I encourage all residents to send a note to the Oak Park Village Board to express their opinion regarding taking the single-family zoning change to referendum:
Dear Board of Trustees,
I have lived in Oak Park for 23 years. My husband and I bought our first home here when we left the city to raise our family, and we still live in it today. We are proud residents, civically engaged, politically active, and we always vote.
I have never written to this board before. I am writing now to request one specific action: put single-family zoning to a referendum.
This is not the leaf pickup schedule, or bike lanes, or overnight parking rules. This is a decision that will fundamentally and irrevocably change the character of this village. A change this significant to the quality of life of the people who live here — and who pay very high taxes for that privilege — should be decided by the people who live here.
The essence of representative democracy is that those in power exercise their best judgment on behalf of the people. But trust in that judgment depends on the people having a voice. On an issue this consequential, a referendum is the clearest, most democratic way to hear it. Let the voice that decides this be the voice of residents — not paid consultants.
Only fear or sheer hubris can explain this board’s reluctance to let citizens vote on a matter of this magnitude. I don’t think this board is fearful. Whether it’s hubris, I suppose we’ll find out.
Cindy Kelly
Oak Park