In 2019, I ran for village trustee and finished as the runner-up — losing by about 50 votes. Between that race and accepting the appointment to the Oak Park Village Board in October of 2022, I spent a lot of time thinking about local government.
I think in most places, people want local government to make their lives easier and to get out of the way. But in Oak Park, that isn’t enough. We want impact. We want to change the world — and we should, because we have.
We were pioneers with the Fair Housing Ordinance in the fight against discrimination in housing; our adoption and implementation of community policing has served as a model to communities nationwide; in 1997 we passed an ordinance establishing a village-wide Domestic Partnership Registry, establishing Oak Park as the first municipality in Illinois to offer recognition to gay and lesbian residents in committed relationships; and we’re the home of the Collaboration for Early Childhood, which served as the basis for President Obama’s plan for early education for all Americans.
In this country, Oak Park makes an impact far exceeding its size and population. And inspired by Oak Park, I’ve spent the last four years trying to do the same.
As chair of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation, I voted to recommend policies to the village board that created record-high sales tax revenue, record-low retail vacancies, and record-high business license applications.
As co-president of the South East Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO), I helped create a partnership with TakeOut25 that took BarrieFest, our neighborhood festival, from local attraction to village destination.
As a board member at Oak Leyden, I use my voice so that folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities can live their best lives.
That was all before I was appointed to the village board.
During the five months since that appointment, I voted for a balanced budget with no increase to property taxes.
I voted to fully fund our police department and for a task force to establish an alternate response system to handle folks experiencing mental-health crises.
I voted to save a family from an economic disaster by putting their well-being over bureaucracy.
I advocated for, and achieved, a policy that ensures our police won’t question our kids in school without a parent/guardian present or their expressed permission.
I advocated for, and achieved, quarterly public-safety updates that hold us accountable for community safety and racial bias in policing.
I voted for a community-wide racial equity assessment to ensure that Oak Park continues to be a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming village.
And I voted for the creation of a Vision Zero Plan that will reduce traffic fatalities and create a safer network of streets for everyone village-wide.
Instead of letting a loss define me, I let it inspire me. I dug in, did the work, and made an impact. And if you vote for me on April 4, I pledge to continue making that impact.
Cory J. Wesley is an Oak Park Village Board trustee, who is a candidate in the upcoming election. Visit www.corywesley.com for more.