Three trustees seeking to keep their seats on the Oak Park Village Board this spring are doing so under a new political party focused on bringing different communities in the village together.
After receiving the endorsement of the village’s nonpartisan Village Manager Association, Trustees Andrea Ott, Adam Salzman and Bob Tucker have created the Community First Oak Park party. The trustees said it is standard for candidates endorsed by the association to campaign together. The association is a citizen group that is independent of the village manager’s office.
Oak Park candidates must file their paperwork for the April 7 election between Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
“We’re building this particular organization on a model of inclusivity,” Salzman said. “The point is to reach out to as many neighborhoods and as many different segments of Oak Parkers as possible and unify folks around these issues.”
Both Tucker and Salzman are seeking their second four-year term on the board. Ott was appointed to the board in March to fill a seat vacated by long-time Trustee Ray Johnson.
During their campaign, the trustees said they hope to renew the emphasis on providing adequate village services to the community and the development of neighborhood business districts, specifically along Madison Street.
“The focus really is on getting back into the neighborhoods (and) being more interactive and responsive to the community needs,” Ott said. “There will definitely be a focus on Madison street because we have TIF dollars that we need to invest and want to invest.”
All lawyers with families in Oak Park, the trustees served on various village citizen commissions prior to joining the board.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and I think we’re poised to accomplish a lot more,” Salzman said.
Village officials said that they were unaware of any potential challengers for the three incumbents as of Monday.