Donna Johnson: 2025 candidate for Libertyville village president

Bio

Office Sought: Libertyville village president

City: Libertyville

Age: Of age to run

Occupation: Retired corporate counsel

Previous offices held: Libertyville village president since 2021; Elected trustee for four complete terms

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?

My experience below reflects my dedication to the residents and businesses of Libertyville and makes me the best candidate for this role.

Leadership and service in a career devoted to community

• Village president/mayor (2021-present)

• Chair, Police & Fire Committee

• Elected Senior Village Trustee for four terms.

• Chair, Streets Committee — Led efforts to maximize the 2012 Road Referendum to improve deteriorating roads.

• Assistant State’s Attorney for both Lake and Cook Counties

• Police & Fire Committee Member

• Parks & Recreation Committee Member

• 2030 Comprehensive Planning Committee Trustee Representative

• Chair, Zoning Board of Appeals

• Current Vice President of the Northwest Municipal Conference

• Executive Board Member, Northwest Municipal Conference

• Member, Lake County Municipal League

• Member, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

• Chair, Transportation Committee, Northwest Municipal League

• Chair, Advocate Condell Governing Council

• Mental Health Committee Participant, D128

• Presenter at Regional Transit Authority Summit

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

We are currently facing financial challenges in our state legislature. The 104th Assembly is facing a $3.2-billion state deficit which will directly impact our municipal budget and our resident taxpayers. We can anticipate more unfunded mandates like the lead pipe replacement. We can also anticipate that the replacement of the Local Government Distribution Funds (LGDF), which is a designated portion of state income tax revenues that we receive with other municipalities, to either remain at its current share of 6.47% or rolled back further because of the deficit.

This is a concern because the original commitment to total income tax collections dedicated to LGDF was 10%. These LGDF funds are significant because they help keep the tax burden low and they help support general services to our residents.

Additionally, long-range projections of the village budget and our general funds that support providing services to residents show a decline starting in 2026-27. We will need to pursue with residents input, alternative sources of revenue, to address these budget needs in the future.

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 community budget is balanced and fiscally sound. However, we must always be mindful as referenced above of the state deficit and the sources of revenue that we have relied on from the state that may be reduced or eliminated. This means that as we project the stability of the General Fund that provides quality services to our residents, we must plan and look for alternative sources of revenue, to address inflation or declines in existing revenues we rely on today.

As public servants we must always be fiscally responsible, and we are accountable to our residents for balancing the budget and maintaining revenues that will allow us to continue to provide the quality services that our residents rely on.

When you look at the Levy Year Tax Rates from 2023 from the Lake County Clerk’s office Libertyville is lower than other communities on average based on a $500,000 home, less than communities like Deerfield, Mundelein, Lake Forest, Vernon Hills, and others.

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?

I see our water and sewer system along with road and bridges improvement as the most important projects the community needs to address. The 2012 referendum passed by our residents, completed 40% of the road and street repairs needed in our community. We still needed to address the remaining 60% and we have worked with surrounding communities to leverage joint bids to lower the costs.

After the 2017 major storm and flooding our study showed that to correct stormwater and sewer issues it would cost an estimated $53 million, so we imposed the stormwater utility fee and outlined project to address the stormwater and sewer issues in Libertyville and we have seen improvement in the hardest hit areas.

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

I have successfully lead teams and negotiated major deals at a Fortune 100 Company. I have also coordinated teams and developed strategy to prevail in major trial litigation.

My leadership style is that of a collaborator, but when the project requires it, I can also make difficult decision and work toward solutions that will benefit the entire community.

I am confident in my delivery and when needed I am an effective communicator. I research both sides of an issue to help ensure that I have considered those areas that will impact my community and should be considered in deciding on a resolution that works in the best interests of our residents.

My business approach is that as a leader we must always be good fiscal stewards of taxpayers dollars and in exploring the needs of the community and its residents, a leader must ensure that there is a funding source to address the need and to minimize the burden on taxpayers.

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

I think it should ultimately be the decision of the residents. But, I do think it is important that we inform the public of the benefits and distinction of being a nonhome rule community.

Elaborate on how it caps property taxes and restricts our ability to impose taxes and fees, and restricts our ability to address local needs and issues to state legislation and state mandates. I think that if we conducted open houses informing the public about the distinctions between nonhome rule and home rule communities this information would benefit the public.