PROGRESS OVER POLITICS BECAUSE PROGRESS MATTERS!

ENDORSEMENT- Let's Continue the Progress NOT go back to the Politics!

By Steve LaRock

SAUK VILLAGER NEWS

With the early voting ending Monday Sauk Village residents are urged to RUN... do not walk to the polls! You can get a head start on Tuesday's Municipal Elections by going to vote at the Lynwood Senior-Youth Center at 21490 Lincoln Highway, Lynwood, IL 9am - 5pm, This Monday, April 1st is the last day... and that is no April Fool's joke!  If you are not registered to vote, you will need 2 forms of identification; one with your current address on it and you will be able to register AND VOTE the same day!  You will not be able to register and vote on Election Day Tuesday, April 2nd; you must do so on Monday or you miss the boat!  Voters will be going to their local polling places Tuesday from 6am to 7pm Tuesday, April 2nd

Sauk Village has come a long way in just 2 short years under the leadership of Mayor Derrick Burgess.  We have come from the prior administration's "forward motions" which were really backward politics with a big case of do nothing for 8 long years.  Mayor Burgess promised CHANGE in 2017 and he certainly has delivered on that commitment thanks to Trustees Beth Zupon and Ronald Carter.  Zupon, Carter and newcomer Arnold Coleman embrace the Village's Strategic Plan for Progress and the new 2019 Comprehensive Plan.  

The opponents running for election and challenging Mayor Burgess are politically and personally motivated and they offer no plan of their own but are clearly about stopping Progress for Sauk Village, and frankly that's not good for residents.   

Beth Zupon, Ronald Carter and Arnold Coleman

BETH ZUPON, RONALD CARTER AND ARNOLD COLEMAN!  These three are TRUE "Independent candidates" who are the People United for Progress.  Willing to investigate and research each proposal before voting and doing the job to make sure that Sauk Village stays on that Pathway to Progress.  They will fairly represent all of the residents of Sauk Village.  They are the ONLY HOPE for continuing the Progress that Sauk Village has begun to make the last two years.  Admittedly they know that they have much more work ahead of them but they're committed to doing the job.  They will ensure that balanced budgets and lower taxes will continue, they will ensure more economic development and responsible spending with resident's tax dollars.

Zupon, Carter and Coleman will ensure that Village Government continues to be open, honest and transparent process. Sauk Village residents and taxpayers deserve these Trustees because they truly care about the community, not exacting vengeance and playing politics.

ZUPON currently serves on the Village Board of Trustees and who brings dialogue and a level of professionalism that had been lacking for many years.  Zupon is a no nonsense Trustee who is willing to listen to the opinions and concerns of others she may not agree with.  Zupon currently serves as chairperson of the Village Board's Public Safety Committee, has volunteered for many years for village events and recently brought back the Village's newsletter Sauk Talk and is working to update the Village's outdated website.  Zupon has been a homeowner for 19 years and is Vice President of a major Chicago Investment Bank. 

Zupon has earned your trust and deserves to be re-elected.

CARTER stepped up to serve our nation as a US Army Veteran and he stepped up to serve the people of Sauk Village.  Ronald Carter has served as Village Trustee filling the vacancy when Kelvin Jones resigned from the board after moving from town in 2017.  Carter has volunteered in community and is willing to help out our veterans as well.  Carter is retired after having served in law enforcement his entire career serving as Chief of Police of a south suburban community and the Cook County Department of Corrections for many years.  Carter has proven he can make the tough decisions when he stepped up to serve Sauk Village.  Carter will definitely fill in where outgoing Trustee Cecial Tates is leaving off.  He will be the only veteran on the Village Board of Trustees and Sauk Village has always honored their veterans.  

CARTER has earned your trust and proven he is no fool!  He deserves your vote!  

COLEMAN is the newcomer among all the candidate seeking to become your Village Trustee.  Coleman is married, retired from the legal field where he served as a paralegal and process server for many years.  Coleman still balances his check book the old fashion way; using a check book ledger and not an iPhone! COLEMAN is known to be frugal with his finances and is fiscally responsible.  He will be just as frugal and financially responsible with the taxpayers money too!    COLEMAN has volunteered for many ongoing events in the Village.   He served on the Village's Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee offering very helpful insight into crafting the plan for Sauk Village.    COLEMAN will truly be the breath of fresh air with new ideas, which Mayor Derrick Burgess and his colleagues embrace.  

