Name: Mark Edward Johnson

Position for which you are a candidate: Village of West Dundee Trustee

 

Why are you seeking this position?

I have lived in West Dundee for 30 years where  my wife, Mary Pat, and I have raised two wonderful kids.  The village is a wonderful place to live because of the local parks, bike path, restaurants and festivals and it’s people.  I would like to see that continue as we develop into the future.

First and foremost, I have always given back and been involved in the community of West Dundee. I love this town. When I heard there was an open seat, I thought this would be a great way to help the village.  I listen to people and help make positive change in the areas that I focus on.  For example, I co-founded and ran a baseball league that paired Little leaguers with children with disabilities.  Positive change.  I actively chair and am in charge of local community events.  I am the race director of the Kilted 5K on March 11th where 100% of the proceeds go back to local organizations.  Positive change.

When I look at West Dundee, I think there are areas where I can help make positive change by being on the Village board. I think the village is falling behind East Dundee in terms of business growth.  Several store fronts are not attractive and I think we can do better.  I am for business growth, but it has to benefit our residents. I think I can provide some thought leadership on the Spring Hill mall situation. I would like to be a leader in those discussions.

My philosophy is simple.  Whenever you raise you hand and take a leadership role, leave it better than when you started.  I think by being on the village board, I will have the opportunity to do just that.

What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?

I think I bring a very strong financial skill set along with strong community engagement.

For the last 20 years, I have held financial positions.  I hold a MBA in Finance with distinction from DePaul University.  For eight years, was the Assistant Vice President in charge of Pricing for AT&T, where I managed price changes worth $100M+.  I was comptroller for a Non-Profit, and currently I am in charge of the Strategic Pricing Organization for a 2B+ media company where I review and approve multi-million dollar deals daily.  I understand finance and budgets and look forward to understanding the budget issues that we face.

I donate over 100+ hours a year to the town. In 2022, as a Knight of Columbus, I donated time at Heritage Fest, St. Catherine’s School and many 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 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 vested in this town and care deeply about it.

I currently sit on multiple boards, and know how to partner and make positive change.  I have done that all my life.

What will be your highest priorities if elected?

I have listed my top priorities that I think need to occur. All spending decisions should focus on the attached priorities:

  1. Position West Dundee a preferred option for business and dining.
  •   Keep the historic ambiance but make downtown an attractive destination. There are several store fronts that are run down and need improvement. Downtown should be an attractive location for people to come.
  •  Develop and recommend ways to improve the Spring Hill Mall.  This will require investment from the Village. This should be a high priority item for the Village Board.
  1. Maintain Critical Services and Infrastructure
  • Superior Fire & Police Protection (this is a non-negotiable 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.  Community activities need to be available to ALL residents of the Village regardless of any physical or intellectual capacity.
  1. Be Fiscally Responsible with Tax Payer Funds
  • Vote NO to unnecessary property tax increases
  • Vote NO to unnecessary fee increases
  • Vote NO to irresponsible development/incentives – I am for business, but development incentives should have a positive ROI

 

Will you be attending the Candidate Night?  Yes

 

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