30 years, is a Principal there, in addition to Chairman in their National Law Firm Services organization, and Chair in their National Tenant Advisory Council.
JD Devine (aka Jeff Devine), who is living in Glenview, IL, donated $one thousand to United4Northbrook. Mr. Devine indexed his career as "Sales" and his agency as "Self Employed". However, in step with the Colliers internet site, Mr. Devine has labored for Colliers for over 26 years, is their Executive Managing Director for Capital Markets and a Principal proprietor of the Colliers Chicago office.
Evan Djikas, who is living in Chicago, IL, donated $one thousand to United4Northbrook. Mr. Djikas indexed his career as "Real Estate" and his agency as "Relentless, Inc". However, in step with the Colliers internet site, Mr. Djikas has labored for Colliers for near to twenty years, is an Executive Vice President there and specializes withinside the layout and implementation of answers to complicated actual property challenges.
Jack Rosenberg, who is living in Wilmette, IL, donated $one thousand to United4Northbrook. Mr. Rosenberg indexed his career as "Real Estate" and his agency as "Jack Rosenberg Real Estate". However, in step with the Colliers internet site, Mr. Rosenberg has labored for Colliers for over 20 years, is an Executive Vice President and is the National Director of the Colliers Logistics and Transportation Solutions Group Steering Committee.