Mark Johnson: 2023 candidate for West Dundee Village Board

Bio

Town: West Dundee

Age on Election Day: 58

Occupation: Director of pricing

Employer: Epsilon Data

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

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

A: The most pressing issue facing the community is what to do with the Spring Hill Mall.

Over time, Spring Hill has expanded (e.g., Barnes and Noble) and contracted losing anchor stores (e.g., Macy's and Sears). U.S. economic conditions have fundamentally shifted demand from retail mall settings. West Dundee needs to respond to the changing marketplace.

It is critical to put attractive alternatives on the table that fit with the overall strategic goals of the village while providing the village the opportunity to earn tax revenues. We are not unique as this trend is occurring across the country.

Different alternatives should be considered including more green space, anchoring tenants focused on experiences (rather than just retail), museums and outdoor outlets.

I think the most important factor will be to listen to residents and hear their ideas. My role will be to assess those against the overall strategic plan and bring forward proposals that fit the community's interest.

Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?

A: I hold a MBA in Finance with distinction from DePaul University. For the last 20 years, I have held financial positions in the workplace. For eight years, was the assistant vice president in charge of pricing for AT&T.

I was comptroller for a nonprofit, and currently I am in charge of the strategic pricing organization for a media company where I review and approve multimillion dollar deals weekly. I understand finance and budgets and look forward to understanding the context of the numbers if elected.

Since I do not sit on the village board, I cannot speak in a comprehensive manner about the full financial state of West Dundee without some context. From what is posted, the budget appears to be in order. Revenues ($12M) are in line with expenses ($12M).

Nonnegotiable services (police and fire) are fully funded within the budget ($6.3M). Additionally, municipal costs are below neighboring communities.

Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?

A: I have listed three top priorities that I believe need to occur. Spending decisions should focus on the attached priorities:

1. Position West Dundee as a preferred option for business and dining. We need to keep the historic ambience but make downtown an attractive destination. There are several store fronts that are run down and need improvement.

2. Develop and recommend ways to improve Spring Hill Mall. This will require investment from the village. As outlined in question 1, this should be a high priority item for the village board.

3. Maintain critical services and infrastructure - Superior fire and police protection (this is a nonnegotiable item);

Other critical items include snow, street cleaning and landscaping - provide roads and infrastructure improvements.

These should be prioritized and done according to an approved schedule - Support local community activities that are accessible to all individuals including those with disabilities. Activities should be inclusive.

Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?

A: I cannot recommend specific areas to curtail without proper context. Understanding the rationale behind the numbers is critically important. In my current business role, all decisions are made on ROI (Return on Investment).

For every dollar spent, what is the anticipated return? If that return exceeds the cost of capital, then we should consider doing the project. The same scrutiny applies to using taxpayer dollars. If voters are trusting you with their tax dollars, you owe them the scrutiny that those dollars are spent wisely and prudently.

While not every project can specifically be measured on ROI, all decisions should be measured using some established metric. Metrics will determine the impact to residents on a per dollar spent. My commitment to voters is to vote "NO" to unnecessary property tax increases and to any unnecessary fee increases.

Q: 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?

A: As outlined above, I believe the mall is the largest infrastructure project we will take on over the next several years. This will involve listening to residents and developing a comprehensive plan to fund the improvements.

Balancing projects - what gets funded and what gets on hold - will be a continual process. All financial decisions need success metrics. If you cannot measure success, you should not be doing the project. If you can gain agreement on the success metric, you have an easier time prioritizing what gets done.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

A: I currently sit on three nonprofit boards in a volunteer capacity. I am very familiar with participating and setting policy with fellow board members. My style when bringing an idea or policy change forward is to benchmark my proposal prior with others to gain their input and build consensus.

When voting on policy changes, I ask relevant and thought-provoking questions to understand the impact of the decision prior to voting.

My style is to listen to others, take ownership and build partnerships. I can point to one initiative that I co-founded in the West Dundee area.

The Challenger program is a program designed for children with disabilities. Getting this up and running involved working with Little League, coaches, parent groups, sponsors and local businesses. This single program has had a profound impact on the community (i.e., thousands of people have been touched by Challenger). I get things done by working with others.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: I believe I am a great candidate for the West Dundee Village Board. I have lived in West Dundee for 30 years.

My wife, Mary Pat, and I have raised two wonderful children in West Dundee. The village is so attractive because of the local parks, bike path, restaurants and festivals that I would like to see that continue. I donate 100-plus hours a year to the town.

For example, in 2022, as a Knight of Columbus, I donated time at Heritage Fest, St. Catherine's School and multiple parish functions. I am also on the board for the McNamee Foundation, which has given back over $40K to FISH, Friends of the Fox, D300 Food Bank over the last four years. I chaired the Kilted 5K for over 300 runners. I also chaired the Challenger Jamboree, a baseball event for kids with disabilities through Tri-Cities Little League.

In 2015, I won the West Dundee Community Service Award. I am honest, trustworthy and do not have a set political agenda. I am vested in this town and care deeply about it.

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

A: I believe that the Fox River offers West Dundee incredible opportunity. Resources should be invested to allow families to better enjoy the beauty of the Fox.

For example, kayak and canoe rentals, bike and burley rentals and outdoor education seminars. These are multiple low-cost initiatives that would allow families activities to enjoy a beautiful resource and make the village more attractive to its residents.