Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania’s Columns
  • Advertise
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Aaron Hanania
      • Steve Metsch
      • Steve Neuhaus
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
    • Submit a Press Release
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Seniors
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Two Guys on Politics Podcast: A Centrist View on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • The Arab street Podcast
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards Education
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor Blogger
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications Business
  • Inappropriate Illinois license plates
    New Secretary of State reaffirms rejection of inappropriate license plates Chicago
  • Justice Department Health Care Fraud Unit
    Chicago Man Convicted of Participating in Illegal Kickback Conspiracy Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas receives the American Arab Chamber of Commerce 2021 Action Award for her support of Arab and Muslim Americans, returning more than $1.3 million to Arab and Muslim taxpayers.
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas refunding more than $47 million to homeowners Cook County
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job Business
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023
    Buckner slams Garcia, Johnson and Lightfoot for Crypto hypocrisies, supports probes Chicago
  • Fighting oppressive taxes in Cook County Editors Pick
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Suburbs lose a great leader in Liz Gorman Blogger
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Liz Gorman brings sanity and services back to Cook County Board Blogger
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State
    Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team report Government
  • Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia
    Pritzker’s assault weapons ban not enough to make law abiding citizens safe Blogger
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Vallas urges probe in Lightfoot’s CPD scandal and accuses of Congressman Garcia of being AWOL from Chicagoland needs Chicago
  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go Blogger

Orland Park sidesteps the will of the people

Posted on October 25, 2016September 28, 2018 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Orland Park sidesteps the will of the people
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Orland Park sidesteps the will of the people

The Orland Park Board approved a plan to significantly increase Mayor McLaughlin’s salary 375 percent from what it was (a 275 percent increase). But the board action ignores the rights of the village’s taxpayers and voters.

Oct. 20, 2016 Des Plaines Valley News, The Regional, The Reporter

By Ray Hanania

I joined the Oct. 4 village-wide teleconference when Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin and Trustee Jim Dodge announced the Board is planning to make the job of mayor full-time rather than part-time.

I broke that story that this was coming in this column last September.

The mayor’s salary will increase to $150,000 a year — from $43,000 a year (which also includes $3,000 a year as liquor commissioner). That doesn’t include a 2nd pension McLaughlin will get from the Building Trade Association that he now heads as Executive Director.

This all came about following the vacancy created when the very competent Paul Grimes left as village manager. The board named Tim McCarthy, the village’s highly regarded police chief, as temporary successor. The village website lists two assistant Village Managers, Joe La Margo and Ellen Baer, though Baer reportedly resigned last year.

Sadly, I don’t think the Village has been totally honest with residents. Sure, they can raise the mayor’s salary anytime. But can they simply dump the Village Manager system without going directly to the people?

About 100 Residents of Orland Park filled the board meeting room Monday Oct. 17, 2016 to protest increasing Mayor Dan McLaughlin’s salary 375 percent from $40,000 to $150,000

Orland Park’s “Village Managerial Form of Government” was set up by communitywide referendum on Nov. 5, 1983, when McLaughlin was first elected as village trustee. I write about both back then.

McLaughlin, 62, became mayor 1993. If he retires on his combined salary of $43,000, his pension will be about $31,000 a year (75 percent). But if he retires at the new salary, he would be looking at a $105,000 a year pension, or more.

The Trustees of the Village were expected to approve the pay hike this past Monday, Oct. 17 board meeting.

Click the link to listen to the podcast or use the podcast widget below:

This has been in planning for a long time. McLaughlin said it was up to the trustees, but no one on the carefully scripted Oct. 4 tele-conference addressed the issue of how this impacts the 1983 referendum, or, more importantly, if a new referendum is required

It’s all rushed. I wonder, is the vote legal?

The village will still be a “village manager system” paying huge salaries to several managers. Someone should do a side-by-side comparison of how the job will really change from Manager System to Fulltime Mayor. McLaughlin might actually lose some powers.

It’s going to make for a very contentious mayoral race this Spring, something Orland Park doesn’t need. They knew they were going to do this all along. They should have just been upfront.

With the pain of the LaGrange Road construction destroying everyone’s nerves (and shutting down so many businesses – Burger King, Wendy’s and more), Orland Just might see another brutal election campaign.

Click here to read the story about the board meeting and the vote.

MEANWHILE, ORLAND TOWNSHIP Supervisor Paul O’Grady has placed a referendum on the ballot asking Orland Township residents if they want to leave Cook County and merge with Will County. And it couldn’t come at a better time as Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has targeted suburbanites to impose a Stroger-like Tax on soft drinks.

Most suburban Cook County residents have been trying to break from Chicago’s tax-driven headlock for years. Suburban residents are often forced to fund Chicago’s revenue shortfalls by raiding suburban taxes paid to the state that are redirected to help Chicago shore up its poor transportation, roads and schools. And now we’re paying for Cook County corruption.

O’Grady is popular. A Mt. Carmel graduate, O’Grady was elected as Township supervisor in 2009. Some people claim he’s considering a run for Orland Park mayor. Between taxes, pay hikes and road construction hell, that’s a powerful platform.

MARTY STACK IS SHAKING up the race for the Board of Review against Republican incumbent Dan Patlak.

Stack wants to make the office more property taxpayer friendly, meaning taxpayers should be able to go online and see immediately if their property is being charged higher than similar properties in their neighborhood. Give taxpayers what they need to challenge unfair taxation themselves. It’s a brilliant idea.

Perfect timing: In Patlak’s last two elections, the battle was fought among Republicans. Democrats are united behind Stack.

Admirably, three of Stack’s daughters are serving this country in the U.S. Military and that’s more than most politicians have done.

In contrast, Patlak supporters vandalized my home three times now, and the homes of others, too, which shows they are desperate.

ALL HAIL THE CHICAGO CUBS: The Cubs Curse is dead and no team deserves to win the World Series more. But the bias that has built up over the years against the Cubs from the sports announcers like FOX TV’s Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz when the Cubs crushed San Francisco is so unprofessional.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and columnist. Email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards - January 26, 2023
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor - January 26, 2023
  • Hurley Named Chair of Police and Fire Committee - January 25, 2023
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Orland Park, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:Cook County, Dan McLaughlin, Orland Park, pay increase, referendum, salary

Post navigation

Previous Post: Raising taxes is never about healthy living
Next Post: How do you explain a newspaper to today’s youth?

Related Posts

  • Cicero fire damages 3 story apartment building Sunday August 19, 2018. Photo courtesy of the Cicero Fire Department
    60 residents, and pets, rescued from major apartment fire in Cicero breaking news
  • Reader slams Ted Bojanowski for his lies Blogger
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    First Installment Cook County property taxes due date pushed to April 3 Chicago
  • Photo: Chief Culture Officer, Charlotte Hoffer Canning
    South Elgin’s Hoffer Plastics: “We’re Hiring” Business
  • Chart of Cicero street gang shootings and homicides through 2020
    Cicero invites Chicago Police Officers to apply for Lateral Transfers Chicago
  • Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan addressing the Oct. 21, 2018 candidate's forum hosted by the Arab American Democratic Club in suburban Chicago. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Anniversary of Arab American Recognition in Illinois Blogger

More Related Articles

Chicago Wolves player Andrew Poturalski. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves. https://www.chicagowolves.com Chicago Wolves glide past the Michigan Griffins Chicago
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan wears face mask against coronavirus COVID-19 infection. Photo courtesy of Steve Metsch “They lost the war” News
Camp Lyons opens June 4 Suburban Chicagoland
The North 41 aims high Festival
The Orland Fire Protection District received multiple 911 calls at approximately 4:22 PM on Saturday (April 3, 2021). for a house fire located in the 15500 block of 116th Court. Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District Fire in Orland Park home spreads to gazebo, deck and wood fence Fire
Congresswoman Marie Newman, 3rd District Illinois Six more labor unions endorse Congresswoman Marie Newman for re-election elections

