Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

Over the past four years, our village board and staff have created strategic plans to increase affordability, ensure community safety, and a more just and sustainable future.  I’ve led on these plans through the COVID pandemic and through our recent migrant crisis response.  I’ve kept us on track, making progress.

While I have been Village President, our board has brought forward successful initiatives that set Oak Park apart as a national municipal leader.

  • Engaging Community for Healthy Outcomes (E.C.H.O.) will provide compassionate, non-police responses to behavioral health crises, homelessness, and other non-emergency calls.

  • We are on track to have a fully staffed police force by the end of 2025, at a time when police departments across the country are struggling with staffing.  Chief Johnson is able to be selective in the hiring process.

  • Our response to our migrant crisis, which brought together public, private, and governmental stakeholders, is now a national model for effective municipal crisis response.

  • The formation of C4, Cross Community Climate Collaborative, an initiative of which I am a co-founder, has helped secure more than $3 million regionally for climate change, including $500,000 for young adult sustainable workforce development, and strengthened our relationships with neighboring leaders. And the initiative enables us to continue to apply for regional funding that we would be ineligible for as single municipality.

  • And no small feat, we have successfully maintained a responsible tax level - within 3% - for all four years when I have been in office - something that has not occurred in recent history. Yes, we have kept our portion of our tax bills down.

As Village President, I have leaned into my knowledge of our community resources and partnerships to set us up for success. And I will continue to do so. I will lead during these uncertain times to see our values reflected in our actions and support our vibrant, beautiful community for further growth, strategically and with empathy. 

We are living in challenging times.  We need leadership that will not back down from our Oak Park values and will identify a path for sustaining our goals and continue to thrive despite the division and dysfunction around us. Vote on April 1st and choose to re-elect me, Vicki Scaman, for Village President. 

Vicki Scaman
Oak Park Village Board President