Wendy S. Meister: 2026 candidate for Lake County Board District 3

Bio

Party: Democratic

Office sought: Lake County Board District 3

City: Riverwoods

Age: 66

Occupation: Consultant

Previous offices held: Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District (appoint)

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am running because we are facing an extraordinary moment, and our board needs to be better prepared. I will fight for coordinated planning now to reduce long-term damage to residents, businesses, and taxpayers alike.

Since July, we have known that federal safety-net programs, such as Medicaid, the school lunch program, and SNAP, have been targeted for cuts. Yet Lake County took a wait-and-see approach instead of acting proactively. This business-as-usual mindset is no longer sustainable.

This issue extends throughout the County, and the cuts threaten healthcare, education, and economic stability — the foundations that make Lake County a desirable place to live.

Cutting a service doesn’t just remove an individual's access. These cuts dismantle multiple government operations within the County. Many of these municipalities, townships, fire districts, schools, etc., do not have budgets or reserves to weather the storm. As a board member, I will prioritize the evaluation and dissemination of needed funds to keep Lake County healthy, educated, and economically stable. This may include using county reserves.

If you are an incumbent, describe a few important initiatives you’ve led. If you’re not an incumbent, describe a few ways you would contribute to the board.

A Lake County Board member is considered a part-time job. I intend on treating it as a full-time job.

I have a degree in sociology/criminal justice and a Master of Architecture. During my career in architecture, I planned a variety of government buildings, including courthouses and other government buildings.

The County spends a great deal of money on buildings and studies about buildings. My background would provide a different understanding of these capital budget projects.

As a Board member, I pledge to analyze Lake County government from a systemic perspective, rather than focusing solely on individual programs and departments, so that the County and other local units can achieve synergy and efficiency. Lake County, municipalities, and townships have functions and programs that cover the same needs. Coordinating these programs at the county level will lead to tax savings and better program coverage throughout the County. I will advocate for Lake County to serve as the clearinghouse for overlapping programs and government functions so that the county, municipalities, and townships can collectively coordinate their services and efficiently serve the public interest.

Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

I believe the most important issue facing Lake County right now is understanding and developing a plan to address the gaps left by the dismantling of our federal safety-net programs.

Lake County should continue to maintain the current infrastructure. However, new initiatives should be suspended until we have a plan for keeping our residents safe, healthy, educated, fed, and our economy prosperous.

Hopefully, the situation in Washington will be resolved sooner rather than later, but until then, we need to focus on keeping our institutions functioning as intended.

We have to think outside the box. For example, Medical Navigators from our Health Department should seek out people who need help overcoming the new hurdles used to disqualify them from Medicaid. This will reduce the financial burden on the other medical institutions. This strategy should be replicated in other programs as we match program deficits and analyze expertise within Lake County departments and among our nonprofit partners.

Lake County has developed very strong ties with businesses and non-profits; now is the time for these coalitions to join together to solve problems.

Lake County Board members also serve as forest commissioners. What do you consider the biggest priority or need in your district from the forest preserve side?

District 3 has a large portion of Lake County Forest Preserve. Most residents are a few miles from at least one preserve and are happy with them.

Maintaining the existing preserves is important. Yet Lake County needs to look toward defining “nature worth preserving” as more than forests and more than preservation. If Lake County expanded these definitions, a small investment could create new types of natural oases that serve multiple purposes.

Mundelein created a win situation by reducing flooding by restoring land to a natural, non-forest, open-space habitat at no additional cost to the county’s tax levy. Specifically, investing $9 million in a flood-control project that created an 8-acre pond with natural habitat after demolishing a dilapidated building.

Riverwoods entered into intergovernmental agreements with Lake County and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, where I’m a Trustee. Collectively, we purchased a building on 10 acres. The land will be used to head off flooding due to widening of Deerfield Road and for a fire station, improving response time.

With the county's budget being squeezed by federal funding cuts and other factors, what initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?

As noted throughout my answers, I’m committed to making Lake County more efficient and effective while addressing the federal cuts. This is why I’m running for Lake County Board.

It is unfortunate that the timing of safety net program cuts forces us to make decisions with our backs up against the wall. This is why I pledge to analyze Lake County government from a systemic perspective, rather than focusing solely on individual programs and departments, so that the County and other local units can achieve synergy and efficiency.

For example, Lake County, municipalities, and townships have functions and programs that cover the same needs. Coordinating these programs at the county level will lead to tax savings and better program coverage throughout the County. Again, I will advocate for Lake County to serve as the clearinghouse for overlapping programs and government functions so that the county, municipalities, and townships can collectively coordinate their services and efficiently serve the public interest.

What is the single most important issue facing your district, and how should the county address it?

I have spoken to residents on behalf of other elected officials for over 20 years. Feedback from residents is unlike any I have seen in past elections.

This summer, residents only expressed concern about the federal government's dysfunction. They didn’t really see how the federal cuts to local programs connected to this election. In the fall, they added the presence of ICE and Border Patrol (BP) to their concerns. They began to speak about locally fighting against ICE and BP.

This past week I've heard — for the first time ever and from multiple people — that they believe the most important election this year is our local offices. Right now, a growing number of residents in my district feel that local government units will have to step up to fight ICE and fill in the holes left when federal dollars go missing from the safety net programs.

I think the Lake County Board should assemble task forces to: anticipate the fallout from cuts to safety net programs; evaluate existing and needed resources; and provide a cost estimate so we can determine how best to proceed while continuing to protect all our neighbors.

Why are you the best person to serve in this role?

Figuring out a plan to get Lake County through this rough period requires relationships with elected officials and their staff; knowledge of how government and nonprofits work; skills in organizing groups; and the ability to speak clearly and concisely to residents.

I have spent over 20 years in Lake County working with elected officials and speaking to residents on their behalf. I have endorsements from elected officials across Lake County and support from the Illinois REALTORS, who have known me for years and trust me to work outside the Lake County Board to get things done.

We need people on the Lake County Board who will think outside the box; that's who I am.