Endorsements: Adams, Johnson, Williams for Libertyville board
Libertyville's municipal government has been consistently well run and can boast a re-emergent downtown, solid municipal finances and attractive, safe neighborhoods.
Therefore, the question for voters on April 7 isn't the past but the future. To that end, we believe the best combination of candidates in this election is Donna Johnson, Scott Adams and Bethany Williams.
Johnson has been on the village board for eight years and has a long history of leadership on the zoning board and planning committee prior to that. A corporate attorney in her private life, she is a smart, thoughtful member who reads reports thoroughly, asks probing questions and is fiscally conscious.
Adams, meanwhile, is new to the board but not to Libertyville. He was appointed last August after Trustee Jim Moran moved outside the village. His dedication to the community is evidenced by a lengthy civic resume, best illustrated by the seven frustrating years he and others tried to turn the Brainerd building into a community center. That he didn't retire from public life after that defeat says something about his character.
Our choice of Bethany Williams for the final seat is a look to the future. Williams is a young mother and a public-policy professional. The first characteristic is hard to find on a village board, where most people don't volunteer until they retire or their children are grown. The second is hugely desirable, as is her experience with public-private partnerships, transit-oriented development and bringing agencies together for common purpose. She works for the Lake County Workforce Investment Board, but because she is paid strictly through federal funds and not taxes, we see little likely conflict of interest. We believe she would bring value added to the village board.
The three other write-in candidates are Peter Garrity, who has a resume of civic involvement and the backing of Mayor Terry Weppler; business owner Angela Trillhaase and investment executive Thomas Beyer.
But for Libertyville's immediate future, we recommend Adams, Johnson and Williams.