Meet Homer Glen Village Trustee Candidate Ruben Pazmino

HOMER GLEN, IL — The upcoming election is only two days away. In Homer Glen, one of the contested local races is the race for village trustee. There are three open positions on the Homer Glen village board in the upcoming April 2 election. Ruben Pazmino is one of five candidates running for a position.

Pazmino is a restaurateur and owns Rubi Agave Latin Kitchen, Tequila & Whiskey Bar in Homer Glen. He also serves as the treasurer for the executive board of the Heritage Corridor Business Alliance.

Pazmino believes the most pressing issue facing the village is economic stability.

"The village relies on sales tax, and over time the resident requests for additional services have increased. The question remains how to fund additional services; how to fund and improve existing services. The answer lies in future economic development," he said.

Pazmino said a plan needs to be in place for the development on 159th Street and said he will work with the board to revisit ordinances that have given the village a reputation of being unfriendly to developers.

Pazmino believes his experiences as a local business owner helps set him apart as a candidate.

"My involvement in the Homer Area Chamber of Commerce, now a member of the Board of Directors for the Heritage Corridor Business Alliance, allows me insight to the local business community and the concerns they have. I know that the businesses in town see future growth as a win-win for everyone," he said. "I feel my knowledge in running a successful business, and having the local connection to business owners sets me apart and I can bring insight to the rest of the board in how to develop a cohesive development plan for our commercial corridors."

Another issue Pazmino is concerned about is a lack of services for the senior community. He said as a trustee he would push to establish a more cooperative effort with the township to bring improvement in this area.

"As a village trustee, I would like the village to attract a senior housing community, like the development on the Teerling property that just chose to annex into New Lenox instead of Homer Glen, likely because of our development restrictions," he said. "Not necessarily something so large, but something that seniors would find attractive in design, amenities and price point. The seniors are the backbone of our community and we should welcome them, not force them out from ever increasing taxes and a limited supply of housing options. We need to figure out ways to keep them in their hometown, Homer Glen."

For more information, you can visit his campaign website.

There are three open positions on the Homer Glen village board in the April 2 election. The other candidates are newcomers Ann Holtz and Michael Kartsounis and incumbents Carlo Caprio and Beth Rodgers.

If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 2 election, you can email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire.