Jerry Bennett Wins 12th Term By A Landslide In Palos Hills Mayoral Race

PALOS HILLS, IL – With 13 of 13 precincts reporting, Jerry Bennett is looking at adding another four years to his storied 44-year run as mayor of Palos Hills. Votes pouring in show Bennett leading challenger AJ Pasek in a landslide.

Results

Gerald Bennett (incumbent) - 1,494 (66.43)

AJ Pasek (challenger) - 755 (33.57%)

13 of 13 precincts reporting

*Source: Cook County Clerk

Pasek is a retired hydraulic and pneumatic salesman, with 27 years experience, paid by straight commission. He then became a substitute teacher in Districts 117, 230, 231, and 127 for ten-plus years. Pasek has served as one of Palos Hills’ two aldermen, representing the 3rd Ward.

What differentiates him from the current mayor is that he is conservative, while Bennett is a liberal. Pasek said Bennett has not been a good steward of taxpayers’ money by kicking the can down the road when it comes to paying pension liabilities.

“The current mayor has $600 garbage cans at the park named after him,” Pasek claimed. “He also gave his secretary a $35,000 raise last September. Both of these examples are an outrageous use of taxpayer money.”

If elected, he plans to dedicate all of his time to the people by holding one job — mayor — and not divide his time between other business interests.

Improvements he believes Palos Hills residents would favor include allowing larger drivers to help keep vehicles off the street, particularly at night.

“Many of our homeowners have multiple vehicles & need more space than the standard driveway allow,” Pasek said. “We should also address allowing work vans on the driveway overnight. Many of our homeowners use work vans to make their living.”

He favors term limits for elected officials and reducing the number of aldermen from ten to five, which he claims would save the city approximately $60,000 per year.

“Term limits brings in more people and fresh eyes,” Pasek said. “I brought up term limits years ago, but it fell flat. The time may be right now.”

Why should voters trust him?

“One thing residents say about me is that I always tell them the truth. They may not like the answer, but they know I am honest and straightforward with them,” Pasek said. “I always do what I can do and what the city can do for the residents.”

Bennett did not turn in a Patch candidate survey. He is running for his fourth term as mayor of Palos Hills. Over his four past decades, he lists his tenure of the Southwest Conference of Mayors for 42 years, chair of the Southwest Central 9-1-1 Dispatch Center for 39 years, and chair of the Chicago Metro Agency for Planning (CMAP) for 20 years.

He is also a member of the executive committee and legislative chair and past chair of the Metro Mayors Conference, according to his bio.

Bennet claims Palos Hills is among the lowest of all Chicago suburbs, in that the city only takes 5 percent of residents property tax bills, which is managed with a “conservatively crafted budget.”

“Over the past five years, Palos Hills has benefited from $6.4 million on new commercial developments and $139.6 million in residential developments,” Bennett said on a campaign flier.

It is not known how Bennett feels about term limits.