- WNIJ has interviewed the candidates for DeKalb Mayor and is presenting profiles of each.
- Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
- The last day to vote is April 1.
Cohen Barnes
Cohen Barnes was first elected mayor in 2021. He is the owner of an IT Services provider. He grew up in DeKalb.
“I just want to continue to make sure," Barnes said in a studio interview at WNIJ, "that this community that has been absolutely wonderful to me continues to move down that forward path and becomes the community that we all want and, frankly, we deserve.”
City Clerk vacancy
Regarding the City Clerk role, the city council stripped it of any stipend. Voters in November overwhelmingly opposed changing the position to an appointed one rather than an elected role.
“At this point," Barnes said, "I don't see any reason to restore the salary to the City Clerk, but I never closed the door to any idea [or] any concept."
Human Relations Commission
On the matter of the Human Relations Commission, it's been inactive since Barnes hasn’t made any reappointments or filled vacancies on the commission. One of the commission’s tasks was reviewing complaints against police.
Barnes says, instead, he created a Citizen Police Review Board for addressing complaints.
The Human Relations Commission also addressed issues of fairness and equity. Members of the commission have criticized the city council for excluding them from reviewing policies such as a bus ordinance to discourage migrants being dropped off in the city. Barnes and Alderman John Walker voted in favor of the ordinance which those in opposition said was anti-migrant and unnecessary.
“I want," Barnes said, "to have a commission of the city of DeKalb that represents that particular mission. I just haven't done, obviously, a great job making that happen in a time frame that matters to a lot of people.”
Economic revenue
On the economy, Barnes is a huge advocate for TIFs, or tax increment financing districts. The city council voted to approve the creation of a new TIF district on South Fourth Street.
He says he understands there may be concern that taxing bodies like schools may raise their taxes because of TIFs.
“That may be true in some circumstances," Barnes said, "but what's unique about the city of DeKalb right now is the historic economic development happening on the south side of town."
He’s referring to developments like the META data center which has brought in new revenue to taxing bodies.
Housing
On the issue of housing, experts say there’s a national affordable housing crisis, and they attribute low housing inventory as one of the causes. Barnes says he would focus on listening to developers interested building in DeKalb.
“If it's something we feel fits the city of DeKalb," Barnes said, "we will do everything we can to move forward with it, to be able to prioritize affordable housing. We have a lot of affordable houses in the city of DeKalb. They're just all taken.”
During his term, the city has provided nearly $4 million in tax dollars for the development of luxury, high-end apartments near the railroad tracks on Fourth Street and Lincoln Highway.
He says his approach to lowering housing costs for owners and to attract developers is by bringing property taxes down.
“We have gone," Barnes said, "from roughly 11.5 percent aggregate property tax rate in the city of DeKalb down to this year, it'll be 8.1 percent. A significant reduction that is making it more interesting right now for developers to want to come to our community."
Pension liability
On the city’s ballooning pension liability of over $100 million, he says it’s definitely a challenge.
“If you actually play it forward," Barnes said, "I think by 2033 the City of DeKalb will be broke.”
He says this issue is faced by cities across the state. The solution, he says, has to come from Springfield.
“At some point in the future," Barnes said, "the state of Illinois [and] our state legislature, has to address this issue and change the way they're looking at their actuarial tables and how we're going to fund the police and fire pensions.”
Linh Nguyen
Linh Nguyen is an educator at Northern Illinois University, supporting the teaching staff. Nguyen’s background is in computational chemistry. Teaching at NIU is what brought her to DeKalb in 2016.
“So, I rely on data and evidence to make informed decisions,” she said. “And I think in this case, it would be particularly helpful, because I won't be swayed by political winds.”
Infrastructure, economic development, and accountability
If elected, she says one of her priorities is improvement to city infrastructure.
“One thing we could do," Nguyen said during a studio interview with WNIJ, "is to focus more on street repair and maintenance and improve sidewalks [and] make the city more walkable.”
Another priority for Nguyen would be sustainable economic development. She’d like to partner with NIU for that and would also support the city’s environmental commission in that effort.
“The third priority,” she added, “would be to ensuring that every tax dollar is accounted for, and with the utmost care and consideration.”
City Clerk vacancy
A strong majority of voters in November voted to keep the city clerk position an elected position. She says she’d support reinstating a salary to the role.