COLEMAN deserves a vote and will work hard to earn your trust and confidence!    

We hope you consider your vote for these three candidates for Village Board and please consider a vote for 

ALSO DO NOT FORGET:
TAMMY JONES, RaDONNA BROWN and BRANDIE JACKSON-WILLIAMS for School Board Member for Community Consolidated School District 168.  These three women are committed to the success of Sauk Village schools which include raising our standards.  

SAUK VILLAGE MAKING PROGRESS AND CHANGE UNDER BURGESS

BURGESS TAKES OATH IN 2017

By Steve LaRock

SAUK VILLAGE |  He retired from his job as an engineer from the University of Illinois, Chicago and works full-time as Mayor of Sauk Village at a salary of $20,000 per year.  He opted to forego a full-time Village administrator to save the residents more than $175,000 per year.  He is Derrick Burgess, a soft-spoken, 37-year resident and homeowner.  Derrick Burgess was elected mayor of Sauk Village in May, 2017.

How did he become mayor of 10,500 residents?  Burgess came armed with a charismatic style and aura that exudes sincerity and genuine concern.  Burgess crafted a positive campaign in 2017 focused on growth and getting Sauk Village on a Pathway to Progress.  He promised to get the Village’s finances back in order, focus attention on economic development and make Village government more efficient and better organized.  Burgess mounted a forward-looking campaign that also promised an end to negative rhetoric about past administrations and to put a stop to stagnation, status-quo and business as usual practice. He presented the residents with his Strategic Plan for Progress, a multi-point plan outlining how he planned to restore Sauk Village to a cleaner, viable community.  Burgess’ competitors, however, offered no real tangible plan but instead focused on backward thinking which would have continued the status quo which residents clearly did not want. Residents expressed they were tired of the negative politics and were ready for a leader that could save the value of their largest investment; their homes.  They wanted a leader that would deliver on what they promised, without lame excuses. Many residents told him of their frustration with the lack of community development, the deterioration of homes and the lack of property maintenance.  Burgess convinced the residents of his sincerity and determination to tackle  these challenges. After the 2017 election, Burgess hit the ground running and has delivered on these promises in just 21 short months!  

Burgess’ first initiative was to get the Village Board to adopt his Strategic Plan for Progress; the very first plan ever adopted by a Village Board in Sauk Village’s history.  The Plan called for much attention toward economic development and addressing the negative impact of vacant homes.  

A huge Standing Room only crowd came out to

 support Mayor Burgess for his Inauguration in 2017.

Burgess with the help of the progressive Village Trustees Beth Zupon, Ronald Carter, Rodrick Grant, Cecial Tates and his staff have forged ahead and have realized successes in:

• ·         obtaining a grant to mow the grass of 178 vacant homes.  Some of the vacant homes had not been mowed in 10 years.  Burgess plans on working collaboratively with the South Suburban and Cook County Land Banks as well as private investors to get the 360 homes back on the tax rolls and filled with families.

·         Eliminating and consolidating staff positions position from the prior administration, netted out a savings of over $275,000 in salary and benefits.  

·         Making great strides with the Village’s finances: 

o    replaced the hold over Director of Finance,

o    virtually eliminated the Village’s aging report, 

o    balanced the Village’s budget, 

o    meeting current budget projections by living within the Village’s means, 

o    refinanced existing bonds and obtaining a new $2 million dollar bond which saved money on interest at no cost to homeowners, 

o    Received the GFAO Budget Award for the first time since 2008.  

Burgess and the Trustees who support getting Sauk Village on the Pathway to Progress have applied, received or worked on over $1.7 million in grants and assistance in less than two years!  Grants for road repair, engineering, maintaining vacant homes, demolition of abandoned homes, police equipment and other critical matters.  

Burgess and the Trustees who support moving the Village in a new direction have supported increasing our housing standards by proper enforcement of the Village’s codes.  They have taken on many projects aimed at updating and bringing Sauk Village into the 21^st century.  The Village is finalizing a new Comprehensive Plan which will help the Village with growth and planning for the next 10 to 20 years.  The most recent plan was completed in 1985 and updated in 1999.  The new plan was funded by at $135,000 grant and recently the draft was discussed at an Advisory Committee meeting which calls for a New Town Center on the site of Surreybrook Plaza and a new concept for a Central Park, Community Center and Fire Station.

The progress the Village has made under Mayor Burgess’ leadership was so impressive that the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has provided the Village with a fully funded staff Planner for the Village for the next two years.   The goal of the planner is to assist the village with the objectives in the new Comprehensive Plan and to assist with grant opportunities among many other tasks.  

