Deerfield Caucus Slate, Independent Seek Board Seats: Election 2023

DEERFIELD, IL — Election Day is nearly here and voters in Deerfield will decide on the future of the Village Board, among other races.

Three seats on the Deerfield Village Board will be up for grabs. Four candidates are on the ballot for a four-year seat.

The current terms of trustees Larry Berg, Elaine Jacoby and Bill Seiden all end in April. The three are seeking reelection as part of the Deerfield Village Caucus 2023 slate. The trio will be challenged for the spots by independent Christopher M. Goodsnyder.

In February, Patch sent out questionnaires to the four candidates. Among the topics covered were fiscal policy, the Illinois assault weapons ban, Black Lives Matter and commercial development. Patch published all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Full questionnaires are linked here: Seiden, Jacoby, Berg, Goodsnyder

Seiden has been a member of the Deerfield Village Board since 1999. For the past 20 years, the certified public accountant has worked for Clint Murchison Jr., the original owner of the Dallas Cowboys, as his chief financial officer for all of his diverse food, manufacturing and service companies, including Texas Stadium Corporation. He also teaches at Northwestern University.

"The most pressing issue to be faced by the Village Board in the next few years is the need to update some of our obsolete infrastructure," Seiden said in his questionnaire. "My unique experience in finance will help to determine the sources of the funding for these very large expenditures. Without postponing the needed expenditure, I will look to various funding arrangements, including long-term financing without the need to raise real estate taxes."

Jacoby, 56, has been a trustee on the Deerfield Village Board since 2021. For the past three decades, she has worked in the public relations and marketing communications industries; some of the companies include Kraft Foods, Hewitt and Associates and Ameritech.

"Having been a Deerfield resident for almost 24 years, I would like to see a more vibrant local economy and the continued nurturing of our social and community bonds," Jacoby said. "We need to continue to attract diverse businesses (corporations, office developments, restaurants and retail) and diverse people to our village. To some, Deerfield is a place to raise their families. To others, it is a place to shop and dine. There is no reason it can’t be both to an even wider range of people."

Berg, 61, was appointed to the Deerfield Village Board in 2022. He filled a vacancy left by the resignation of Trustee Tom Jester. Berg, a former chairman of the Deerfield Plan Commission, has been practicing law for 36 years.

"I will continue to support responsible and appropriate budgets and fiscal spending," Berg said in his questionnaire regarding fiscal policy. "Our budget and audit received the top best practice awards from The Governmental Finance Officers Association. We also maintained our AAA bond rating."

Goodsnyder 54, an independent, has been practicing law in Illinois since 1993. He has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul College of Law.

"I believe the board has not been receptive enough to the views of the village residents when it comes to redevelop projects to better balance the unique attributes of Deerfield as a quiet, safe, and family-oriented community against the profit-driven goals of developers," Goodsnyder said.