Joe Heim

Thank you for coming to my campaign website.  I am a long time resident of Lake County and live in my ancestral home in Beach Park with my wife Linda. In 1995, I earned a B.A. degree of Geography and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University with a focus on Urban Planning and Geographic Techniques, and with a minor in Political Science. Following university I worked five years as a fulltime substitute teacher for the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL) that gave me valuable insight into education in Lake County. I have also worked as a Steel Worker in manufacturing as a machinist. Finally, I served over 36 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve, and am currently a retired Lieutenant Colonel with extensive experience in planning and analysis. As a Reserve Infantry Officer, I have served in command and primary staff positions during peace and wartime in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan; so I can work effectively under pressure. My civilian education and work experience in combination with my military training and experience provide me the skills needed to properly identify problems, challenges, and opportunities and then to develop a timely informed workable plan to meet those needs.

Long time residence in my neighborhood affords me a first-hand view of the establishment, growth, and development of Beach Park from unincorporated Benton Township into a very desirable place in which to live. I have watched the empty fields surrounding my childhood home fill slowly over time with newer homes by those seeking a quiet and pleasant “bedroom community” in which to raise their families. My neighborhood is now a mix of low, medium, and affluent homes with families that seem to live in relative harmony with their neighbors. My community is a nice place to live in Lake County but residents are leaving in increasing numbers due to excessive property tax bills as evident by the following.