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Full Name: Laura LV King
What office are you seeking? Johnsburg Village Trustee
What is your political party? Republican
What is your current age? 47
Occupation and Employer: Police Officer, McHenry County Conservation District
What offices, if any, have you previously held? N/A
City: Johnsburg
Education: Doctor of Philosophy- Psychology- Capella University, Minneapolis, MN
Master of Science- Psychology- Capella University, Minneapolis, MN
Bachelor of Arts- Criminal Justice Management and Administration- Judson University, Elgin IL
Community involvement: Johnsburg Economic Development Committee- Member and Volunteer
Johnsburg Area Business Association- Past President and Volunteer
Johnsburg Lions- Active Member and Volunteer
St. John the Baptist- Catechist and Volunteer
Pistakee Yacht Club- Secretary and Volunteer
Fox Waterway Agency- Advisory Board Member and Volunteer
McHenry County Child Advocacy Center- Former Board Member (2012-2021)
Marital status/Immediate family: I am married to Keith Von Allmen. I have two sons and three step-children.
Why are you running for office?
I believe what makes Johnsburg an incredible place are the people who live here. I am running for office because I believe the board should represent the community and value their voice in decision making. Additionally, with nearly three decades of experience in working for local governments, I feel I have an informed perspective that would serve the taxpayers well in matters of community growth and fiscal responsibility. I believe in transparency in government operations and the governing body’s responsibility to communicate to the taxpayers on important matters. I am passionate about helping others and making the community a better place. These are the reasons I am running for local office.
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
I have worked in local government for nearly three decades. During this time I have learned about municipal operations, working cooperatively with community partners and serving people. I also travel across the country speaking as a subject matter expert on culture change for governmental organizations. I know how to work as part of a team to achieve optimal performance. I have shown my commitment to the Village of Johnsburg through more than 10 years of active volunteerism on Village Committee’s and other local organizations. I hold a doctoral degree in psychology which helps me understand people and what they need to successfully resolve issues. I also have exceptional communication skills which I believe will be an asset to the board. These qualities, and many others, come together to make me a well qualified candidate for Village Trustee.
What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?
I am opposed to any legislation that compromises the rights protected for the American people by the United States Constitution.
Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?
In this day and age, a crime free place simply does not exist. Johnsburg has some crime and that is a problem. I am very happy with the police services in our community and know that our police force works proactively to address problems at the lowest possible level. This helps to ensure we do not see larger problems. To continue efforts to control and reduce crime, I would continue to support police operations to ensure we have a proactive policing model. I would seek technology based solutions that help our police do their job more effectively. I would also encourage the police department continue to prioritize police/community relations so we have officers who know our community members and community members who know our officers. Through efforts such as these, the police and the community can work together to prevent crime and keep Johnsburg safe.
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
I think we did a better job locally than we did nationally or as a state, but I still think the pandemic was handled poorly as a whole. Businesses such as liquor stores and fast food restaurants were considered essential and allowed to stay open while churches, schools and health clubs were forced to close. I know the local government had minimal control over the Governor’s orders and understand on many issues, there was not much they could do. Despite my disappointment with how things were handled overall, when it came to matters within local control, several things were done well. I would like to speak to some of the things that were done right locally. I am happy Johnsburg did not send our police out to harass local establishments and residents like some other towns did. The local schools made efforts to interact with students at safe distances and attempt to keep sprits up, which was beautiful. Also, local charities and volunteer organizations came together to identify the needs of both residents and the small business community to create a plan of action and help people in need. I am happy with the Johnsburg Bucks initiative that was created to help people transition from quarantined living to getting back out into our small businesses and supporting their operations. I think sometimes all you can do is the best you can do with things under your control. From that perspective, I think Johnsburg did a good job.
What did you learn from the pandemic?