Mayor Burgess spoke about all the “progress” the Village has made during his recent State of the Village address and a $350,000 grant the Village received for a Phase 1 Engineering Study for expansion of rail spur access and roadways in the LogistiCenter Industrial Park.  Burgess also spoke about the $10 million investment that Gas-N-Wash is making in Sauk Village bringing a 12,000 square foot convenience store, a new Dunkin Donuts, gasoline station, Pops Roast Beef, Browns Chicken and a Truck Stop on the Northwest Corner of Sauk Trail and Illinois 394.  The Village sold the 32 acres of land to the developer Leonard McEnery for $1.35 million.  The Village owned the property for 14 years and did nothing to market the property until Burgess took office. Burgess and the Trustees who support the Strategic Plan for Progress did not wish to squander the profit the Village made on the land but instead put some $800,000 in reserve for a rainy day.  Recently the Village Board approved a budget amendment to allow the Police, Fire and Public Works departments the opportunity for some long overdue capital purchases and improvements.

Recently a local paper recently printed a retraction to a story in which a lone and rogue village trustee politically and personally opposing everything that Mayor Burgess and the group of progressive Trustees have been trying to achieve made untruthful, unverifiable and inaccurate information.  This last week that same publication ran their retraction in which they said “it was acknowledged that many things were said that ha been off base and inaccurate.  Allegations made against Mayor Burgess did not reflect that of verifiable truths…”  We applaud the South Suburban News for the retraction, clarification and printing the truth. 

Another local publication, with an apparent vendetta against Mayor Burgess and the progressive Trustees who support his Strategic Plan for Progress continuously puts wild inaccurate headlines and quotes only what politically motivated audience members ramble on about at the Village meetings but nothing of the content of the meetings and sends no reporter to the meeting. 

So, despite the personal attacks and wild allegations made during official Board meetings by a Trustee who has voiced her aspirations of challenging Burgess for mayor in 2021.  So this rogue trustee along with one lone publication that apparently enjoys printing negativity and misinformation created by those who politically do not support this administration, the Burgess administration will continue to focus on the progress for moving Sauk Village ahead and the objectives in the Strategic Plan for Progress. Burgess does not comment on the negativity because there is no truth to give it credence.

All in all Mayor Burgess has been doing the job and apparently well enough that he has landed a commercial development not done since 1998.  So apparently no matter how good of a job this Mayor does, there will always be politically motivated people who want to stop progress or they are simply C.A.V.E people (Completely Against Virtually Everything).

ZUPON, CARTER AND COLEMAN MEET AND GREET SAUK VILLAGE VOTERS

ZUPON, CARTER AND COLEMAN

by Steve LaRock

SAUK VILLAGE |  The People United for Progress party candidates hosted a very successful Meet and Greet Sunday afternoon at American Family Restaurant for about 30 or so residents and voters.  Village Trustees Beth Zupon and Ronald Carter were joined by newcomer Arnold Coleman each seeking a seat on the Village Board of Trustees on April 2nd.  

Trustee Beth Zupon spoke about her credentials and experience and the need to “continue the progress that we have started”.  Zupon listed the accomplishments that the current administration has made in less than two years and is proud to have been part of that progress.  Zupon said there is much more work to be done and she asked for the residents support.  Zupon has been a resident of Sauk Village for some 19 years, is employed as Vice President of a major investment bank, and served as Village Clerk for Sauk Village has volunteered for numerous community events and most recently the last two years as Village Trustee.

Trustee Ronald P. Carter, III spoke about his credentials and experience and the need to stay focused and continue economic development.  Carter believes that new business will spur more revenues for the Village.  Carter has over 30 years in law enforcement having served in the Cook County Department of Corrections and a former Chief of Police.   Carter was appointed in 2018 to the Village Board of Trustees by Mayor Derrick Burgess.

Trustee candidate Arnold Coleman speaks with a resident

Trustee candidate Arnold Coleman spoke about his work experience in the legal field and how he transitioned from a “volunteer” to a candidate for Trustee.  Coleman said he supports the Strategic Plan for Progress and applauds the progress that has been made thus far.  Coleman currently serves on the Village’s Senior Citizen Advisory Council and also on the Advisory Committee for the Village’s Comprehensive Plan.  Coleman has also volunteered for many community events.

