Mayor Andrew Johnson presents state of the city, highlights balanced budget and strategic plan

Mayor Andrew Johnson used his first State of the City address to present a year of achievements and lay out the City of Warrenville’s priorities under a newly adopted strategic plan. Speaking at a Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce event, Johnson credited city staff and volunteers for recent progress and said the plan’s five goals will guide how new initiatives are evaluated and implemented.

"Small town done right," Johnson said, invoking a phrase he borrowed from his predecessor to describe Warrenville’s civic culture. He told the audience the city has "no debt" and "a balanced budget," crediting a frugal staff and collaborative council for fiscal discipline.

Johnson highlighted several administrative and service improvements: an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software implementation to integrate systems and help staff make data‑informed decisions; a citizen engagement app and online portals for permits, complaints and compliments; and an employee engagement survey with about an 80 percent response that will inform workforce changes.

The mayor urged residents to support local businesses — Warrenville has about 300 businesses and roughly 15,000 residents — and praised recent ribbon cuttings and an e‑biz newsletter designed to help local merchants. He also noted the city’s accessibility work, saying the website and other resources have been brought into compliance with accessibility requirements.

Johnson closed the address by thanking city staff, council members and volunteers and inviting questions from attendees; he then moved into an audience Q&A on roads and redevelopment projects.