Naperville City Councilwoman Allison Longenbaugh is stepping down from her elected city position.
Longenbaugh, whose term expires in 2027, announced her resignation at Tuesday’s council meeting, citing a job offer she received that conflicts with her ability to serve. Her vacancy is effective Aug. 25.
“I love my career and I love serving on city council, which has made this a gut-wrenching decision not just for me but for my entire family,” she said.
Longenbaugh lost her job at J.P. Morgan last February, a company she had been with for 31 years. While she could not disclose what her new job is, it was one she thought she could not reject, she said.
“In today’s economic climate — especially with three daughters in college — turning down a stable, permanent position just isn’t a risk we can afford to take,” Longenbaugh said.
Longenbaugh was elected to the council in 2023. Prior to that, she served as a Naperville Library Board trustee and as secretary to its executive board. She also has previously held positions with the League of Women Voters, which she resigned from when she ran for council. In her role as councilwoman, Longenbaugh also served as a liaison to the Advisory Commission on Disabilities and the Transportation Advisory Board.
Her vacancy will be filled by someone approved by the entire Naperville City Council, according to Linda LaCloche, the city’s director of communications. The vacancy will be filled during a council meeting on or before Oct. 21.
Councilmen at Tuesday’s meeting praised Longenbaugh for her time on the council and commended her hard work.
Councilman Ian Holzhauer recalled how Longenbaugh first ran for city council in 2021, but fell short of winning. She went on to run again and won in 2023.
“It takes a hell of a lot of courage to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go run again,” Holzhauer said. “I can just personally say that many times I look over at you as a role model for someone I would some day like to be. You are one of the most gracious, classy people I know.”
Several council members described Longenbaugh as a thorough researcher, citing the detailed questions she asks city staff prior to council meetings.
“Being on this side of the dias, holy smokes, I have never seen anybody more thorough and with more attention to detail — not just in elected office, like in any of my professional experiences,” Councilwoman Mary Gibson said. “I don’t think our community could fully grasp the amount of attention Councilwoman Longenbaugh pays to every single item in that agenda.”
When asked what she was most proud of during her time on the council, Longenbaugh noted there were a few moments that stood out to her, including finding a compromise for a therapy chicken nonprofit, which had expanded their operations without prior city approval. She also said she was proud to bring to the council the concept of visitability — housing that is accessible for those who struggle to walk.
Longenbaugh said she started going to city meetings long before she served as a council member, previously telling the Naperville Sun that she started attending council meetings in 2016 regarding development around the Fifth Avenue train station.
“When I say I am team Naperville, I mean it. It’s not just a slogan for me,” Longenbaugh said. “You elected me to represent you and I have always felt it was my responsibility to show up. I will truly miss connecting with all of you.”
