JENNA LEVING JACOBSON

candidate for 2025 OAK PARK VILLAGE Trustee

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills do you bring to the office? What sets you apart from other candidates?  What does success look like for you after four years in the position?

I am motivated because I care deeply about our community and I want Oak Park to live out our core values of equity, justice and sustainability. I am motivated as a parent to help build a safe, healthy future for our children.

My background is as an educator, advocate and activist. I am bilingual and use my language skills to focus on communication and community: I volunteer as a healthcare interpreter at a free clinic, and support our new neighbors through advocacy and direct service. With strong collaboration skills,  I have developed and nurtured many deep connections in this community through my work in gun violence prevention.

Specifically, I see success in four years as meeting Climate Ready and Vision Zero goals. More broadly, I aim to see that more stakeholders are heard in Village government, and ensure a strong, enduring local democracy.

2. What do you see as the three biggest challenges or opportunities facing the Village in and what role do you see the Board playing to address them over the next four years?

Housing, public health and a fascistic federal government are three serious challenges. The Board can strategically increase housing, especially our affordable housing stock. The Strategic Vision for Housing report outlines specific ways to achieve key goals that the Board should work to adopt (see #9). 

Federal cuts to health protections will ultimately impact our community as roughly 7% of residents are uninsured and 10% use public insurance like Medicaid and CHIP.  Our state-certified Public Health department assists residents without access to health services, and plays a significant role in health education,  raising awareness about access points for care, and identifying gaps or changes for community access to reproductive healthcare. The Board must support and empower Public Health staff, and coordinate efficiently with County and State partners to minimize harm to the physical and mental health of our community members.

Finally, at best, the federal government will distract us from the work we have to do locally. At worst, the Village will have to respond to urgent crises, abuses to civil liberties and human rights, with reduced financial support. It will be time for creative solutions and resolute commitment to protecting our community.

3. What is your decision making process? What steps are steps the Board can take to ensure transparency, clear communication, and community engagement, hearing from the broad spectrum of Village constituents?

I am a deliberate, thoughtful decision-maker. I have a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures, and through my academic training I had to not only develop a keen discernment for meaning in multiple languages and cultures, but to also situate my arguments in larger historical and theoretical contexts. As such, I know to be careful, take my time, cite my sources, and consider multiple perspectives. I always try to seek to learn from perspectives different from my own, as well as from those whose expertise I deeply trust. 

When seeking community engagement, the Village Board should ask who have we not heard from? Are outreach efforts unconsciously reinforcing biases? Are the processes accessible to engagement? Most importantly, are the people we aim to serve involved? 

My leadership style is to build trust through connection. Through authentic relationships, I am able to connect with the broad spectrum of community members and appreciate their perspectives with empathy.

4. Volunteer citizen boards, commissions, and committees advise the village trustees. Do you believe that these entities are utilized effectively? What (if any) changes would you like to see to their authority, responsibilities, and oversight?

I often find myself describing Oak Park as an “embarrassment of riches,” and the number of community members who volunteer their time, expertise and resources to citizen boards, commissions and committees is a perfect example of this. I feel very grateful for those who serve in this way, and it is important that commissioners know that their contributions are appreciated and respected. 

Recently, I have spoken with many young people-high school and college students and recent graduates, who feel extremely frustrated with government, but are motivated to make positive change. I have been encouraging them to get involved in citizen commissions. Young people both have a lot to offer with their experiences, energy and investment in the future, as well as a lot to learn from participating in a local advisory body. Diversifying in this way will ultimately help the Village board broaden its perspective with an eye toward the future Oak Park that our young people will inherit.

5. Please share your thoughts about the Village’s current financial picture. What’s your understanding of the Board’s role in the budgeting process and the allocation of resources? Do you have organizational finance experience?

Because one of the primary responsibilities of the Board is to determine the Village’s budget, it’s essential for Trustees to provide clear and consistent direction to the Finance Department. The budget should reflect Board goals and priorities, but the Trustees must also take seriously the advice from the CFO who has the expertise to inform them of the short and long-term impact of financial decisions, and interpret the big picture of the financial health of the Village. 

