Candidate Questionnaire: Liz Johnson
Morrisville, NC – This is an installment in our Candidate 2019 series, in which candidates get to respond in their own words to the same three questions.
We publish the responses in the order we receive them. This questionnaire is submitted by Liz Johnson, running for Morrisville Town Council in the District 3 Seat.
Why are you running?
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Morrisville as your District 3 Council Member for the last 20 years. As promised, I always strive to be a dedicated representative of all Morrisville citizens. I am running for my sixth term because I have the knowledge, the leadership skills, and the experience to lead our Council as we continue to address the challenges and opportunities facing Morrisville.
I am proud of the work we have accomplished together. Over these 20 years I have helped shape Morrisville as the most welcoming, diverse, and inclusive small town in North Carolina. Our success as a great community is no longer a secret. Morrisville consistently receives accolades from Best Place to Raise a Family (2019 Niche) to Best Place to Live in North Carolina (2019 USA Today). These accolades do not happen overnight, but rather take vison and fortitude to earn.
While we have much to be grateful for, I am keenly aware that there is more work to be done. Morrisville’s location in the heart of the Triangle is a blessing and a challenge. As growth in, and more importantly/to a greater extent around us, continues we need hard working, dependable, diligent, productive, conscientious, reliable, thoughtful, open-minded, pragmatic leaders who know how to work together and with our partners across the Triangle. I am that leader.
I look forward to continuing our partnership for the next four years. Working together we will continue to make Morrisville a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
What are your top three priorities and how will you accomplish them?
Sustainable Transportation Options
I am proud of the years of hard work and persistence that went in to securing the approximately $250million committed to road, sidewalk, and greenway projects in the Town of Morrisville. I support the recently adopted Morrisville Comprehensive Transportation Plan and will continue to advocate on behalf of our citizens at the local, state, and federal level to advance multimodal transportation options. Morrisville’s transportation solutions should not be a financial burden for the tax payers of Morrisville to bear alone. I will continue to push for state and federal funding to advance our transportation projects.
While I support additional road connections and road widening projects, we cannot pave our way out of our congestion issues. Enhanced bus service and a Morrisville commuter rail station are planned for Morrisville and I will continue to represent the citizens of Morrisville and advocate on your behalf to see these projects come to fruition.
Execute Capitol Investment Projects
The citizens of Morrisville have helped to establish a list of capitol projects that bring amenities for our citizens to enjoy. I will continue to work with my fellow Council Members to advance these projects (parkland, greenways, road projects, public facilities,,…) and see them implemented. I will continue to leverage Morrisville’s excellent AAA bond rating and push for a bond strategy that will fund projects sooner.
Implementation of Adopted Plans
The Town Council has adopted plans that were created with the help of our citizens. These plans are the blueprint for Morrisville’s future. The plans (Connect Morrisville Strategic Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Town Center, Comprehensive Transportation Plan,…) address a multitude of topics and issues that are important to our citizens. From transit options, advocating for education needs, affordable housing,…these are endeavors that I will continue to move forward.
Give us a brief bio and tell us about your relevant experience
I am a wife, mother, community volunteer, and public servant. My husband Kevin, an IBM Delivery Executive, and I just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. I am incredibility proud of our two adult daughters who have careers in public service. We have lived in Morrisville since February of 1997.
In my professional life I have held positions as a Second Grade Teacher and my career at IBM included positions as a Software Developer and Systems Engineer. I currently work with several non-profits including positions as President of the Morrisville Community Fund Board of Directors, and Chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Raleigh-Durham Affiliate.
I am a graduate of the Advanced Leadership Corp at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Government and have reached the level of Mentor at their Local Elected Leaders Academy. I received a BA in Mathematics and Elementary Education at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
My current and past public service and community experience also include:
President of the North Carolina Women in Municipal Government
North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) Board of Directors and Executive Committee Member
Chair of the NCLM Tax and Finance Legislative Action Committee
Wake County Transit Advisory Committee
Morrisville/Cary Joint Issues Committee
Triangle J Council of Governments Smart Growth Committee
Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Executive Board Alternate
Website: LizJohnson.org
Email: contact@LizJohnson.org
Facebook: Liz4Morrisville
Twitter: @Liz_Johnson_MSV
Instagram: Lizjohn85
LinkedIn: LizJohnson1
Read more in the Candidate 2019 series.
