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Orland Township and Secretary of State cut ribbon on new service facility
Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White officially opened the new Secretary of State Service facility that was pushed out of Orland Park Village Hall by Mayor Keith Pekau. The move by O’Grady and White keeps the important driver services available to residents of Orland Township and the region. The facility was one of the most popular services available in Orland Park until Pekau ordered it closed in a political fight with the state
Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a driver’s service facility at the Orland Township building located at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park.
The driver’s service facility officially opened and began assisting residents on Sept. 21. This facility provides express services like driver’s license and license plate renewals. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It is our mission at Orland Township to do everything we can to enhance the quality of life for our residents,” said Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady. “We took quick action when we learned our community was in danger of losing the driver services express facility. We are grateful that Secretary of State White and his office worked collaboratively with us to keep the facility here and add yet another amenity to the township’s wide range of programs, classes and services.”
“I applaud Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady for working with my office to bring the best possible service to the people of Orland Park and the southwest suburbs,” said Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
Services provided at the new Orland Township facility include:
- Driver’s license renewal and vision screening
- CDL renewal and vision screening
- License plate renewals
- State ID renewal card
- Temporary disability placards, first time issuance and replacement
- Organ donor registry
- Voter registration applications
Supervisor O’Grady is also working with the Secretary of State’s Office and local utilities to upgrade cable and fiber-optics to give the new facility the ability to issue Real IDs.
Supervisor O’Grady also thanked State Senator Bill Cunningham for helping coordinate the agreement between the Secretary of State’s office and Orland Township.
“Thanks to Supervisor O’Grady and Secretary White, Orland area residents will continue to receive the services they deserve,” said Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago).
Also attending the ribbon cutting ceremony were Senator Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort), Orland Township Trustee Antonio Rubino, Orland Township Trustee John Lynch and Orland Township Assessor Rich Kelly.
A sign posted at the Orland Park Village Hall falsely reported that the Secretary of State’s express Driver Services facility had closed due to COVID-19. However, months ago, Orland Park urged the Illinois secretary of state’s office to remove a driver’s express facility from its Village Hall – a decision that put the community in danger of losing a valuable asset. Orland Township stepped up to fill the void created by the village and is thrilled to be the new home of that driver’s express facility.
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Township Office, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park.
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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.
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