Orland Park Mayor Dodge explores options to save Secretary of State services

Village of Orland Park Addresses Orland Township’s Decision to Remove DMV Facility. Village issues letter on status of critical Secretary of States services

Dear Orland Park Residents,

Thank you for sharing your concerns about the recent cancelation of the lease for the DMV office in the Orland Township building.

Once we heard about the Township’s action, the Village of Orland Park immediately contacted the Secretary of State’s office so we can help find a suitable location in Orland Park.

We understand how important local access to Secretary of State services is, and we want to clarify what’s happening and what steps are underway:

Separate Jurisdictions

A sign identifying the Orland Park village hall as the Frederick T. Owens Village Hall has been in place since 1993. The exterior sign bearing the late mayor’s name has now been removed.

• The Village of Orland Park and Orland Township are two distinct taxing bodies, each governed by its own elected board.
• The current DMV facility is leased under an agreement by Orland Township to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and the Village of Orland Park has no bearing or control of the lease terms or decisions, although we are assisting, as needed.

2. What We’re Doing
• The Village has contacted the Secretary of State’s office to express your concerns and to advocate for the swift remedy to the possible ceasing of services in the community.
• We are working closely with Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady to identify a resolution of possible alternate space, ideally within Village boundaries, that could once again host a DMV/Secretary of State branch.

3. Next Steps & Timeline
• Township Supervisor O’Grady’s office is leading the search for suitable properties, expansion of parking availability, and negotiating terms with the Secretary of State.
• As soon as they confirm a location or lease agreement, Supervisor O’Grady’s office will issue a public update. We will share that information through Village communications as well.

We appreciate your patience while these discussions move forward. In the meantime, if you need Secretary of State services, you may visit ilsos.gov, or call the Secretary of State’s Customer Service line at 800-252-8980.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out again if you have further questions. We will continue to press for a convenient local solution and keep you informed of any developments.

Sincerely,

The Village of Orland Park

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion 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.

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