Marianne Bruss: 2025 candidate for Winfield village president

Bio

Office sought: Winfield village president

City: Winfield

Age: 72

Occupation: No answer given

Previous offices held: Winfield Village Trustee and Winfield Fire District Trustee

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? Also, what makes you the best candidate for the position?

I’m running for village president because I believe in giving our residents a voice in decisions that affect their future. For too long, the current board has disregarded the will of the people.

Last November, they totally dismissed the overwhelming results of a referendum where over 80% of more than 6,000 voters said “yes” to requiring voter approval before spending millions of taxpayer dollars — specifically on a new village hall. Ignoring this decisive mandate violates their duty to represent the very people who elected them.

I’m motivated by the need for transparency, accountability, and responsible fiscal management. As someone who has fought to bring critical questions to the ballot, I know that our community deserves to have a say in how our tax dollars are spent, especially on projects as significant as multi-million-dollar developments or new government buildings.

My goal is to ensure that all major financial decisions are made with the input of the people who have to live with and pay for them.

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

The most serious issue our community will face in the coming years is ensuring that residents’ voices are consistently heard in a meaningful way.

Decisions made today — especially involving large financial expenditures or developments — will shape the future of our village. When our leaders ignore the will of the voters, as seen with the dismissal of last year’s referendum on a new village hall, it erodes public trust and undermines the democratic process.

For future success, we need leadership that prioritizes transparency and fiscal responsibility. This means requiring voter approval for major spending projects, protecting taxpayer money, and ensuring that every decision is made with the community’s best interests in mind.

Accountability must not be just a talking point, but a fundamental value. This issue isn’t just about one development or one administration — it’s about preserving the integrity of our local government.

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 of the village are in strong shape, creating a significant surplus in certain funds far beyond what is needed to meet ongoing expenses. While maintaining reserves is important, excessive funds can lead to unnecessary spending on projects that haven’t been approved by voters.

If the village is seeking long-term investments for these surplus funds, perhaps they should consider returning some of those funds to those who contributed them. With residents already facing rising property taxes, doing so would not only be a prudent decision but also a wise investment for the future.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you 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?

The most important infrastructure project we must address is ensuring that our essential services — like roads, water, and sewer — are properly maintained and improved. These are the backbone of our community and directly affect the quality of life for residents.

Without a solid foundation in these core services, other projects become less meaningful. My priority would be to focus on these critical infrastructure needs first, ensuring that our basic services are reliable and able to meet future demands.

To pay for these projects, we need to explore sustainable funding sources that don’t burden taxpayers unnecessarily. This could include seeking state or federal grants or exploring public-private partnerships that can help fund essential infrastructure without putting all the financial strain on residents.

On the other hand, a project like a new village hall, is not urgent given the current economic uncertainty. During these times, we must be strategic with our spending. We should prioritize projects that directly benefit the community and defer large capital expenditures, like a new village hall, until voters have given their approval for such a project.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think it will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

Effective leadership comes from a shared sense of duty and commitment to the people who elected us. If we’re all focused on doing the right thing for the community, working together becomes a natural result.

By staying true to our responsibility to represent the residents and make decisions that reflect their needs, we’ll achieve the cooperation needed to reach that consensus. Collegiality isn’t something you force — it’s the product of fulfilling our duty and staying united in our purpose.

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

We must protect the right of citizens to bring important issues by referendum to the ballot. Citizen initiatives are a critical check on government power, and when they are blocked, the very concept of public participation is undermined. We must advocate for reforms that ensure citizen-driven initiatives are never obstructed by arbitrary decisions or political maneuvering.