Candidates for Oak Park village president and trustee made their case to voters Feb. 20 at forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters Oak Park. 

The League of Women Voters, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on keeping voters informed, is holding a series of aditional forums in advance of the April 1 municipal elections.  

Village trustees

Five candidates are currently running for two open seats on the Oak Park Village Board: Chibikue Enyia, Jenna Leving Jacobson, Lucia Robinson, James Taglia and Joshua Vanderberg. Enyia and Robinson are currently serving on the board. Taglia has served on the board, previously lost his seat, and is running for re-election. 

Candidates introduced themselves in opening statements, giving voters a sense of their backgrounds and priorities. Enyia, a current incumbent and a longtime Oak Park resident, said, “I’m running again for re-election because I think we still have a lot of work to do. I love this community I live in, but would love to see it grow into so much more.”

Jacobson, who described herself as “a mom, an educator and a local advocate for gun violence prevention,” said she is running because “I believe deeply that government should be one of the ways in which we take care of each other, and at this moment, when the federal government is targeting all of our rights, most acutely those of us who are most vulnerable,

 I want to do all I can to protect this community and help build a more inclusive, just and safe future for all of us.”

Robinson pointed to her past experiences, and the perspective that it currently brings to the board table. “I first came to Oak Park when I was 12 years old from Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, one of the oldest Mexican and Mexican-American communities in the city,” Robinson said. “This experience has really shaped my entire life. My grandparents were my family’s first generation in this country; watching their dedication and sacrifice to make a better life for all of us has informed all of my decisions at the board table.” 

Taglia highlighted his previous experience as trustee and his commitment to the community. Taglia said, “I have the experience and collaboration skills to be an effective trustee. If you reach out to me, I will respond. If you have a problem or an issue, I will get involved until the issue is resolved. That’s a promise.”

Vanderberg highlighted his passion for keeping Oak Park affordable. “I am called to leadership in Oak Park because I think the character of Oak Park is changing. The people are the character. Rising costs are forcing our families out and making it harder for people to retire here.” He also explained his forward-looking vision for Oak Park that includes “smart growth, investing in our people and doubling down on the things that make Oak Park great.”

During the trustee debate, the handling of the migrant crisis, and how the community needs to address the threat of mass deportations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were discussed. Every candidate expressed concern about deportations being carried out in our community. Vanderberg, the son of an immigrant, said, “Anti-immigration, to me, is anti-American, this is what we are…There is enforcing the law, and then what they are doing right now.”

Candidates opinions on how to approach this problem varied. Robinson, Taglia, Vanderberg and Enyia took time to emphasize the importance of keeping migrants informed, specifically referencing the “know your rights” sessions the village has hosted. 

The village trustees, who are elected onto rotating four-year terms, serve on the village board. On this board, village trustees create village policies, municipal laws and oversee big-picture issues. The trustees also hire the village manager, who handles the day-to-day operations of the village.

Other topics discussed during the trustee debate include budgeting, business development, village construction, specifically on the village hall and the police station, and more. Both forums in their entirety are available on the YouTube page “OakParkPublicLibrary.”

Village President

For the village president race, Ravi Parakkat, currently serving as a village trustee, is challenging Vicki Scaman, the incumbent village president. 

During the forum, Parakkat expressed his disappointment in how the village is governed, saying, “Oak Park is falling behind: no major investments in four years, reckless spending, high taxes and an understaffed police department.” He also highlighted his conviction to solve these issues, saying, “Oak Park has immense potential, and I see local leadership as a way to unlock it.”

Scaman highlighted her previous tenure as the village president and her strength in hearing all perspectives on issues, saying, “I have a proven record of listening to a breadth of perspectives to build consensus and strategically advancing goals.”

The village president is often regarded as the head of the village or the mayor. They preside over all village board meetings and make many other decisions, including creating and adopting ordinances, creating tax codes and budgeting.

Another major topic contested during the debate was keeping local businesses in the Oak Park area and the vacancy of storefronts in Oak Park business districts. “Our small business community is the heart of our village,” Scaman said, adding, “We have a relatively low, 3 percent vacancy rate in Oak Park.” 

Scaman emphasized the need to make the recruitment, funding, permitting and welcoming processes more fluid to attract new businesses that might be interested in Oak Park storefronts. 

Parakkat made similar points to Scanam on the issue, as well stressing that getting the business here is not enough, but that the village needs to continue supporting the businesses once they arrive. “It is about attracting the business, and then keeping the ones here alive and strong for the long run,” he said. Parakkat is the founder of Takeout 25, a nonprofit supporting local restaurants.