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor
    January 26, 2023
  • Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia
    Pritzker’s assault weapons ban not enough to make law abiding citizens safe
    January 16, 2023
  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Harry and Patricia Michalski courtesy of their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10105680464226180&set=t.100009314491026&type=3
    Remembering Pat Michalski who dedicated her life to diversity and fairness
    December 30, 2022

Subscribe

  • Ray-Hanania-Newsletter-300-wide-Banner.jpg

Trending

  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Chicago Mayor Lori Lightf... Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has faile... posted on January 15, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website Vallas urges probe in Lig... Vallas urges probe in Lightfoot's CPD scandal and accuses of Congressman Ga... posted on January 16, 2023
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023 Black and Latinx Elected... Black and Latinx Elected Officials Unite Against the Chaos Caused by Mayor... posted on January 8, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash First Installment Cook Co... First Installment Cook County property taxes due date pushed to April 3 Coo... posted on January 4, 2023
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State Secretary of State Alexi... Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team... posted on January 17, 2023
  • NEWS
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards
    January 26, 2023
  • State Rep Fran Hurley 35th district
    Hurley Named Chair of Police and Fire Committee
    January 25, 2023
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • Inappropriate Illinois license plates
    New Secretary of State reaffirms rejection of inappropriate license plates
    January 23, 2023
  • Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
    Arrest and Criminal Charges Announced Against British and Russian Businessmen for Facilitating Sanctions Evasion of Russian Oligarch’s $90 Million Yacht
    January 23, 2023
  • Justice Department Health Care Fraud Unit
    Chicago Man Convicted of Participating in Illegal Kickback Conspiracy
    January 23, 2023
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

The Political Pundit

Political Pundit Aug. 24, 2021. Taliban thanks president for boxes of MAGA hats
  • WORD PRESS REVIEWS
  • MyCloud by Western Digital, a hard drive that doesn't last. Don't purchase Western Digital.
    Western Digital tubes its loyal customers for profit
    October 17, 2021
  • Macho Themes website front page. Don't buy their themes. They don't work
    Difficulties with Macho Themes for WordPress
    August 21, 2021
  • TECHNOLOGY REVIEWS
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

Follow Ray Hanania at
Gab.com, MeWe.com
IDobbinate.com,
Twitter, Facebook

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

What We’re Reading

Arab News Newspaper Leading English Language Publication in the GulfArab News Newspaper

Ray Hanania on Politics
SW News Newspaper Group

  • SPORTS
  • Chicago Wolves 2022-2023 season
    Chicago Wolves top Stars for second win in a row
    October 25, 2022
  • Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop! The team that does a lot of the work to help the Stagg High school band perform works behind the scenes like a NASCAR pit stop. The students are profiled in this feature
    Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop!
    August 31, 2022
  • Soccer. Photo by Md Mahdi on Unsplash
    International soccer returns to SeatGeek Stadium
    August 7, 2022
  • Stefan Noesen, Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves Noesen wins President’s Award
    July 22, 2022
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Paul Vallas demands Lightfoot explain email scandal, and use of government resources for political campaign
    January 12, 2023
  • David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County
    Milwaukee County sells 90 lots for single family homes
    January 11, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Chicago’s Police Officers Endorse Paul Vallas for Mayor
    January 9, 2023
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Photo courtesy of the Cook County government
    Pappas: Cook County property taxes due by December 30
    December 28, 2022
  • Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Orland Park offers Christmas Tree, Wreath and Light recycling
    December 27, 2022
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job
    January 19, 2023
  • United Airlines Flight at O'Hare Airport
    United offers endless airline travel problems for travelers
    December 25, 2022
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Click this link to watch or use the widget below:

Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.
Email Ray Hanania for more information about performing at your event at rghanania@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme