South Cook News

Deyon Dean is running for mayor of Riverdale again because he has said he is not a fan of current Mayor Lawrence Jackson.

Dean has accused the mayor of patronage and a lack of transparency.

“This is my second time around and running for mayor, because I believe that there's a need for a more economic benefit for our community,” Dean told South Cook News. 

Dean said he has inside information to see most anything going on in the community.

“We had open forums, community forums, speaking to the community about what we're going to do, getting buy-in to what we're trying to accomplish in a community with tax dollars being spent or any grant monies just given to the community that's being spent,” Dean said of when he was mayor previously.

Dean said there is patronage going on right now.

“It has been brought to my attention that, you know, he's been very supportive to the people that supported him in his race,” Dean said. “He'd run the first time and allowing children, cousins and uncles to come in and work in the village.”

Dean said he believes the community is being used as a training ground.

“But at the end of the day, people you know, there should be some outreach to the community,” Dean said. “It should be some relationship going on in the community. And it's not. And then it's always retaliation that there's something going on and people address him about what their dislikes are or whatever.”

Dean said he just wants to help the community. He said he feels like Jackson is personally benefiting from tax dollars.

“We want, I want, our community to be fully vested, knowledge-wise, to what we were doing,” Dean said.

Dean said the mayor needs to be invested in the community and its wellbeing.