Zupon, Carter and Coleman are keeping their campaign positive and focusing on progress and how they will help with moving the Village forward.  “There has been too much negativity in Sauk Village and these three are the best hope we have for our future” a long-time resident said.  Zupon responded that there is too much misinformation on social media perpetuated by a few individuals and that she avoids that when possible.  Carter agreed there is far too much negativity from the other campaigns including racial references to “golden ghetto” and candidates who live in certain areas of the Village.  “Does it matter where one lives?  We still are subject to the same rules, regulations, policies and procedures; we still have potholes, the same crime, and the same problems.  It is nothing but a way to divide our community” Carter later said. 

Trustee Ronald Carter speaking to the residents

Zupon spoke about the Strategic Plan for Progress that she voted for and supports and how that has become a roadmap to the success this administration has had.  Zupon spoke about the progress the Village has made with maintaining vacant homes and working with the South Suburban Land Bank and other entities.  “There is a lot of work still needing to be done, but we cannot stop the progress we have made thus far” Zupon said. 

Zupon introduced School Board candidates for School District 168 which included current School Board President Tammy Jones and Sharon Archie-Davenport who both spoke about their achievements for the district.  RaDonna Brown also spoke about what she hopes to bring to the School Board if elected.  Brandie Jackson-Williams was also invited to attend, however, was unable to due to personal commitment she had. 

Dr. Octavia Altheimer who is a candidate for Prairie State College Board spoke about what she hopes to bring to the College Board.  Altheimer, a Veteran spoke about her service “in the trenches” and said she is not afraid to get in the trenches again for the taxpayers.   

Also in attendance were Mayor Derrick Burgess, Village Trustees Cecial Tates, who did not seek re-election, Rodrick Grant and Village Clerk Marva Campbell Pruitt.

American Family Restaurant

School Board President Tammy Jones

School Board Candidate RaDonna Brown

School Board Member Sharon Archie-Davenport

  

BURGESS NAMES ZUPON TRUSTEE

SAUK VILLAGE |  Elizabeth "Beth" Zupon was appointed Tuesday night to the Trustee's seat left vacant by Mayor Derrick Burgess becoming mayor.  Burgess had two years remaining on his term as Trustee and Zupon will now serve the remainder of that term.

Zupon came up only about 18 votes short of winning a seat in the April, 2017 election.  Zupon served as Village Clerk from 2007 until 2009.

Zupon is a Vice President at Northern Trust and has extensive banking experience among her many other attributes.  She has volunteered on many committees including the Beautification Committee, Zoning Board among many other things she has done.

With the appointment of Zupon, the Village Board is now up to its full compliment of six members.

Burgess also named the chairman of the Village Board's committees Tuesday night.  Trustee Linda Todd will chair the Ordinance Review Committee and the Beautification Committee;  Trustee Bernice Brewer will serve as chair of the Public Services Committee and Senior Citizen Committee; Trustee Cecial Tates will chair the Housing and Intergovernmental Relations Committee;  Trustee Kelvin Jones will retain his chairmanship of the Parks, Recreation and Youth Services Committee; Trustee Zupon will serve as chair of the Public Safety Committee and Trustee Rodrick Grant will serve as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee.

A NOTE TO SAUK VILLAGE RESIDENTS

DEAR SAUK VILLAGE RESIDENTS | Nearly 200 Sauk Villagers have already voted for Mayor in early voting.  If you have not yet early voted, this coming Tuesday, April 4th Sauk Villagers will head to the polls to elect your new Mayor, new Village Clerk and new Village Trustees. David Hanks sent out a missive to his minions asking them to rally behind his chosen candidates, which are no less than a bunch of Bobble Heads!

Hanks says "much has been accomplished without placing future generations further in debt over the last four years..." Well first of all, let's tell the residents the facts!  $10.2 million is owed to the Pension Funds, $32 million is owed in General Obligation Bonds which Hanks himself voted for during his tenure in office, Hanks's administration took over $2 million from the water fund which must be repaid!  The Village has not had a bond rating since 2011 due to the financial mismanagement which he has continued over the last four years!  If he could have, he would have plunged the Village deeper into debt!  Thank goodness he was not able to do so!  So as Hanks leaves and according to the Village's 2015-16 Audit Report the Village is some $50 million in debt!  Let's not even talk about the property tax increases Hanks himself voted for during his 18 year tenure in office!  THANKS HANKS and THANK GOD you're leaving!   