“Fair work deserves fair wages, right?” she said. “So, I think providing reasonable pay would broaden the candidate pool and acknowledge the importance of the position and potentially enhance the commitment to the responsibility of the office of the city clerk.”
Human Rights Commission
Regarding the Human Relations Commission, or HRC, the Daily Chronicle reports the commission hasn’t met for over a year because Mayor Cohen Barnes hasn’t filled vacant seats necessary for quorum.
Last April, the council passed a bus ordinance to deter migrants arriving in the city. Critics say it was anti-migrant and unnecessary. The council was also criticized for not bringing the proposal to the commission, which would handle such issues, prior to the council’s vote.
Nguyen was among those who spoke against the ordinance.
She says she would fully support citizen commissions like the HRC because she believes they are great assets to the city.
“It's going to build trust,” she said. “It's going to increase community buy in. It helps with transparency.”
TIF districts
On whether she supports tax increment funding, or TIF districts, she says their success depends on how they’re being managed.
“[If] people manage it well, do it well,” she said, “it's a great opportunity for economic development and a benefit to the community. But if it's not managed well [or] not operating well, it can be a disaster.”
In a TIF district, a portion of property tax money is funneled to pool for economic development projects, while the tax money taxing bodies receive from it stays flat for a designated set of time.
She says the key is to have greater communication and transparency with the residents who would be most impacted.
Pension liability
On pensions, Nguyen says the city’s approach to the over $100 million liability is a problem.
“If you keep pushing for lower property tax,” she said, “you’re going to end up with a huge deficit in the pension [and] you're going to end up with unfunded liability at a historic high. We[‘ve] never seen it before.”
DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas writes that since 2013, all the property taxes the city collects go towards pensions. In 2024, 20 percent of the city's operation funds had to be used to cover the rest. Nguyen says if she were elected mayor, she’d do more to enhance communication and transparency about the matter with the community.
Affordable housing
On affordable housing, she says it’s an issue that she would prioritize. She says one of the problems is high construction costs that may not incentivize a builder to develop affordable housing. Nguyen’s proposal?
“I would consider bold and aggressive initiatives at the city level,” she said, “like [a] community land trust to address long term affordability.”
Economic development
The Daily Chronicle has reported on the city’s penchant for nondisclosure agreements with corporations when making deals to attract them to town. Critics say that may greatly benefit large businesses at the expense of local government.
Nguyen says it's a complicated issue but that the city has a lot of leverage in negotiations. For instance, in the Meta deal, the city has an important natural resource -- water.
“I know that we have a great aquifer,” she said, “and because I'm a computational chemist by training, I know why Meta come here, because for the data center, they require of us a crazy amount of water for their cooling system.”
As part of the deal for Meta to build its data center, it’s receiving a tax break for the next 20 years.
Kouame Sanan
Kouame Sanan is an assistant IT Manager at Northern Illinois University. He’s lived in DeKalb for 26 years.
Sanan says what makes him a better candidate than the others is his concern for people.
“And my collaboration skills,” he added. “I think that makes me a better candidate, because I do that now I've been helping people on the smaller scales, and from whatever you can think of, I'm always there. And I think doing it on the bigger scale will help the community.”
He says he has three priorities if elected mayor.
“Making DeKalb stronger, safer, affordable,” he said. “And I stick to it, because I believe if these three things are met and worked on, DeKalb will be a better community.”
Public safety
He says public safety is an issue now.
“I always hear everyone [say],” he said, “‘between 11 p.m. and five o'clock in the morning, there’s always something happening.’ I don't say it's a big issue, like a bigger city, but for a small town that we have, I think it is too much. Whether it's even two [incidents,] it's too much.”
Affordable housing
He says the city can do more to address the need for affordable housing.
“I don't believe that there is enough affordable housing here,” he said, “especially now when you look on those websites for housing, you can’t even find anything for $100-150,000 anymore, everything is like $234,000.”
The median income for DeKalb residents is under $47,000. And over 60 percent of housing is renter-occupied. That’s according to the U.S. Census.
He offers several solutions.
“Increase the housing supplies,” he said, “or even apartment supply for the residents, and then have the land trust, and then inclusionary zoning, and then work with landlords to see how we can find a credible solution between land law and renters, because it's so expensive to rent and to move to an apartment.”