Currently, the Village’s finances look strong, but I am concerned about financial uncertainty that will come with cuts to federal funding. The Board will have to mindfully work with staff and community partners to ensure both fiscal responsibility and service to the Village.  We can be simultaneously responsible stewards of public funds and provide high quality municipal services.

I have worked on international humanitarian grant projects that included managing budgets for those projects. I performed consistent stewardship of funds from multiple sources. These were grants with budgets smaller than the Village of Oak Park, but demanded that I not only account for every dollar spent, but also constant verification that those dollars were supporting the proposed goals of the projects.

6. What would you say to voters who are worried about Oak Park’s overall tax burden?

I would say that I, too, am worried about the tax burden. Oak Park should be an affordable place to live for anyone-no matter what you look like or where you come from. High taxes remain a barrier to the equity and diversity that we value. 

While the Village Board doesn’t levy the greatest contribution to the overall taxes paid by residents, it does have leverage when it comes to reforms that can make the property tax system more fair, and can help create revenue through sales taxes to help offset demand on property taxes. This is where I’d like to focus our efforts as strong local businesses bring financial stability to our community. And what the Board can and absolutely should commit to is the responsible stewardship of our public funds.

7. Given the Village’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement, what steps should the Village take to support underrepresented and disadvantaged people and businesses?  Give an example that is or would significantly advance the Village in achieving its aspirations. Have recent discussions in the larger community and or at the national level informed or changed your thinking?

The Village’s DEI statement is a call to action. The commitment to putting into praxis diversity, equity, and inclusion will look like the full implementation of the Climate Ready Plan, which pledges 40% of resources to those most impacted by climate change. This intentionality in the application of ideas around equity can make a meaningful impact in achieving our aspirations. Likewise, Vision Zero is an opportunity to achieve equity in reducing roadway injuries that disproportionately affect people of color and lower-income neighborhoods. As for supporting businesses, the Village can do more to attract and retain minority and women-owned businesses, including as part of our greater efforts around development. We will see some new programming in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to help Black and Latine businesses that I’m really excited to support.

8. What policies and programs should the Village undertake to improve its tax base and help local businesses, and continue to develop a diverse mix of businesses? Are there specific geographic areas on which you would focus? Please share your thoughts about the proposed Economic Vitality Strategic Plan? 

Local businesses are the backbone of the Village, and we need them to thrive. WIth a community-centered approach, I see economic vitality in the strong relationships built and maintained between local businesses and the broader community. I didn’t see much of this specified for Oak Park in the updated progress reports on the proposed Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Strategic Vision for Housing report can be used in tandem with economic development strategy as we attract business by providing patrons. And I think transit-oriented development should be central to our approach, as well as future infrastructure efforts. Increased accessibility for pedestrians, bikers and wheelchair users can enhance our local business districts by attracting customers and connecting more deeply as a community. 

Outside of the central areas with public transit access, I would like to see expanded efforts for commercial development along the Roosevelt Rd. and North Ave. corridors. Oak Park’s existing business support networks are incredibly powerful. I would love to see new networks formed among local businesses in underrepresented areas of the Village for resource-sharing and other mutual support that can build up our tax base and grow our business community.

9. What do you see as the most pressing issue relating to housing in Oak Park? What policies would you advocate to address this issue? Do you consider support for affordable housing to be a core function of our village government? Please explain.

Housing is a basic human need; everyone deserves access to a stable, safe place to live, and it’s important to me that we recognize the ways that it intersects with safety, health, and equity. It’s a core function of government because our community can only thrive when our most basic needs are met. 2 out of 5 renters in Oak Park struggle to pay their rent and older residents are the most housing cost burdened. Lack of affordable housing has contributed to both our Black population loss and to the alarming rise in homelessness. The State considers Oak Park a low affordability community, ranking our share of affordable housing stock in the bottom 7 percentile of all municipalities in Illinois. 

The Village Board can strengthen its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to require 20% of new units to be affordable, and increase in-lieu-of fees to support non-profit developments like those that have proven successful in Oak Park. I would also advocate to establish density bonuses to incentivize developers to include the required affordable units. Because when everyone has access to housing options that they can afford, our entire community benefits - we’re all healthier, safer and more economically secure, and public safety returns.

