I would like to thank the residents of Franklin Park for the privilege of allowing me to serve as mayor. I look forward to working with Franklin Park's residents, businesses and community leaders to accomplish a number of public policy changes and move our community in the right direction.
Public safety is our first priority. Our upcoming budget will include funding to improve our public safety departments and provide an increased police presence in our neighborhoods.
Second, economic development and tax relief are needed to advance and support existing businesses while encouraging new business development and job creation.

Third, we will enact ethics reforms by ending nepotism in village hiring. When family members of elected officials are placed on the public payroll, it gives the wrong impression that they were hired for who they know rather than what they know. Ethics reforms will also prohibit the Department of Inspectional Services' past practice of asking for campaign contributions from the businesses and residents they inspect.

Fourth, the Department of Inspectional Services will be thoroughly overhauled. In addition to requiring employees to treat residents and businesses with courtesy, dignity and respect, the practice of charging for permits that have little or nothing to do with health and safety concerns will be discontinued. These unnecessary fees amount to an unjust tax that discourages homeowners from improving their properties and pushes businesses away.

And finally, Franklin Park's main streets, business districts and neighborhoods must be cleaner, more attractive and better maintained. The physical appearance of Franklin Park is important to our families and businesses, but we must also protect and maintain certain moral and community standards. I have called for a moratorium on any further adult uses in Franklin Park to protect our village form seeing strip clubs and unsavory businesses come to town.

I would like to invite and encourage all residents and business owners to attend our Village Board meetings held the first and third Mondays of every month at the police department (Please see special summer schedule of meetings for July and August). It is important to keep our residents informed of the decisions your local leaders make in governing our village. Together, I believe, we can make a difference.

Thank you.

Barrett F. Pedersen
Franklin Park

Phone: 847.671.8236
E-Mail: president@vofp.com