Oak Lawn Voters To Pick Mayor, Library, Park, School Bd. Members

OAK LAWN, IL — Illinois’s 2021 consolidated election seemed to creep up with no warning whatsoever. Voters’ hesitation to sign nominating petitions in the midst of a global pandemic may have contributed to the 63 percent of candidates running unopposed in Cook County contests in the April 6 election.

For the first time in decades, Oak Lawn Village Board seats are uncontested, except for the office of village president. Terry Vorderer, 73, is running with the Oak Lawn First slate. Tom Karones, a 91-year-old Oak Lawn resident, is running for mayor as a write-in candidate.

The mayor’s seat is up for grabs after Sandra Bury announced she would not be seeking a third time. Jane Quinlan also announced her retirement as Oak Lawn Village Clerk after 15 years as the elected officer holder.

>>> Oak Lawn Voter Information 2021 Consolidated Election

Vorderer was elected to the Oak Lawn Village Board in 2013 and prepared to serve under then-incumbent mayor Dave Heilmann before Bury’s upset win. Vorderer went in to win a second term as trustee in 2017.

Vorderer is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and retired Oak Lawn police officer who rose through the ranks to become division chief of patrol upon his retirement. He served on the Oak Lawn Park District Board for many years, and has also advocated on behalf of disabled military veterans.

Keeping a strong and professional police presence, continuing and maintaining strong village services, and holding a responsible line on property taxes are among his priorities if elected mayor. Vorderer is also eyeing turning a blighted, underdeveloped section of Southwest Highway between 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue into a medical corridor.

"We have a plan to steer as much medical use as we can to Southwest Highway," Vorderer said. "For some reason Southwest Highway from Western Avenue to LaGrange Road has never attracted much retail."

Not happy with so many Oak Lawn Village Board candidates running uncontested, Karones decided the weekend before the December filing deadline to run for mayor. Karones wasn’t able to collect enough signatures for his nominating petitions and is running as a certified write-in candidate.

Karones’s career spanned 60 years, where he held positions in engineering, design, sales, marketing, training, management and assembly. He also worked for two government agencies and is a U.S. Army veteran.

In his candidate profile, Karones feels that a number of the current mayor's actions were not done for the betterment of Oak Lawn, but for the betterment of third parties. Karones further states that:

“The problems that are ongoing with our police and fire departments should never have occurred. The treatment by the Village of our senior citizens has not been what would be expected of a community such as ours. There are many comments I have heard about bad alleys, excessive flooding and poor responses to complaints about rat problems, all of which need to be addressed. Also, the 911 system should be revisited and returned to the control of the Village rather than contracted out."

Also, on the April 6 ballot for Oak Lawn Village Board:

Village Clerk

Claire Henning

Village Trustee

Dist. 2 - Alex Olejniczak
Dist. 4 - Jamie Pembroke
Dist. 6 - Tom Phelan

School Boards

Both high school districts in Oak Lawn have contested school board races. In Oak Lawn Community High School Dist. 229, five candidates are vying for four seats:

Rob Loehr
Judy Ott
Edward Wolf
Robert L. 'Rob' Cruz
Safaa Zarzour

Over in CHSD 218, some voters will be picking a candidate running in subdistrict 7, representing a section of Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge:

William 'Bill' Christian
Matthew B. 'Matt' Heinlen

Library

Challengers want to make the Oak Lawn Public Library Board nice again in what may be the village’s most vitriolic race. Incumbents trustees Roseann Spoto and Suzanne Marzano are being facing five challengers including Kimberly D. Brightmore, Laura A. Begani, Kathleen A. McDermott, Katherine Swiecicki and Kelli Mason.

Parks

Finally, three candidates are running for two seats for the Oak Lawn Park District Board of Commissioners including Vernon Zumhagen, Ryan Donahue and Jim Buschbach Jr.

Check back after the polls close at 7 p.m. for election results.