10. Rental units comprise about 41% of Oak Park’s housing stock. How can the Village better serve the needs of renters in our community?

Oak Park’s highly competitive rental market gets compounded by maintenance costs in aging apartment buildings, which pushes rents to rise faster than income, which is why 40% of Oak Park’s renters are housing cost burdened. They are paying too much of their income towards rent, only increasing financial insecurity. This isn’t good for any family and it’s not good for our community. I think a lot about older adults who have difficulty affording housing as two-thirds of Oak Park renter households over 65 pay more than 30% of their income on housing. We need more affordable housing options so that they can remain in our community. 

One strategy to address this is to focus on the missing middle to increase 2 and 3 bedroom rental opportunities in neighborhoods where they are currently underrepresented. 

We must also remain committed to defending renters’ rights, holding landlords and property owners accountable when RTLO violations occur. The mediation and education programming that the VIllage provides are important services for renters in our community. And as we move forward with Climate Ready, it’s imperative that the Village recognize how climate hazards disproportionately affect renters so that implementation of the plan prioritizes those most impacted.

11. How can the Village better serve the needs of the disabled in our community? Those who wish to age in place here in Oak Park?

Our neighbors with disabilities and older neighbors are as diverse in their needs as any other group. I believe that people know what they need, so the Village needs to listen. We already know that Village Hall is not adequately accessible, and I support its necessary remodel. And as new mobility infrastructure gets implemented through the Bike Plan and Vision Zero, it will be important that the disability community is adequately represented. The Village can also support the advocacy throughout the community, so that the burden does not fall solely on those subject to ableism or ageism. For example if accessible parking is blocked, business owners and employees can step in so the individual who needs that space isn’t left to resolve the injustice alone. Demanding more and better accessibility is a shared responsibility. Because inclusivity benefits all of us.

12. Oak Park adopted the Welcoming Village Ordinance in 2017 regarding immigrants, and has often championed expanded rights for marginalized persons. What role should the Village Board play in the face of current national challenges?

Oak Park’s Welcoming Village ordinance is not just a feel-good expression of our values, it’s an active commitment to the constitutional rights of ALL individuals.  I feel really honored to have worked with so many brave and generous volunteers who worked tirelessly to care for a large group of asylum-seekers who were forcibly relocated from Texas in 2023. What I witnessed in these efforts was Oak Park acting as a welcoming village. That Village staff helped operationalize several months of support and resettlement serves as a model that can help us respond to current national challenges. By leveraging mutual aid, local volunteers, experts at various agencies and public resources across the region to protect each other.

13. How do you define public safety and effective policing?  How would you work to create an Oak Park where all community members feel safe?

We all deserve to not only feel safe, but to actually be safe in Oak Park. As Trustee, I will build on my record of gun violence prevention work and continue to insist on a comprehensive, public health response to this crisis.  Because as a mom, I will never accept or get desensitized to the fact that gun violence is the leading cause of death for children. The IPLAN identifies gun violence as one of the Village’s 4 strategic priorities, yet most of the strategies  have not been implemented, and this is the place to start in the next term. This includes greater dedication to public education campaigns, supporting survivors and those most at risk of exposure to gun violence, and engaging regionally with neighboring communities on broader policy efforts to address root causes.

I am also committed to supporting the VIllage’s pilot E.C.H.O initiative as a community-oriented approach to public safety. This program brings to fruition a lot of work from Village staff, the Village Board and community members and I look forward to seeing it succeed.

14. What is your opinion of the Village’s Climate Action Plan and its implementation so far?

Climate Ready Oak Park plan is a solid road map. I support its full implementation with the urgency that this crisis demands, which is why my campaign is endorsed by Sierra Club.. The Trustees’ role is to actively ensure accountability in the plan’s implementation, and further empower the Village to be bold in following through with the actions necessary to meet our sustainability goals

The Board needs to be explicit that our approach is equitable, and actions are taken in partnership with those most impacted by climate change, which are harms often exacerbated by economic precarity and other systemic inequities. Our public dollars should bolster resilience for the most vulnerable areas, with at least 40% of our investments addressing these sustainability needs. This can be green infrastructure like native plants and rain gardens where there is the greatest risk of flooding, increasing forestry and tree canopy cover in high vulnerability areas, and active support of new and existing community gardens.

