On April 7, Oak Park voters have the opportunity to make real change in the policies that will guide the village over the next four years by voting for the It Takes a Village slate of candidates.
We are long time residents with a proven commitment to Oak Park. Based on our participation on various citizens commissions and community organizations, we are proposing realistic solutions to the problems facing our village: We will set policy based on a vision shared by the community and its various neighborhoods; we will implement strong economic development policies throughout the village instead of relying on the next large multi-family development to bail us out; we will collaborate with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program to revitalize our retail districts while maintaining the sense of place and character that draws regional shoppers; we will provide the excellent public services expected by residents by reducing huge contracts for consultants and non-essential expenditures; we will assign individual trustees to each resident beat officer district to improve communications between citizens and elected officials; we will adopt an urban forestry management plan that will set goals for a healthier urban forest; we will implement stronger environmental polices to ensure that Oak Park is doing all it can to conserve our natural resources and be responsible citizens; we will work with our partnership agencies to ensure the village is doing all it can to preserve and promote affordable housing and diversity of all types.
Finally we will more actively recruit our many talented and diverse residents to our citizens commissions and will empower them to put Oak Park back on a course in keeping with our core values and providing the quality of life so important to all of us.
Kathryn Jonas is an It Takes a Village candidate for Oak Park village trustee.