Marylee Leu: 2026 candidate for DuPage County Board District 5

Bio

Office sought: DuPage County Board District 5

City: Aurora

Age: 54

Occupation: Project Manager

Previous offices held: President DuPage County Regional Office of Education Board of Trustees

Q&A

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

I’m running for the DuPage County Board because effective local government requires someone willing to show up and do the work. Sustainability motivates me to run because it is about long-term responsibility, not short-term wins. County decisions on land use, infrastructure, stormwater, transportation and capital planning shape costs and quality of life for decades. When those decisions are made without current data, coordination or accountability, residents pay the price through higher taxes, flooding, congestion and rising housing costs. I see sustainability as a governance issue, so planning for future conditions, using public resources efficiently, and making investments that reduce long-term operating costs rather than shift problems down the road. The County has tools to do this well, but they require discipline: setting clear goals before money is spent, using up-to-date information, and evaluating whether investments actually deliver the outcomes promised. My motivation to serve comes from wanting DuPage to make smart, forward-looking decisions so the community remains livable, affordable and resilient for the people who already call it home and for the next generation.

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.

I would contribute to the Board by bringing discipline to how decisions are made and revisited. That starts with reviewing materials in advance, asking clear questions about costs, timelines and outcomes, and treating every vote as a public responsibility. I believe the Board should set clear expectations before public funds are approved, so success can be evaluated later based on results rather than assumptions. That shows up in how I approach oversight. If an information technology failure shut down court filings, I would first look at whether the cause was security gaps, staff training or system design before assuming more funding is needed. In public safety, it means tying investments like the Sheriff’s Office drone program to clear operating procedures and measurable community benefits. In Environmental or Stormwater decisions, it means insisting on current data and modeling. For Housing and sustainability, it means requiring capital and energy-efficiency projects to demonstrate real cost savings or increased access. When programs return for renewal or expansion, my role is to make sure original benchmarks guide decisions so public resources benefit residents broadly.

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

This isn’t a missing service/amenity but a problem with the tools used as the County relies on stormwater and flood-risk models that are based on outdated data. In turn, infrastructure and planning decisions are guided by assumptions that do not reflect today’s heavier rainfall or future flood risk. When the data is outdated, projects can be overbuilt, underbuilt or placed in the wrong locations, which costs taxpayers more over time and leaves residents vulnerable. Updating these models is about making smarter, more cost-effective decisions. Modern data would allow better predicting of flooding, prioritize projects, protect homes and businesses, and qualify for state and federal mitigation funding. It also helps avoid costly repairs and emergency response down the road. Funding would not require new taxes but be supported through existing stormwater funds, capital planning budgets, and eligible state/federal grants that are specifically intended for flood mitigation and resilience. By investing in better tools up front, the County can reduce longterm costs, improve sustainability, and make sure infrastructure decisions reflect the conditions residents are living with today.

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?

I would start with better use of what we already fund with revenue is by making sure growth pays for itself. DuPage provides services that support development and economic activity, like permitting, infrastructure review, and stormwater management, but the fees and agreements tied to those services do not always reflect their true cost. So over time, that means existing residents end up subsidizing growth. I would support a careful, transparent review of cost-recovery policies so fees and partnerships are fair and aligned with actual costs, without raising them indiscriminately. This is not about creating new taxes, but about being responsible with what the County already provides. More importantly, I believe the County should strengthen partnerships with municipalities AND the private sector so county land, infrastructure, or administrative capacity can be leveraged in ways that generate shared revenue or long-term savings. This approach protects taxpayers, supports responsible development, and creates a more sustainable revenue base without shifting unnecessary costs onto residents.

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

Affordability. People are being priced out not because DuPage lacks opportunity, but because the cost of staying here is rising faster than incomes. That affects who can live here, who can age in place, and whether our workforce can remain in the community. I see this personally with my own children nearing adulthood who would like to stay in DuPage but cannot realistically afford to live here independently. Addressing affordability does not mean one program or a one-size-fits-all solution. It means using existing tools deliberately: prioritizing housing strategies that increase supply where appropriate, using county-owned land strategically, and tying housing funds to measurable outcomes like units delivered, long-term affordability, access for working families and seniors. Affordability is also shaped by transportation decisions. The County is being actively courted for regional and state transportation investment, and how those decisions are made affects commute times, access to jobs and overall household costs. My approach is to coordinate transportation, housing, and land-use decisions so County investments reduce cost pressures rather than unintentionally adding to them.

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

I am the best choice because I bring both the competence to govern and the commitment to show up, do the work and vote. I have spent much of my career working inside government systems, where I learned that outcomes matter more than intentions and that good decisions depend on preparation, follow-through and accountability. I understand how policies, budgets and programs actually operate, not just how they are described. I also understand why many residents are not closely tuned into County Board decisions. People are busy raising families, working and managing daily life. I know that firsthand as a young mom, I could barely keep up myself and had to trust that leadership was doing the work responsibly on issues that did not directly affect me at the time. That trust matters.

Now that my children are mostly grown, I am able to pay closer attention locally and focus on solutions that align with the County’s actual authority and make a real difference for residents. DuPage County deserves leadership that takes that responsibility seriously, and that is the role I am prepared to serve.