We have committed to battling both inequity and climate change, and I will ensure that we intentionally address the ways in which these commitments intersect in our community,  so that we take good care of our environment, and each other.

15. What approach should the Village take towards intergovernmental cooperation initiatives such as the Collaboration for Early Childhood. Are there other specific initiatives that you would like to implement or expand upon with other local and or regional governing bodies and nonprofits? 

I feel very grateful to have worked with the Collaboration for Early Childhood in different settings, and have seen first-hand the benefit their work brings to our community. The Village’s relationship with the Collab is a wonderful example of how cooperation with partner agencies, as well as intergovernmental relationships, are a reflection of a strong community committed to meaningfully addressing complex problems, such as inequities in early childhood development opportunities. 

In leading the local efforts around secure firearm storage, I have experience navigating these kinds of cooperation initiatives. I would like to implement other strategies in the adopted IPLAN related to gun violence prevention, such as programming aimed at supporting survivors and those most at risk of being exposed to gun violence. We face a public health crisis that requires us to collaborate not just within our Village, but regionally through partnerships with neighboring communities as well.


16. Should the Village Board spend its time to make proclamations or take stances on national or international issues? Please explain your thinking.

We live in a deeply interconnected society, and are impacted by decisions made at the national and international level. We experienced this acutely with the COVID pandemic, and in welcoming 200 people seeking asylum in Oak Park. These challenges had roots in other countries and were exacerbated by mismanagement by the US. And so when our federal government is enacting harmful policies targeting our most vulnerable neighbors, I appreciated our elected leaders standing together at Unity Temple in a gesture of solidarity reconfirming Oak Park’s commitment to our equity. Because sometimes virtues are worth signaling and values are worth performing. The problem is when we are only signaling and performing, and not living our values with action. We need to fortify the words in our proclamations with local policies and programs that materially support and protect the people who live, work and visit our village. 

17. One of the Village Board’s primary responsibilities is oversight of the village Manager. What criteria do you believe the Board should use to evaluate the performance of the Village Manager?

In order to implement all of our big ideas, we need the strong coordination of day-to-day operations throughout the departments within Village Hall. The efficacy with which the Village Manager leads staff is what facilitates successful governing. 

Broadly, I think integrity and accountability should be priority criteria for this important role. Specifically, the Board should evaluate how, and how well, the Village Manager executes the policies that fulfill the Board goals. Throughout agendas, municipal communications, and budget preparation those goals and how they are being addressed should be evident. I think the Board should also always confirm that our values--based clearly in the equity policy--are reflected in the work led by the Village Manager, as well as our shared commitment to transparent processes.


18. Last November, Oak Park voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that proposed that voters be able to approve ordinances and policies though a direct vote. At this point the vote on the ballot initiative was advisory or non-binding. The next step is for the Village or any other taxing body in Oak Park (as reported by the Wednesday Journal, November 7, 2024) to decide whether or not to place the issue on the ballot as a binding referendum. Please share your views on this initiative. 

Participatory democracy can only survive when we participate. As a believer in people power, I am not willing to ignore 85% of voters. This resounding outcome should inform the Village Board that our community members want to have a greater impact in local government. For me, the most compelling concerns about a binding referendum are rooted in fear and distrust in the electorate, which given the national context is understandable. And with the real threat posed by dis/misinformation, it’s not unreasonable to worry about the ways in which this kind of power can be exploited to actually undermine our local government and materially harm our community. It is in all of our interests to be intentionally transparent and clear with the language used for future ballot measures, as well as promoting a thorough public information campaign so that voters are fully informed. 

I support allowing voter initiative efforts that would facilitate meaningful collaboration between citizen advocacy and the elected board. Along with a high signature burden, I would insist upon an additional safeguard that would prohibit any initiative that could take rights away from the people who live, work and visit Oak Park.

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