Pekau v. Dodge: Mayor Says Forum Is On, Challenger Calls It A 'Stunt'

ORLAND PARK, IL —A figurative tug of war over a planned mayoral candidate forum played out in real time last week, with Mayor Keith Pekau saying it's still on—despite a shift in its organizer and other key terms.

The forum—originally planned by the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce—was set for March 7 at the Orland Park Public Library, and was to be moderated by a neutral third party. The Chamber canceled that event, noting it was due to candidates not agreeing to the terms.

"Both candidates were required to agree to the terms of the Mayoral Forum, created by the Chamber's Board of Directors utilizing our bylaws and with guidance from our moderator," the Chamber said in a statement last week. "These terms were not met and therefore, we were unable to move forward with the event."

The public has demanded to know the terms, as Pekau has contended the event would go on as planned, with or without the Chamber's backing.

Enumerated in the terms were basic event bullet points. Specifically designed as a forum in deference to the Chamber's bylaws to maintain political neutrality, it was to be moderated by a representative from the Small Business Advocacy Council. Questions would be submitted via notecard and reviewed by a moderator; candidates would answer the same questions in timed responses.

Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Sarah Stasukewicz on Tuesday provided the terms for reference.

Terms as presented by the Chamber

1. The event was scheduled at the Orland Park Public Library from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., with the forum starting around 8:45/8:50 a.m. This timing allowed guests to arrive, settle in, grab refreshments, and network. The moderator would welcome attendees and establish ground rules for both candidates and the audience, emphasizing no yelling, clapping, or disruptions.
2. A coin toss would determine the speaking order. Each candidate would have 5 minutes for opening statements as well as closing statements. For questions, each candidate would have 3-4 minutes to respond, with all candidates addressing the same questions.
3. Audience members would be provided with notecards to submit their questions, which the moderator would review before presenting them to the candidates.
4. Candidates would not be permitted to respond directly to one another, as the event was to be a forum, not a debate. However, candidates could address points raised by others in their subsequent answers, which would count against their allotted time.
5. Audience members would be prohibited from taking videos or photos to avoid disruptions.
6. Attendance was capped at 100 to accommodate the venue and ensure sufficient time for questions.
7. Live streaming would not be conducted. Instead, the forum would be recorded by the Chamber's staff and shared unedited, in its entirety, with both candidates and the public.

In its cancellation announcement, the Chamber maintained a neutral stance, not directly naming which candidate(s) would not fully comply with the terms.

An email from Dodge dated Feb. 20 and provided to Patch March 4 confirmed he agreed with the terms and would attend the forum. The crux of the conflict, then, was Pekau's plan to bring a campaign videographer to livestream the event, which he disclosed to supporters via social media.

"Livestreaming the forum promotes transparency, neutrality, and gives everyone a chance to see the entire forum unedited," a statement from Pekau's campaign reads. "As Mayor Pekau told the Chamber, he will never turn down or back out of a forum, he has too much respect for the people of Orland Park."

Challenger Jim Dodge attributed the cancellation to Pekau's straying from the terms as presented.

"It is unfortunate after the terms were so clearly laid out that the Pekau campaign refused to agree to the terms, causing the event to be canceled," Dodge's Orland Park For All said in a statement. "All easy, fair and acceptable terms, Pekau refused to comply. The event was canceled because of this reason and this reason only."

In the days since, Pekau has rallied supporters and touted that the forum is still on, at the same date and location—8:30 a.m. March 7 at the Orland Park Library. After the Chamber cancelled, the space had not yet been reserved as of late Friday, Feb. 28; library staff confirmed Pekau sought to reserve it on Monday.

Library officials on Wednesday, March 5 issued a statement regarding the forum and laying out a timeline regarding the reservation.

"Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce contacted the Orland Park Public Library on
Thursday, Feb. 6 to determine if it would be possible to host an OPACC Mayoral Forum at
the library to be scheduled on Friday, March 7 at 8:30 a.m," the statement reads. "This public event was booked into the library’s calendar on Friday, Feb. 7.

"On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce reached out to the
library to cancel the event, and the library’s calendar was changed to reflect that the event
was canceled. On Monday, March 3, Mayor Keith Pekau contacted the library to take over the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce’s booking time and date and assume responsibility for the booking as a meeting room reservation.

"On Monday, March 3, the library sent Mayor Keith Pekau an email confirming that the library would convert the Chamber’s reservation to a meeting room reservation for Mayor Keith Pekau and continuing the conversation about his meeting room setup needs," the statement continued.

"On Wednesday, March 5, details of Mayor Keith Pekau’s meeting room reservation were finalized."

In a letter to supporters Tuesday, Pekau said the forum is set, and will be livestreamed by his campaign staff. The terms state questions will be submitted from the audience, and will be drawn from a hat. Two guests from the audience and a supporter from each candidate will read the questions and time candidates' responses, which are limited to 3 minutes. Candidates will deliver 5-minute opening statements, with the order determined by a coin toss; closing statements will be in the reverse order. Audience members will be required to remain silent throughout.

The terms as described do not make it clear whether an official moderator will be present. Elliot Richardson, president and co-founder of the Small Business Advocacy Council, had previously committed to moderating the Chamber's event. Richardson confirmed via email Wednesday that he would not moderate the event as scheduled Friday.

"The SBAC is not participating in or moderating any events in Orland Park this Friday," Richardson wrote to Patch.

"Ahead of the election, Orland Park residents deserve the opportunity to hear from both candidates and I am committed to answering their questions in a thoughtful forum," Pekau shared on social media. "I strongly hope Jim Dodge will participate in this forum. With the audience being allowed to submit questions and a supporter from both campaigns being the ones who read the questions, I believe this is not only fair but something we owe our voters."

Dodge on Tuesday called Pekau's arranged event, "a political stunt on public property.

"The forum originally planned by the Chamber of Commerce has been officially canceled," Dodge said in a statement to Patch. "How does one attend a canceled event?

"We understand the Chamber’s decision was made due to Keith Pekau’s unwillingness to adhere to their established format and guidelines, which set forth what could have been a constructive and informative event for the business community.

"In light of this cancellation, Pekau is now attempting to host a political rally at the public library. ..."

Dodge went on to say he would not be present Friday.

"There’s nothing to attend, because the Chamber canceled their event," he said. "I was working with the Chamber to attend their event, and they canceled it. This is now a Keith political stunt."

A statement from Dodge reads that "this obvious political stunt from a flailing campaign clearly reflects the Mayor’s agenda rather than the collective interests of our community.

"As your future representatives, we remain committed to fostering open communication and collaboration among all stakeholders in our community. We encourage everyone to stay engaged and informed as we navigate these changes together."

The forum as presented by Mayor Keith Pekau will be held at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 7, at the Orland Park Public Library, 14921 S Ravinia Ave. It will be live-streamed on YouTube, with a link to come.