Daniel Janowick: 2025 candidate for Winfield village board

Bio

Office sought: Winfield village board (Vote for 3)

City: Winfield

Age: 45

Occupation: Nonprofit executive

Previous offices held: Winfield Park Commissioner (elected twice), Winfield Village Trustee since 2021

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

A key challenge we face is achieving the vision of a developed town center and the related relocation and rebuild of our police and municipal centers without raising taxes.

I chose to run in 2020 because the last administration’s plan to implement TIF2 without a revenue sharing plan was not in the best interest of the residents or other taxing bodies.

I’m proud the new board immediately chose a new path that offered taxing bodies to receive benefits from development before the standard 23-year TIF timeline by sharing increased revenue.

This plan invests in our town center; increases the area’s equalized assessed value, adds to the number of taxable properties, and most importantly, adds to the quality of life for our residents-without raising taxes. Without a TIF2 plan, the ability to realize the vision for town center is at risk so the village board needs to continue the conversation with the school districts and ensure all taxing bodies and residents understand the risk of missed opportunities for development.

The village has presented a true win-win plan that is good for the village, the school districts, and for residents, and I hope we see a settlement agreement soon.

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?

Our village is in a strong but still relatively fragile financial position. Through fiscal responsibility and increased revenues from economic development and sales tax performance, the village maintains a strong credit rating and low debt position.

Like all communities, we face increasing costs for essential services and infrastructure maintenance and must continue prioritizing core services like public safety, road maintenance, and water infrastructure.

We’ve recently increased sworn officers’ headcount and are planning to add social work support to ensure officers have all the resources they need to safely respond to resident’s needs and have invested in capital upgrades for our water treatment facility.

Investments in economic development should also be a priority, as a thriving business community helps sustain our tax base, particularly in our town center and in the undeveloped Roosevelt Road corridor.

Spending should be carefully scrutinized to ensure efficiency, and while we must be prudent, cutting essential services or delaying key maintenance projects could cost more in the long run so we must consider infrastructure improvements that could lower costs long term.

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?

The need to provide adequate facilities for our municipal and police department staff is a major priority.

Our aging facility is undersized and presents safety and practical challenges, particularly for our police department. The lack of a sally port, safe space for processing arrestees, separated space for witness interviews and wildly inadequate facilities to accommodate female officers present significant risk for officers and daily challenges in their operations.

The village has a plan to relocate and rebuild without raising tax dollars through the development agreement with Central DuPage Hospital.

Additionally, maintaining and improving our roads and water infrastructure is always a priority. Aging roads and drainage systems, if not properly maintained, can lead to costly repairs and disruptions for residents and businesses.

Winfield operates on a very lean budget so while there are no significant cost cutting options, in time of economic uncertainty, we may be forced to stop proactively addressing infrastructure projects and hold off on beautification projects.

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 decades of experience working collaboratively in leadership roles, where bringing people together to solve problems has been a key part of my success.

My approach is to listen first, gather input from all stakeholders, and find common ground that aligns with the best interests of the community.

In my first term, I learned a lot about the function of local government and feel I have added value to the important decisions and discussions that have taken place.

I appreciate this board’s desire to find creative ways to listen to residents and while we don't always agree, we always respect each other’s opinion, and try to learn from each person’s perspective.

In the end, I want to represent the people of Winfield, and not just prioritize my own personal ideas and want to hold every elected official to that standard of representing the residents. I value transparent discussions to ensure that policies are fair, effective, and fiscally responsible.

This collaborative and pragmatic approach will help ensure that the village board functions efficiently and makes informed decisions that reflect the needs and priorities of our residents.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I care deeply about Winfield. I believe that thoughtful and creative leadership and development that maintains our small-town charm can continue to make Winfield an amazing place to live.

I chose Winfield to raise my family because of the great potential and opportunities right around the corner.

I've been elected twice as a park district commissioner and once as Winfield trustee because the people know I represent them with passion and energy. I bring a strong track record of community involvement, leadership, and a deep understanding of the issues that matter to residents.

My experience in both nonprofit leadership and local engagement has given me the ability to solve problems, manage budgets responsibly, and work with diverse groups of people to get things done. I am committed to transparency, accessibility, and ensuring that every decision made by the village board is in the best interest of our residents.

My goal is to maintain the high quality of life in our community while making strategic improvements for the future. I love talking to residents and hearing their ideas so that I can bring them to life on the village board.

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

I can’t say I can identify something that no one is talking about, but I believe Winfield’s relative small size, financial strength, and geographic proximity to multiple forest preserve areas make us a great town to be a leader in conservation minded village government management policies.

From our current piloting of an electric vehicle, to a wider incorporation of renewable energy, to the use of road salt that has less of a negative impact on local streams are ways we can serve residents better while celebrating the unique and special benefits of living in place surrounding by nature.

The ideas are abundant, from public recycling containers, to charging stations, to walkable and bikeable public areas, we can find ways to showcase Winfield's wonderful relationship to nature.