Rob Johnson, McHenry City Council, Ward 6 election questionnaire

Full Name: Rob Johnson

What office are you seeking? City of McHenry Alderman Ward 6

What is your political party? Alderman is a neutral political position representing the entire Ward.

What is your current age? 56

Occupation and Employer: Currently on a work sabbatical

What offices, if any, have you previously held? None

City: Living in McHenry

Campaign Website: No

Education: MBA from Keller Graduate School

Bachelors of Science from Northern Illinois University

Community involvement: McHenry American Legion Post 491

Marital status/Immediate family: Spouse Lissa C

Why are you running for office?

I am a proponent of public service so I want to help by ensuring McHenry Ward 6 residents are represented at the city for any decisions or needed support services.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

As a veteran, I understand the importance of leadership and teamwork to solve issues.

What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?

It’s a violation of the 2nd Amendment and will do nothing to reduce crime since only the law abiding citizens will comply; the criminals will not.

Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?

We are fortunate in McHenry that we don’t have the severe crime issues that plague Chicago. The McHenry police department is doing a good job managing the “small town” type of crime issues we have.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I feel the local handling in McHenry was done well given the circumstances.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

To take things like this seriously but also pay attention to how it was communicated and managed at the federal level.

How would you spur economic development in your community?

I would review the existing McHenry business incentive programs in use. Research how they have been used in the past and their results. Discuss this topic with local businesses for their feedback on what would help them. Based on this effort, identify new, and update existing incentives as needed, for City Counsel consideration, feedback and approvals.

Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?

Local governments should be good stewards of their fiscal decision making and how it impacts their city financial health. This can have an impact the the property tax burden of the residents.

Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?

A more thorough analysis is needed to understand what the real impact would be on the residents’ tax burden if tax revenues from “recreational” sales at dispensaries were available to the city.

What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?

Many residents of McHenry Ward 6 have asked me to have the roads patched or resurfaced which I will advocate for.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

When the people decide their representative, I will accept the outcome.

What is your position on open, transparent government?

Government should be open and transparent to the people.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

The Freedom of Information Act is important because many questionable government activities would not be known today with out it.

Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?

For businesses to compete and succeed, they determine the customer need, and figure out how to address that need with a combination of better service, cheaper pricing or higher quality than their competitors. Depending on the company product line, to gain the competitive edge over their competition, businesses develop innovative technology or manufacturing methods.

Understandably, that information is proprietary to that business, and not shared openly to the public. The scope of an NDA would be limited to that proprietary information, which would require employees to sign as a condition of employment.

In this context, I would sign an NDA regarding not sharing company proprietary information, which could put the company out of business. Aside from that limited scope, I would not be limited to communicate with the community.