Politics & Government
Orland Park Board Meeting Brief - Week of December 1, 2025
Decisions & Discussions from the Latest Village Meetings
The Board Meeting Brief is designed to keep residents informed and aware of key outcomes, discussions and decisions from recent meetings. To view past Board Meeting Briefs, visit OrlandPark.org/BMB.
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Ballet 5:8 was recognized as the Village of Orland Park’s December 2025 Business of the Month at the December 1 Meeting of the Village Board. Ballet 5:8 was founded in 2012 as a female- and Latina-led professional ballet company and school headquartered in Orland Park, and has since grown into a nationally recognized leader in artistic excellence, storytelling and accessible dance education. Congratulations!
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Community Organization of the Month
CTF Illinois was recognized as the Village of Orland Park’s December 2025 Community Organization of the Month at the December 1 Meeting of the Village Board. CTF Illinois is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating pathways toward independence, inclusion, and meaningful opportunity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CTF Illinois has, for more than 50 years, provided person-centered services including residential support, employment programs, community engagement, life-skills development and advocacy for individuals and families across the region.
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CTF Illinois CEO/President Tony Barrett and Development Director Elise Simcox-Zenner were presented with the Community Organization of the Month award.
The Village Board held public hearings for the proposed 2025 Tax Levy and proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. The proposed tax levy continues the Village’s goal of minimizing the impact from property tax while still capturing new growth throughout the Village. The Village’s tentative annual budget for Fiscal Year 2026 was published and made available for public inspection on November 17, 2025.
After the public hearings closed, the Board passed ordinances establishing pay ranges and salary for staff, passing the Tax Levy and finally adopting the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2026. This budget meets the Village’s key objectives such as ending 2026 with a 41.5% available balance in our General Fund, capturing the growth of Orland Park in our Property Tax Levy and continued focus on process improvement and streamlining operations to provide more reliable and cost-effective service to everyone in Orland Park.
This budget is balanced within the parameters of the Village’s financial properties and continues the Village's commitment to public safety, enhancing Village services and infrastructure investment.
The major theme of the 2026 Budget is public safety. The Village will be adding eight new sworn police officers, the first major increase in staffing for the department in 20 years. This will help us uphold the high standard of excellence in public safety our community expects.
The Budget includes no new taxes. The last time new taxes were approved was in 2023 with the adoption of the Natural Gas Tax, the Electricity Tax, and an increase in the Home Rule Sales Tax. Because much of this revenue has been dedicated to debt which was committed by the previous Board, the Village looked at other cost cutting measures. These cost cutting measures include:
- Significantly reducing Centennial Park West concert expenses.
- Shopping the health insurance market and proceeding with a new carrier resulting in $7.3 million dollar savings over the next five years.
- Shopping the property casualty insurance market and proceeding with a new carrier resulting in $337,483 in savings in 2026.
- Saving $800,000 by not approving utility relocations as part of the previously approved 153rd Street and Ravinia Avenue Roundabout project.
Renegotiating previously approved debt commitments. As has been previously reported, the previous administration put the Village on a glidepath to over $271 million in total debt. Active efforts are underway to ensure that the Village never gets to this point.
The Village Board received a financial recap of the Centennial Park West concert series. While concerts have been held since 2011, ticketed events began in 2019 and have resulted in ongoing deficits. In 2025, the Village spent $1.83 million on a venue used only a few days annually, with a lineup approved by the previous Board. At this pace, projected costs for the venue would exceed $36.68 million over the next 20 years. In order to reduce these deficits, the 2026 budget significantly reduces expenses for the venue. Additionally, since Centennial Park West was built without a business plan, the 2026 budget includes the development of a strategic operating plan, which will include strong community input.
Tinley Creek Streambank
The Village Board voted to award a construction contract to stabilize Tinley Creek. Both sides of the Tinley Creek banks have been eroding for years. Since the Village does not own the creek, years of efforts had to be devoted to getting rights from adjacent property owners to fix the creek. Also, the Village's Engineering team secured $3.7 million in funding from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and has worked with homeowners to move forward with stabilizing the creek for the those impacted. This project is a long time coming, and the Village is encouraged to see it move forward.
The Village Board approved the Redevelopment Agreement for Dick’s House of Sports, allowing the company to move forward with breathing new life into the vacant Sears property at Orland Square Mall. The redevelopment agreement sets terms for the development including enhancements to the facade, parking and other portions of the building.
As part of this development, the Village will establish a TIF District to improve stormwater capacity for the entire mall, improve the traffic signal at Regent Drive and 153rd Street and offers incentives for Dick’s to move this development forward. Stay tuned for future updates on the project!
The Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Village of Orland Park and the Village of Tinley Park so that the Tinley Park Police Department can use the Village’s new training facility, gun range and simulator. This allows Tinley Park’s police to receive the training they need while the Village of Orland Park can recuperate some of the costs to run the facility.
Wolf Road Annexations
The Village Board heard from a number of residents regarding the annexation of Wolf Road from 171st Street to 175th Street. A lot of residents voiced their concerns and the Village Board had a healthy discussion with staff about the reasoning of why the properties need to be annexed. Staff addressed septic and water issues with residents and the Board decided to approve the annexations and instructed staff to work with the residents on a memorandum of understanding so we can find a solution that benefits all parties.
This annexation is one of the last steps in the South Wolf Road Annexation Project that began with the acquisition and annexation of the formerly proposed repossession lot at 171st and Wolf Road.
The Village Board moved forward with the eminent domain process to acquire the blighted properties at 9401 and 9441 159th Street. The former BP property has been vacant and unused since March of 2020 and, if not for the Village taking care of it, would be in far worse shape. The former KFC property has been vacant and unused since November of 2023. Using eminent domain for these properties marks the next major step to solving issues with the accident-prone intersection at 159th Street and 94th Avenue and getting these properties back online as successful business locations.
The Village Board passed a resolution in support of the Illinois America 250 Commemoration. Next year is the 250th anniversary of the United States, a huge milestone within our country, and this resolution gets the ball rolling on integrating the initiatives into Village special events, programs and facilities.
Settlement Agreements
The Village Board approved the settlement agreement for William Sanchez vs. the Village of Orland Park. This settlement effectively closes this matter. The members of the Village Board remain committed to resolving all outstanding litigation carried over from the prior administration in an efficient and responsible manner.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support. We appreciate your involvement, input and feedback that helps us make decisions that benefit our community. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to communications@orlandpark.org.
Did you know? The Board Meeting Brief is available online as part of the Village's E-Newsletter. Residents can subscribe to the E-Newsletter at orlandpark.org/subscribe to stay up-to-date on Village events, information and happening