Transparency
Sanan says making DeKalb a stronger community means one where information on government business is accessible.
“So, transparency is very important,” he said. “You know, you cannot just do things without the community knowing about it. So, I believe the city has a website, but I haven't been visiting all the pages they have. But one thing I will do is make sure everything that is done is transparent.”
City Clerk vacancy
Voters overwhelmingly rejected a referendum in November to make the city clerk position an appointed one. Sanan says if elected mayor, he’d work toward adding a salary to the role.
“So, by doing this,” he said, “then you will have more people to apply for it, because at least they get compensated for the job they do, because they do a lot.”
TIF districts
Sanan says he supports TIFs and thinks the public ought to be better informed about its function.
“Maybe what needs to be done," he said, "is to educate the population and citizens of DeKalb what is this used for. I think it's because of the lack of information. That's why people think [a TIF] is a bad thing.”
Pension liability
The city’s pension liability is over $100 million as the city’s population experiences a steady decline. The state requires that police and fire pensions be 90 percent funded by 2040. That’s according to the city manager.
Sanan says attracting businesses is one way to ease the pension obligation.
“More businesses or more housing,” he said, “and that will bring more revenue, and that will help sustain the pension [fund].”
The city is in talks of attracting a large development. And like other projects, the city offers little details as they negotiate the conditions, such as tax breaks, offered to companies.
When asked whether the city ought to prioritize the quality of jobs when evaluating a potential development, he says he’d put DeKalb residents’ interest first in negotiations.
“The point," he said, "is how these businesses coming here help DeKalb. So, that's what I will be focused on. My focus is on the people. My focus is making the community stronger. My focus is to engage the community in decision.”
John Walker
John Walker has served as Alderman since 2023. He is a delivery driver and has lived in DeKalb for nearly 30 years.
Walker says he distinguishes himself from the other candidates by his candor.
"I'm direct," Walker said, "and I'm straight to the point, and my integrity is second to none. And I love transparency, I think that's all people want."
Human Relations Commission
The Daily Chronicle reports that the Human Relations Commission hasn’t met for over a year, since Mayor Cohen Barnes has chosen not to fill vacancies required to have a quorum.
“When you cut HRC (The Human Relations Commission), or you don't install the people that you need to put in there," Walker said, "it's saying that there's something that I don't want to get out or something I don't want to hear." And this is not one person's town. This is the citizens’ town.”
The commission addresses issues of fairness, diversity and handles any complaints of discrimination in the city. Walker has previously served on the commission.
“We did so many great things for the city,” he said. “For an example, we did the Chapter 10, that's the tenant and landlord agreement.”
City Clerk
An issue that went to the voters in November is whether the city clerk role should be an appointed position, rather than elected. Over 60 percent of voters rejected the referendum.
Walker says that in light of the result he’s in favor of tying a salary to the position.
“If that person,” he said, “puts in the time and the work and the effort, and does things the right way, then, yes, we definitely need to get, get that salary back in there.”
Pension liability
The city’s police and fire pension liability stands at over $100 million.
“People will say, 'well, quit hiring city workers and police and fire,' and I understand when people say that," Walker said. "But you got to remember when it comes to me, there's just nothing that I can ever say to anybody when it comes to public safety, because you need that.”
South Fourth Street TIF District
Last year the city council approved the creation of a new tax increment funding district, or TIF district, on South Fourth Street. Walker was the sole “no" vote. In a TIF district, a portion of property taxes gets pooled together for economic development in the area, while taxing bodies like schools and parks receive a flat amount of tax money for the same period.
“When you implement a TIF district,” he said, “those taxing bodies, they do not receive that revenue that they will most likely get — because of that TIF district, right? So, what do they have to do? Or what do they say they have to do? They have to raise their levies.”
Economic development
On the matter of development, he says if he were mayor, he’d direct the city manager to ensure the companies that are being wooed to move to the city offer decent salaries.
“We have to bring jobs here in town,” he said, “so people can support their families, work hard and knowing when they're done working, that that establishment, that corporation, whatever the case may be, will take care of them in the long run.”
Public Safety
Walker says he’d like to see the police take a different approach from its current one.
“I want them," he said, "to be stern, firm, and let the citizens know that we're not playing those games anymore in certain areas."
When WNIJ asked if he thought crime was an issue in DeKalb, he said, "Yes, I do, and it's gotten better.”
