Orland Mayor Celebrates Term Limits Victory: Election Results

ORLAND PARK, IL — After a long election night, Orland Park voters ultimately voted yes on a referendum imposing term limits for elected officials in the village, meaning no one can serve more than three full four-year terms in the same elected office.

With all 50 precincts accounted for, there was a total of 22,805 Orland Park residents who voted on the question. The referendum passed with an 88.46 percent "yes" and an 11.54 percent "no."

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau took to Facebook Tuesday evening to announce the term limits victory. Pekau has been advocating for the move since stepping into office.

"I promised to get this on the ballot, I proudly cast the tie-breaking vote to get this referendum on the ballot and was happy to campaign for it," Pekau said. "The days of 30+ year trustees and 20+ years are over. I personally know it is an honor to serve our residents, but it should not be a lifetime career — the people of Orland Park overwhelmingly agree!"

Trustee Jim Dodge, who was opposed to term limits, told Patch he respects the outcome.

"I've always respected the will of the voters. They are very clear on this issue," Dodge said. "Given the problems of our state, it's too bad this doesn't also apply to Springfield."

The new term limits for village president, trustee and village clerk will take effect after the April 2021 municipal election.

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Pekau announced on Facebook that he will be welcoming new candidates at a Nov. 12 campaign event.

"... Orland Park's election is right around the corner. Please join me in welcoming three new candidates for trustee and one for clerk to the ongoing battle against the political machine in Orland Park," he said. "We hope to see you on November 12th as we kick off their campaign at Fox's, the same place where we kicked off my campaign 4 years ago."

Dodge recently announced he will be stepping down as a village trustee after serving the role for 32 years. His announcement can be seen below.

Dodge told Patch he enjoyed his time serving Orland Park, but is ready to shift his focus to his personal life.

"I've really enjoyed serving the people of Orland Park on the Village Board. I simply want to shift my time to some other personal priorities," Dodge said. "I'm very much going to be involved in public service and politics, just differently."

Related:

• Election Results: Orland Voters Say Yes To Term Limits