Editing Orland Park, Illinois (section)

==Government and politics==

=== Government ===
Orland Park is contained in the [[Illinois's 6th congressional district]], which is currently represented by [[Sean Casten|Sean Casten (D)]].

The village maintained an Aa2 bond rating from Moody's and an AA+ rating from Standard and Poor's. These are among the best bond ratings in the Chicago suburbs.(Page 12)<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.orland-park.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/22016 | title=2012 Annual report | access-date=April 2, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010092245/http://orland-park.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/22016 | archive-date=October 10, 2013 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

The elected Board of Trustees makes local legislation for the village. The elected officials include the village president (who also serves as mayor), village clerk, and six village trustees, each of whom is elected at large to a four-year term.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Nabeha|date=May 5, 2025|title=Village of Orland Park, IL - Official Website - Elected Officials|url=https://www.orlandpark.org/government/elected-officials|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119060612/http://www.orland-park.il.us/index.aspx?nid=126|archive-date=January 19, 2018|access-date=January 18, 2018|website=www.orland-park.il.us|language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Orland Park elected officials<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elected Officials|url=https://orlandpark.org/government/elected-officials|access-date=July 12, 2021|website=orlandpark.org|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Here are the Endorsed Candidates appearing on the April 6 Ballot | url=https://www.cookrepublicanparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Palos-Orland-Sample-Ballot-4.6.21-v2-1.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515204248/https://www.cookrepublicanparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Palos-Orland-Sample-Ballot-4.6.21-v2-1.pdf | archive-date=2021-05-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=King |first=Gary |date=March 16, 1995 |title=Elections to the United States House of Representatives, 1898-1992 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/icpsr06311.v1 |access-date=April 18, 2023 |website=ICPSR Data Holdings|doi=10.3886/icpsr06311.v1 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cindy Nelson Katsenes |url=https://www.facebook.com/CindyNelsonKatsenes |access-date=April 18, 2023 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Orland Township Republicans score wins in Tuesday's election, unofficial results show |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-orland-park-mayor-election-influence-st-0407-20230406-42pczqbdcba55n5vac5tmevouy-story.html |access-date=April 18, 2023 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=April 6, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Update and Results |url=https://us15.campaign-archive.com/?u=238bb7c72658d3368bf6c84d5&id=686a0f81c1 |access-date=April 18, 2023 |website=us15.campaign-archive.com}}</ref>
!Name
!Elected position

|-
|James Dodge
|Mayor and Village President

|-
|Mary Ryan Norwell
|Village Clerk

|-
|Cynthia Nelson Katsenes 
|Trustee

|-
|William R. Healy
|Trustee

|-
|Michael R. Milani
|Trustee

|-
|Dina M. Lawrence
|Trustee

|-
|John Lawler
|Trustee

|-
|Joanna M. Liotine Leafblad
|Trustee

|-
|}

=== Politics ===
Both main US political parties are competitive on the local level with Keith Pekau defeating longtime mayor Dan Mclaughlin (D) in 2017. In recent years, the GOP has been able to flip the village board and other elected positions in the village.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orland Township Republicans score wins in Tuesday's election, unofficial results show |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-orland-park-mayor-election-influence-st-0407-20230406-42pczqbdcba55n5vac5tmevouy-story.html |access-date=April 21, 2023 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=April 6, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanania |first=Ray |date=April 5, 2017 |title=Pekau defeats McLaughlin in Orland Park mayoral race |url=https://suburbanchicagoland.com/2017/04/05/pekau-defeats-mclaughlin-orland-park-mayoral-race/ |access-date=April 21, 2023 |website=Suburban Chicagoland |language=en-US}}</ref> On April 1, 2025, James Dodge defeated incumbent Keith Pekau in the Orland Park mayoral race. <ref>{{cite web |last1=Kawash |first1=Maher |title=Orland Park mayoral election: Jim Dodge defeats incumbent Mayor Keith Pekau with union support |url=https://abc7chicago.com/post/orland-park-il-2025-election-results-incumbent-mayor-keith-pekau-concedes-challenger-jim-dodge-buoyed-arab-american-vote/16120541/ |access-date=May 7, 2025 |date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>

=== Covid-19 pandemic ===
Orland Park and then mayor, [[Keith Pekau]], were defiant against state and county mandates during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]. When Illinois Governor [[J. B. Pritzker|J.B. Pritzker]] ordered a lockdown of businesses and social activities, Pekau led the village in a lawsuit against Pritzker in federal court.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bilyk|first=Jonathan|title=Judge nixes Orland Park suit vs Pritzker; Pre-shutdown due process hearings would make COVID response 'ineffective'|url=https://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/544621472-judge-nixes-orland-park-suit-vs-pritzker-pre-shutdown-due-process-hearings-would-make-covid-response-ineffective|access-date=February 11, 2022|website=Cook County Record|language=en}}</ref> Although the court ruled in favor of Pritzker's orders, leading Pekau to drop the lawsuit,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nolan|first=Mike|title=Orland Park drops lawsuit against Gov. Pritzker challenging COVID-19 restrictions|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-orland-park-pritzker-lawsuit-st-1009-20201008-eh3pnzyjdbbipo57wjw5g7va4m-story.html|access-date=February 11, 2022|website=chicagotribune.com|date=October 8, 2020 }}</ref> Pekau and his fellow village trustees remained opposed to mask mandates. When Cook County passed a mandate requiring restaurants, gyms, and other businesses to verify the vaccination status of customers, the board passed a resolution opposing the mandate and refusing to enforce it in Orland Park.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barack|first=Meredith|date=December 28, 2021|title=Orland Park Trustees Pass Resolution Vowing Not To Enforce Cook County COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate For Restaurants, Gyms|work=Chicago CBS|url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/12/28/orland-park-not-enforcing-cook-county-restaurant-gym-vaccination-mandate/|access-date=February 11, 2022}}</ref>