Personally, we cannot wait until he fades off "into non-political retirement" on May 9th, it will truly be a moment to celebrate!  We do agree that Sauk Village residents have a choice either to continue his legacy of failure - taking a giant leap backwards or the Village can actually vote for a New Direction and a Pathway to Progress!

Hanks points out there are three candidates running for Mayor and only one has the vision which is clearly DERRICK BURGESS and yet two other that will continue Hanks's brand of "progress", the lack of transparency and the overall failed past practices that Sauk Village has experienced the last few years. The other two candidates based on their propaganda and comments at the recent board meetings and forum want to pick up where the current administration left off and plunge the village futher into failure!

Based on Hanks's two preferred candidates' campaign promises, if either is elected they will take Sauk Village further in debt placing the additional costs on you and future generations through stealing money from the water fund, taking out high interest loans and raising resident’s fees to record highs………Everything this current administration has done to the residents over the course of the last four years!

There is no way these candidates can keep their promises without selling out the residents of Sauk Village.

Many residents have been asking us who is best to do the job!  Let me make this perfectly clear!

Next Tuesday, you, your family, your friends and neighbors should vote for the following independent candidates, who truly do care, who own homes, who all have had successful jobs, who do not need to steal your money because they have earned their own, who do not have to shake down village vendors for personal trips- they can pay their own way!  Here are the only candidates you can trust with your money:

FOR MAYOR:   DERRICK BURGESS                  Punch #1

FOR CLERK:   MARVA CAMPBELL-PRUITT   Punch #5

FOR TRUSTEE (VOTE FOR 3):

• RODRICK GRANT                              Punch #6
• BERNICE BREWER-HOUSTON      Punch #7
• BETH ZUPON                                      Punch #8

Sauk Village, if you do not want to continue the failure and continue down the Highway to Hell that the current administration has been heading with years of: disrespecting residents, excessive legal expenses caused by David Hanks and Debbie Williams, fear, bullying, shake downs, extortion, FAKE CRIME STATISTICS, unanswered Audit Findings, Criminal Indictments of Village Officials (ie Village Treasurer)!   Then join the majority of Village residents and cast your vote for CHANGE, a NEW DIRECTION and a PATHWAY TO PROGRESS and real Independent Candidates and not a bunch of BOBBLE HEADS! 

SAUK VILLAGE ENDORSED CANDIDATES

Here are the Sauk Villager News' endorsed candidates for Sauk Village.  Early voting begins tomorrow (March 20th) and we will have more information out to voters to help get you to the polls early! 

FOR MAYOR:

DERRICK BURGESS FOR MAYOR- SAUK VILLAGE

When Derrick Burgess is elected on April 4th he will face a Village that is financially worse off than when his predecessor took over in 2012.  Derrick Burgess is a TRUE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR!  Derrick Burgess led the field of candidates in 2015 earning over 60% of all votes cast in his re-election bid.  Burgess has earned the respect of the entire community and will make an outstanding Mayor.  He is passionate about Sauk Village he has a plan and vision for how he will move the Village in a New Direction as he says.  His opponents are not worthy of serious consideration as they are not serious candidates for Mayor of Sauk Village.

If you feel it's time for a New Direction, the Derrick Burgess is the only candidate who is willing to provide that leadership!  Burgess will get Sauk Village on the Pathway to Progress he has spoken about!  He is the ONLY CANDIDATE who will be able to clean up the mess at Village Hall in the wake of the Hanks Administration.

FOR VILLAGE CLERK:

MARVA CAMPBELL-PRUITT FOR VILLAGE CLERK- SAUK VILLAGE
Marva Campbell-Pruitt deserves your consideration and vote for Village Clerk.  Marva Campbell-Pruitt is the only logical choice for Village Clerk as the current incumbent has been an abject failure in doing her job.  When it comes to taking "personal trips" Marva Campbell-Pruitt said she will pay for them herself.  Campbell-Pruitt also said that having a "mother daughter" team running the Village is dangerous, we agree!

Marva Campbell-Pruitt is a professional who completed her career in education and possesses what it takes to bring the office of Village Clerk to the next level.  Marva understands that DETAILS DO MATTER!  The incumbent village clerk seems to get it wrong more times than not.  Getting dates wrong, getting her minutes wrong the current clerk is just, well, wrong for the job!  After 8 long years she still has not gotten it right?  MARVA will not need 8 years to do the job!  She will eliminate politics from the Clerks office once again and deserves a vote!