I learned how powerful our government truly is. I learned that the media’s voice is influential and can be used to motivate people in both good ways and bad. I learned when people are fearful, the ability to make good decisions becomes compromised. I learned government, at times, will overstep boundaries if you allow them to. I learned as a parent to advocate for my children and trust my ability to make decisions that I feel are in their best interest, even when it goes against the grain. I learned that groups of people can come together and support one another even in the most challenging times. I also learned it is never to late to take corrective action and start moving forward again.
How would you spur economic development in your community?
To spur economic development in the Village of Johnsburg, I would work to ensure the Village is providing support for people exploring opportunities to bring new businesses to the area. We need to ensure infrastructure is accessible in the entirety of our downtown district to optimize the potential for the development of commercial establishments. I also believe creating a tax incentive program or rebate program would be helpful to support small businesses in allowing them to get through the challenging and expensive first few years of operations. Additionally, the Village of Johnsburg would be well served by having a staff member working to recruit businesses that would be a good fit for our area to Johnsburg. These recommendations are based on my experience as an Economic Development Committee member for the past six years.
Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?
Yes. Local governments should always be examining ways to reduce the tax burden on residents. At times this may look like creating enhanced services that result in a savings for taxpayers in other areas ensuring people are getting good value and a high level of service for their tax dollars. Other times, local governments should be exploring grants and other funding opportunities to offset the cost of infrastructure, developments and improvements as a way to ensure those expenses do not become the responsibility of the tax payer. Additionally, local governments are in a position to request tax deferments with other taxing bodies, when appropriate, to facilitate local growth and divert the tax burden for residents. All options should be explored and new and creative ways to bring revenues into local government above and beyond the tax base should be something local government is diligently pursuing.
Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?
While it is important to ensure local governments provide a fair and impartial process for all legal businesses wanting the opportunity to open within a jurisdiction, it is also important to preserve the sense of community and small town, family friendly environment we have here in Johnsburg. Tax revenues are not the only thing to be considered when determining if a business is a good fit for a community. There are many things in life more important than money.
What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?
One of the projects I would like to look at is the continuing development/enhancement of our downtown district. This would include ensuring infrastructure is available to allow for the accommodation of a variety of businesses. It would also need to secure space for sufficient public parking and pedestrian access to the entirety of the downtown district. I would also like to see a multi-general park in this same areas so people of all ages can come together and enjoy our beautiful green space while having access to charming small town amenities in our historic downtown area. I would do this by looking for infrastructure and development grants to secure funding for large projects. For smaller projects, I would work with local stakeholders to assess community interest on business types that would meet the needs of the local residents. I would then revisit the already existing downtown development plan to ensure it is still relevant and see where opportunities for progress exist. I would work with local property owners to get their input and buy in for the plan. These efforts will get people excited about working together to create progress, growth and development in our downtown district.
Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
Yes, of course.
What is your position on open, transparent government?
I believe it is the only way for a government to operate. The government is here to serve the people and it should have no secrets. Fair and impartial processes are the mandate all local governments should be following. It is important that governmental practices are beyond reproach and that people are able to see the inner-workings of the system so they can have confidence in their local elected officials. Transparency is one of the easiest ways to ensure the elected officials are working for the people and not for themselves.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
Yes, I am in support of the Freedom of Information Act. For several years I worked as a FOIA officer for one of my employers. I am familiar with the act and the rights of the people to get access to government information.
Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?
This is a complicated matter. While I would love to say no to this, there may be times it is in the best interest of the community for a nondisclosure agreement to be signed during the conceptual visioning part of the process. The reason for an agreement such as this is not to hide anything from the community, but to allow the exploratory process with a prospective company to occur without interference from outside parties. Once formal plans are presented, those documents become a matter of public record and would be available to the public. I do know there are times big corporations ask for nondisclosure agreements during the exploratory phases when they are doing research to determine if the local location would be a good fit. In that set of circumstances, a nondisclosure agreement may be the best way for the local government to allow a deeper level of exploration without allowing outside influences to corrupt the process.