Kara Macdonald: 2025 candidate for Libertyville village board

Bio

Office Sought: Libertyville village board (Vote for 3)

City: Libertyville

Age: 56

Occupation: Human resources consultant

Previous offices held: Board president, Habitat for Humanity Lake County

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the village board respond to it?

Redevelopment in Libertyville. There are several land redevelopment projects in Libertyville in the next few years and I feel the reactive approach the village has used isn’t working for developers or residents.

I’d like to see the village take a more proactive stance to make sure the concerns of residents and needs of developers are voiced at the beginning of the process. Libertyville is known to developers as incredibly difficult to work with (leading to a current lawsuit) and I believe getting in front of the planning and collaboration will come a long way toward improving that process.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

The finances for the village are strong — we are in a good position. This position needs to be protected while also managing taxes and fees for residents. There are currently two items that will pass costs on to residents — increase in fees for water/sewer to cover the cost of replacing lead pipes and improvements to water treatment and an increase in the property taxes going to the village.

These are small cost increases for residents that add up. Now the village is considering keeping the 1% grocery tax starting Jan 2026. I am against that grocery tax because I feel the burden on residents becomes too great being hit with 3 different taxes and fees.

The village has opportunities in the budget to cover the loss of the 1% grocery tax — in changes to forecasting and the end of the life of the bond for the sports complex.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

As mentioned above, the elimination of lead pipes in the village is critical along with the wastewater treatment plant improvements. These projects have been budgeted and funding has been identified for these projects.

In these projects and the project to rebuild the Libertyville police station, the most critical element will be to control those planning and construction costs by making sure we are following a rigorous 3 bid process and selecting the best companies for the best price to do the work. The competitive bidding process has been circumvented in some cases which I strongly feel is bad for Libertyville.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

I have had a long career as an HR leader for large organizations. I have worked with groups to develop policies and programs for groups of employees of 7,000 or more.

In addition, I have been the board president for Habitat for Humanity Lake County which has been through a period of change in the past ~6 years. My style for making improvements/setting policy is to listen to different points of view, comb through facts and data to confirm the data supports those points of view, identify possible solutions, socialize those solutions to gain support for one or more of those solutions, and championing the best way forward. This collaborative approach is needed for the village.

Right now, the board is not operating in a way that brings the facts and data to the front of decision making. I have only observed an us vs. them mentality without regard for root cause analysis or problem solving. I’d like the opportunity to bring a stronger sense of collaboration to the board so that the best decisions are made for residents of Libertyville.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

In my HR roles and as Habitat board member I have always operated by treating others (from entry level employees/those receiving HFH services to senior executives/community leaders) with respect. I have seen a serious lack of respect among the village board which does not serve our community effectively.

Through my experience and work style I feel I can lead by example and help change the demeanor of the board to where the village benefits from the very best leadership and solutions.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

With regard to pedestrian safety, I’d like to explore three solutions. 1.) There will soon be flashing beacons at the crosswalk near St. Joe’s school. I’d like to see the same solution at the railroad crossing at the other end of town especially in light of the development that is planned in that area; 2.) I’d like to explore a ride share pickup/drop-off area for downtown Libertyville that is right by a crosswalk. This could discourage impaired driving and help reduce the number of downtown patrons jaywalking to their ride share; 3.) I’d like to work with local restaurants/bars to proactively warn patrons of the hazards of jaywalking/taking special care of their safety when leaving their establishment. There have been several pedestrians struck by cars in recent weeks and I’d like to be creative about solving this problem.