If you're tired of the Travelgate scandal and wasting taxpayer money on answering routine Freedom of Information Act requests, Marva Campbell-Pruitt should be your choice for Village Clerk.  She is definitely our choice and earned this Endorsement!  Keep on working Marva!  You're MARVAlous!

FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE- SAUK VILLAGE

RODRICK GRANT has a combination of youth, clear focus, knowledge and understanding of the problems facing Sauk Village today.  Grant has earned a Bachelors Degree in Finance and a Masters Degree in Business Administration and comes equipped with the tools necessary to serve as  Village Trustee.   Grant brings to the Village Board a youthful perspective that has been lacking in recent years. 

We strongly suggest that you consider RODRICK GRANT for Village Trustee on April 4th

BETH ZUPON is probably the best prepared candidate for Village Trustee!  Zupon is banking executive for a major international bank and understands how finance works.  Zupon served as Village Clerk from 2008 to 2009 and knows her way around Village Hall, the village's codes and the decisions that will need to be made.  Beth will be the "watchdog" over the Village's budget and spending and will provide a balance of pro-business and pro-growth stance that the Village Board has been lacking for the last four years. 

We strongly suggest that you consider BETH ZUPON for Village Trustee on April 4th.

BERNICE BREWER HOUSTON- As for the third Village Board seat we suggest BERNICE BREWER-HOUSTON.  We feel that Bernice will be an advocate for the residents.  She will ask the questions necessary and will not settle for  nonsense.  While we were on polar opposite sides with her positions four years ago, Bernice has tempered and toned down her message but still has been tenacious about getting information from Village Hall.  A "facts and figures" person that we like in her.  While you may disagree with how the message is delivered, you probably agree with Bernice on more things than you'd disagree with her on.

You should consider a vote for Bernice Brewer-Houston for Village Trustee on April 4th.

While we found that only one other candidate for Trustee has stood out in this election, we feel that once again, it is not her time.  Sene Garrett, failed in her bid for re-election to the School Board in 2015.  Since that time she has been virtually invisible from most Village Board meetings.  If you're going to run for public office you should at least attend Village Board meetings regularly an essential part of the job.  While the youth are critically important you cannot run an one issue campaign and use clever acronyms ala Debbie Williams to win. 

We cannot recommend a vote for Garrett at this time because she has aligned herself politically with the Williams family and we feel that would be to the detriment to the Village.  While they tout themselves as "independent" they are "One Big Happy Family".  Perhaps in two years, like Brewer-Houston had done, she will be ready for the task and make herself over!  Maybe this will be a valuable, if not a costly lesson for Garrett.


SCHOOL DISTRICT 168
School District 168 taxes Sauk Village residents the most on their tax bills and residents should familiarize themselves with these candidates.  There are no less 9 candidates running for 4 seats and three political factions running for School Board which are likely to cause confusion when voting.  The School Board is clearly divided, but they are united on many more important issues. 

We are not recommending or endorsing any candidates for School Board

BETH ZUPON FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE

BETH ZUPON

Independent Candidate

Village Trustee

SAUK VILLAGE | Meet BETH ZUPON... here again to serve the People!  Beth Zupon is a candidate for Village Trustee in April.   Beth Zupon served as Village Clerk from 2007 to 2009 following the resignation of Liz Selvey.  

Beth Zupon, is 52 and the third youngest candidate for Village Trustee, has lived in Sauk Village for nearly 18 years now.  She is married, is a proud homeowner and currently works as a Vice President of a major bank in Chicago.  Beth Zupon has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and is very familiar with how to balance budgets and how to exercise fiscal discipline.  

Beth Zupon has volunteered for many things throughout the years including Parks and Recreations, Beautification, Ordinance Review Committee, Housing Commission and many other events.  Currently Beth serves as Commissioner on the Zoning Board. 

Zupon believes that the Village needs to be more transparent and fiscally responsible with the taxpayers' money.  Zupon is running as an independent candidate for Village Trustee.

"We've got to do a better job with the taxpayers' money.  That means balanced and realistic budgets.  That means being transparent with what we do.  Don't you think we as a community deserve better" Zupon said.

Beth Zupon will be third on the April 4th ballot behind Rodrick Grant and Bernice Brewer-Houston.  There are three seats up for grabs in April, two of which will be new faces around the table since two others are not seeking re-election.

Beth thinks that the best birthday present she could get is getting elected on April 4th. 

Zupon is ready to do the job and hit the ground running.