Libertyville Mayoral Race 2025: Hickey vs. Johnson

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Two will vie for the Libertyville mayoral seat this April.

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.

• 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. Patch.com will post Johnson's verbatim responses if she does respond and add her comments to this article

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
• 2 To Vie For Mayoral Seat In Libertyville In 2025
• Profile for Re-elect Donna Johnson for Libertyville Mayor

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.

• Video Shows 'Near Miss' At 'Dangerous' Libertyville Intersection
• Libertyville Village Board To Vote On Safety Upgrades At Crosswalk

You can check out Hickey's full candidate questionnaire here. Information on voting in Libertyville, and the April 1 local election, can be found here. You can follow Johnson's Facebook page for updates on her campaign here.