Mayor Sexton Surprises Many With Retirement Announcement

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Wishing to “derail social media rumors,” James Sexton, the mayor of Evergreen Park for 20 years announced his retirement in a letter to constituents. Sexton also endorsed State Rep. Kelly Burke, also a village trustee, for mayor in the April 6, 2021 election.

Although rumors of his retirement had been swirling around for the past month, Sexton’s announcement Thursday surprised some people.

“Forty years ago, I decided to get involved in Evergreen Park government and serve the people; here I am, forty years later, with an extremely heavy heart to let you know that I will be stepping down as Mayor in April.”

Sexton was elected mayor in spring 2001, succeeding Anthony Vacco, who had served 33 years as mayor of Evergreen Park. Prior to that he spent eight years as a village trustee and six as village clerk. In 2012, he was hospitalized for more than a month with West Nile Virus.

>>> Listen to Sexton's full interview on EP Podcast

“You always know when it's time to hang it up,” Sexton said in conversation with EP Podcast. “Karen [his wife] and I had talked about it for some time. We thought this was a really good time. We have an incredible team still on the field."

Sexton ushered in an era of re-development that included the Evergreen Plaza and Evergreen Country Club. The village was able to attract big box and department stores to 91st and Western, while preserving 51 acres of the land tract as green space.

“Years ago, you would have to travel far and wide to meet all your shopping needs; today, you can find everything you need right in your Village,” Sexton said in his letter.

While he doesn’t like making endorsements, Sexton said he would support Burke’s run for mayor next April. Burke was elected as a trustee to the Evergreen Park Village Board in 2019.

“Kelly Burke is an incredibly talented lady,” the mayor told EP Podcast. “She’s an attorney, she’s our state representative. She’s been around the block. She will know a lot of people and be able to help us a lot because of all her connections in Evergreen Park.”

Burke plans to keep her seat in the Illinois House should she be elected mayor. Sexton said Village Clerk Cathy Aparo and village trustees up for reelection also plan to run. Filing for the April 2021 Consolidated Election begins next Monday. It is not yet known if seats will be contested.

Sexton will finish out his current term, which expires in May when the new board is sworn in. Meanwhile, he has one more economic development trick up his sleeve, and would like to see a brewery take up shop in Evergreen Park.

“I will truly miss serving the most wonderful citizens in the world,” Sexton’s letter said. “While I will miss being your Mayor, I look forward to spending quality time with my beautiful wife, Karen, my children and grandchildren, and doing some much overdue traveling once this pandemic has loosened its grip on the world.

“This has been the job of a lifetime; not for a lifetime.”