Keith Pekau said he knew what he needed to know and was willing to risk everything to set things right.
With those weapons in hand — and a team that reinforced his every move — Pekau toppled six-term Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin on April 4 in what was still considered an upset despite a highly controversial pay raise McLaughlin was to receive had he been re-elected.
"I've had a little time to reflect," Pekau, an Orland Park businessman, said on the radio show "Illinois Rising" recently. "I think it really boils down to — with knowing the issues No. 1 — being able to communicate the issues and then surrounding myself with a core team that was very capable to help me, I pulled this off."
Orland Park businessman and Mayor-elect Keith Pekau
The main issue was almost certainly the controversy over the October decision by the village board of trustees to raise Dan McLaughlin's pay by 375 percent. The sudden and huge pay increase also would have handed McLaughlin, Orland Park mayor for 24 years, a pension worth $1.2 million.
"We had a clear, egregious decision to spike a pension," Pekau said. "That clearly got everyone's attention."
Pekau received more than 59 percent of the vote, effectively ensuring that McLaughlin — whose raise would have taken effect in May — will receive a pension based on his pay to date.
"I put everything on the line," Pekau said. "My business was at risk. Obviously, I've hired someone to run it now, but I put a lot of personal wealth on the line as well, and not to mention the fact that I have to still live in the community if I lose after a very, very tough campaign. However, it's doable if you know the issues, and you know you're right on the issues, and you organize properly, you can win, but you have to be committed to doing it."
In addition to the issues and his team, Pekau credited integrity for his win.
"It comes from within; who you are," he said. "People who know me know that they may disagree with me, but they're going to know where I stand on issues. I don't move around on issues; what I believe is what I believe. So that obviously is very helpful because it's genuine; it comes across that way. If you're malleable, you might fool people sometimes, but you're not going to fool them all of the time."
Going forward, Pekau said he would opt out of the pension system and work with the board of trustees to bring the salary back in line with what is commensurate with what was formerly a part-time position. For a while, however, Pekau said he will have to work with what is in place.
"Unfortunately, that position by law, that's going to be the pay and, obviously, I'm going to have to work full time to earn that pay," Pekau said. "My focus is going to be on fiscal responsibility, getting our fiscal house in order, to where we're not spending 5 to 6 percent over our budget every year. And, additionally, we need to be focusing on economic development, which is the driving engine of Orland Park."
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