South Cook News

As Jim Dodge officially entered the race for Orland Park mayor by filing his petitions, incumbent Mayor Keith Pekau and the People Over Politics candidates released a pointed statement demanding answers from Dodge regarding his past actions while in office.

According to a press release from People Over Politics, Pekau and his team raised several questions they believe the residents of Orland Park deserve answers to, especially given Dodge's 32 years in public service. The questions included Dodge’s support for a controversial pension deal, his opposition to eliminating pensions for the mayor’s position, and his role in financial decisions that have resulted in significant losses for taxpayers.

The statement from Pekau and his team questioned Dodge’s past actions, including his support for a $2.1 million pension deal under the former mayor and his opposition to eliminating pension benefits for the mayor’s position. 

They also raised concerns about his role in the downtown Triangle development, which resulted in a $47 million loss for taxpayers, as well as his decision to allocate $64 million in taxpayer money to a developer for the 9750 apartment project, which had only contributed $1 million in return. 

Pekau and his team also raised concerns about Dodge’s dual government pensions, questioning how he could justify receiving two pensions while working families struggle with rising costs of living, including higher prices for gas and groceries.

Pekau, who has served as Orland Park’s mayor for the past eight years, highlighted his administration’s accomplishments, including lowering pay and eliminating pensions for elected officials, reducing the village’s debt and property tax rates, and driving economic growth by attracting over 600 new businesses. Additionally, crime in the village has dropped to its lowest levels in nearly three decades.

“I am proud to be the Mayor of Orland Park, where I grew up and raised my family,” said Pekau. “I look forward to continuing the progress we have made in the last eight years by building on Orland Park’s strengths for the next four.”

The statement from Pekau and the People Over Politics candidates stresses that Dodge’s record over the past three decades shows a pattern of prioritizing politics over the well-being of Orland Park residents. The group emphasized that Orland Park residents have been asking these questions for years and are owed clear answers.

The People Over Politics group, which was formed by community leaders committed to ending the influence of career politicians, has made it their mission to focus on what’s best for the people of Orland Park, with the aim of continuing to move the village forward.