Hickey Vs. Johnson: Libertyville Mayoral Race

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Two will vie for the Libertyville mayoral seat during Tuesday's election.

Incumbent Mayor Donna Johnson will be challenged by village board trustee Matthew Hickey, who was first elected to the village board four years ago. Johnson has been on the village board since 2007 and is seeking her second term as mayor.

One of Hickey's goals, if elected as mayor, is to establish a Comprehensive Plan Commission, which will be focused on long-term planning. It will also allow residents to get more involved in planning earlier in the process.

"Libertyville is shifting from development to redevelopment, requiring thoughtful, community-driven planning. Right now, large projects go to the (village) board before the Plan Commission, limiting resident input. Without a clear vision for downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, growth feels uncoordinated," Hickey said. "Growth must align with infrastructure needs so roads, schools, and public spaces keep pace. Supporting small businesses through zoning improvements and economic incentives will strengthen our local economy."

Johnson, he said, is pushing for a 1 percent grocery tax for the village. Hickey said the tax is not needed and that budget reserves in Libertyville exceed rainy-day fund policies.

"...families and seniors shouldn’t pay more while the village holds reserves over its rainy-day fund policy requirement. Instead of raising taxes, we should focus on smart investments and business-friendly policies," he said.

Other priorities, he said, will be to end unnecessary no-bid contracts, expand the 50/50 business grant program, modernize zoning, publicly announce commission openings, stream all meetings and hold open office hours so government is accessible to everyone.

• Libertyville Mayoral Race: Matthew Hickey Candidate Questionnaire

Hickey said if elected as mayor, he'd be focused on "openness" and "community-driven decision making."

"Planning should be proactive, not reactive. I’ll ensure development follows a clear vision shaped by early resident input. Transparency matters, which is why I’ve always shared my campaign finances openly—and as mayor, I’ll bring that same accountability to village government," Hickey said.

• Libertyville Mayoral Race: Matthew Hickey Candidate Questionnaire
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Hickey said no-bid contracts have lead to "cost overruns." The remodeling of fire station #2, for example, went 22 percent over budget, he said.

He also said the police station facility assessment "was awarded without board consultation to a firm personally thanked by the Mayor at her 2021 swearing-in, raising concerns."

"Every tax dollar should be spent responsibly, free of potential conflicts," he added.

Meanwhile, public safety concerns need to be addressed more efficiently, Hickey said. Safety improvements at Milwaukee and Maple in Libertyville took three years to come to fruition.

Under his leadership, if elected, he wouldn't delay on addressing such issues.

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Meanwhile, Johnson said cuts from state funding in the years to come, as well as government mandates, are expected to affect the village's bottom line, according to her candidate profile on the Daily Herald. Patch.com never received a candidate questionnaire back from Johnson.

"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," Johnson wrote in her Daily Herald profile. "We can anticipate more unfunded mandates like the lead pipe replacement."

She said village officials also anticipate that the replacement of the Local Government Distribution Funds, 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," according to her profile published on the Daily Herald.

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

Overall, long-range projections for the village budget shows a decline in funds starting with the 2026-27 budget year.

"We will need to pursue with residents input, alternative sources of revenue, to address these budget needs in the future," Johnson wrote in her candidate profile on the Daily Herald.

Johnson also touted her several years of experience in local government as a reason to re-elect her as mayor. Besides her years as village board trustee and mayor in Libertyville, she's been a parks and recreation committee member, chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals, current vice president of the Northwest Municipal Conference, and a member of the Lee County Municipal League.

You can see Johnson's full candidate profile on the Daily Herald. You can also learn more about her on her Re-elect Donna Johnson for Libertyville Mayor Facebook page.

Patch.com shared a candidate questionnaire with Johnson in recent weeks but has not yet received her responses regarding her priorities if re-elected as mayor.