All Village of University Park elected officials serve four year terms, on a staggered cycle.

Since being elected mayor in April of 2003, much effort has been devoted to positioning University Park to have major influence in the future growth and development of Eastern Will County and the South suburbs.

My vision is for University Park and the Southland Region to enjoy lower real estate taxes, jobs closer to home in order to improve the quality of family life, and to provide and create a high quality educational district that sends students to the nation’s top colleges and universities.

I want to provide quality benefits and services including: water, roadways, pathways and youth and senior services. I plan to continue working with our developers to provide high quality residential development and services. This includes building on relationships with our business partners, and cultural and educational institutions.

As mayor, I am leading efforts to improve water quality by pursuing funding for an alternate water source. We are also planning to reduce the cost for the sewage treatment portion of monthly water bills, by collaborating with some of our Will County neighbors to form an inter-governmental agreement for sewage treatment. Our plan is to work with the Thorn Creek Sanitary District to become our treatment provider during the next few years.

An alternate funding plan is being developed to pay the total sidewalk repair and replacement cost, as and alternate to the current 50/50 funding plan. Also, a plan has been submitted for funding to repair and expand our bike path system. New residential development standards will require more street lighting, green space, walk paths and trails, as well as attractive landscaping standards.

The quality of residential development has significantly improved and homes continue to escalate in value. Over the past two years, I have met with a major developer to finalize plans to build a 900 home community and a major shopping complex that will encompass the University Park Metra station, Governors Highway and Cicero Avenue.

This will include landscaping plans along Cicero Avenue and Governors Highway that will make a major statement about the quality of product that this residential, shopping, transportation, educational, entertainment and recreational venue has to offer.

Our modern and growing Industrial Park is one of the largest in the state with growth potential to more than 3,000 acres. More than five million square feet of new industrial space has been created over the past two years. A plan is being reviewed that will enable the village and school district to receive more immediate annual economic benefits from Industrial Park development.

As chairman of the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission, along with our sponsor U.S. Congressman Jesse L. Jackson Jr., University Park is positioned, as one of two founding members of The Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission.

We have assumed an important leadership role in what will become the greatest economic development opportunity in the Southland Region for many decades. The airport represents thousands of jobs. One thousand jobs will be created during construction. Another 15,000 jobs will be created in the first year of opening the Airport. More than 200,000 jobs will be created with the ultimate build-out in the coming years.

Because of our vision and understanding of the significance of this project, we have a contract with one of the world’s largest airport developers to finance and build the airport. We are positioned to realize an influx of new benefits that include thousands of jobs, lower taxes and more funding for our schools.

We acquired and annexed the University Golf Club in an effort to protect our village borders, protect our future development plans, to provide more community services, sales tax revenue and employment opportunities. The golf course provides a recreational venue for our region. The new club house, which opened in 2005, includes daily dining, private meeting areas and a banquet facility to accommodate 400 guests.

University Park is on the brink of major levels of growth in the residential, commercial and industrial segments. It is important that we do not forget the sacrifice of those business owners and citizens who have invested in our community and who established the foundation for our future. We must keep our eyes on this very bright future and engage in meticulous and comprehensive planning for continued growth and development.

Finally, Webster defines genesis as “the origin or coming into being of something.” By enlarging our vision and raising our level of expectation, we are excited about the future in our lifetime and for our children and generations to come.

I will continue to serve the village and the best interests of the residents of this community. I encourage you to contact me concerning any thoughts or recommendations that you have, so that we can continue to work together to make the Village of University Park the best place to live and do business in the Southland Region.