When Oak Park and River Forest voters go to the polls to vote in the local elections, we will also have an opportunity to weigh in on regional questions that directly impact our communities.
At the end of the ballot in Oak Park is a referendum question asking whether the antiquated office of the Cicero Township Trustees of Schools should be abolished. This archaic government bureaucracy appoints a treasurer and oversees the investment of our schools’ money. The Cicero Township Trustees of Schools is a drain on taxpayer resources and an obstacle to the efficient operation of our local schools. I have worked in Springfield to eliminate this needless bureaucracy. I expect districts 97 and 200 to liberate themselves from the Cicero Township Trustees of Schools even if this referendum does not pass. Approving a referendum abolishing the Trustee of Schools office, however, would be a more appropriate final nail in the coffin of this outdated unit of government. I urge you to vote “yes” to abolish the Cicero Township Trustees of Schools.
Whether or not the referendum passes, Oak Park and River Forest taxpayers need honest trustees to manage either the abolition of the office or the withdrawal of districts 97 and 200. We are lucky to have Oak Parker Bill Sullivan at the helm, serving as president of the board of trustees. I urge Oak Park voters to vote for reform candidates Maureen Sherwood and Louis Angeloni. They are opposed by the vestiges of the Cicero political organization that controlled the office for decades. We cannot afford to let the Cicero politicians back to the table as we close the Cicero Township Trustees of Schools and return Oak Park and River Forest tax dollars to the control of our local school districts.
A new era at Triton?
Oak Park and River Forest voters also have an opportunity to open a new era at Triton College. Oak Park resident Thomas Gary is poised to be the first African-American trustee in the college’s history, and the first Oak Parker in recent memory to serve on the board. Thomas brings an impressive record to the table. He served two terms on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, served on my legislative staff and the staff of Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr., worked on the Service Academy Nominating Committee of Senator Barack Obama, and currently works at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity bringing economic development and job training programs to communities in our metropolitan region. He also recently returned from a tour of duty with the Naval Reserve in Iraq.
Thomas has chosen to coordinate his campaign with the campaigns of incumbent trustees Diane Viverito of Elmwood Park and Steve Kubiczky of Riverside. I applaud his efforts to build a district-wide coalition that will help not only his election efforts but also his ability to work with his future colleagues on the Triton Board. I know Diane Viverito through her work with Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri, and she is a thoughtful and hard-working public servant. Mr. Kubiczky is a dedicated and detail-oriented trustee. I expect these three candidates will work as well at the board table as they do on the campaign trail.
Thomas Gary was motivated to run for the Triton Board, in part, by the series of articles in Wednesday Journal detailing the board’s operation. He has long been a proponent of open and transparent government, dating back to his service on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. I have encouraged Thomas to make compliance with the Open Meetings Act a top priority for his service on the Triton Board, should he be elected. I trust he will do his best, and I know that Oak Park and River Forest will be better served by having him at the board table.
No matter how you vote, I strongly encourage you to cast a ballot in our local elections. I hope you will join me in voting “yes” to abolish the Cicero Township Trustee of Schools, and to elect trustee candidates Maureen Sherwood and Louis Angeloni. I also hope you’ll join with me in supporting a balanced coalition of leadership for Triton College by supporting Oak Parker Thomas Gary and his coalition partners Diane Viverito and Steven Kubiczky.
Don Harmon is state senator from the 39th District, which includes Oak Park and River Forest.
