Patrick Scheibler: 2025 candidate for Libertyville village board

Bio

Office sought: Libertyville village board (Vote for 3)

City: Libertyville

Age: 57

Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales director

Previous offices held: None

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

The most serious issue is maintaining a balance of thoughtful growth and neighborhood integrity. I grew up in this town, chose to raise my own children here, and it’s a point of pride that so many people who also grew up in Libertyville are able to make this their home and raise their own families here. It’s rewarding to see that the generation that came before mine is also able to retire here, both for financial reasons and from a housing option perspective.

The concern is that unchecked housing growth and density will adversely affect the character of the community.

To address this, the village should be proactive to ensure that growth is managed thoughtfully. This includes implementing policies that promote sustainable development and maintaining the unique character of the neighborhoods. Engaging with the community to gather input and feedback on development plans is crucial.

Additionally, the board should consider creating incentives for developers to build diverse housing options.

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 village has a solid Aa1 bond rating which indicates a positive outlook for future financial stability. Hopefully, the village has learned from significant financial missteps in the past that created a long-term drag on the village’s finances that it’s only recently beginning to emerge from.

With that said, there will always be maintenance and investment needs to sustain and improve the village infrastructure, particularly with waste and stormwater management. Stormwater management will continue to put pressure on the current village infrastructure due to the effect of global warming.

Developing and leveraging public/private initiatives for programs like invasive species remediation and neighborhood clean ups would maximize budget outlay as well as increase neighborhood engagement and connectedness.

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?

My father, Lt. Bruce Scheibler, was a policeman for 27 years in Libertyville and the existing police station opened in his first year on the force in 1968. The facility is no longer sufficient to support the current and future needs that a modern police station affords today.

Experts in the field of modern and future policing should be intimately involved in the planning and execution of the building project. The structure should accommodate current technology needs but be developed to easily integrate future tech advancements. Emphasis should also be given to efficient and thoughtful workspaces as well as be equipped to support local training needs.

The project need was identified a few years ago and a dedicated local sales tax was established to support new building initiatives such as this. This tax spreads out the cost burden beyond the village residents.

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.

Although I have not worked in a group setting to determine government policy, I have worked in settings such as this frequently in my professional life. My style in these situations is to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their views and perspectives.

I’m particularly skilled at asking thought-provoking open probes to draw more out of the group participants. This increases the chance that the group provides the best and most reflective result of the larger work community.

It’s important to then share the group findings with a larger audience to confirm that the work done matches to the needs of the larger community. This same process would be important to be replicated in a local government environment.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I’ve lived in Libertyville for nearly my whole life and seen firsthand how the village has evolved to its current state as an upper middle-class community. When we first moved here in the early 1970’s, Libertyville still had significant farmland on what is now established neighborhood housing.

The village had under 12,000 residents and was an intimate town where everyone knew everyone else. People looked out for each other, and everyone took care of everyone else’s kids.

Libertyville was one big neighborhood and many of those folks are still here, hoping that we can sustain some of that early innocence. This has afforded me an extensive network of friends and contacts.

Since I’ve announced my candidacy, I’ve asked numerous folks who they know in local government, and they struggle to come up with a single name. I see this void as an important opportunity to engage the residents of Libertyville in a way that’s been absent for years. I can then represent their interests more directly.

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

There are two ideas that will improve this community. The first involves public safety. There’s been a significant increase in vehicle red light running and routine violations of vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

I’m not a proponent of red-light cameras but I would like to see signage on main thoroughfares indicating that Libertyville is a safe driving community and takes red light running very seriously. The village also needs to monitor crosswalks more closely with dedicated police and safety officers so that we’re known as a pedestrian-friendly village, particularly on Milwaukee Ave and Route 176.

The other idea involves the eradication of the invasive buckthorn species which has overrun our public spaces. The state has designated it for removal and the process can be a rewarding, community-building opportunity. Hundreds of residents have committed their support to the process which I have offered to lead in a public/private partnership with the village.