Politics & Government

Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields Officials Hopeful, Renewed After Blagojevich Verdict

Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez says he sees the convictions as a time for closure.

Monday former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was

In the hours that followed the convictions, Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez said he sees the conviction as the end of an dark spot and a chance reconsider priorities.

"It put closure to something that's been going on a long time," Gonzalez said. "Now that's settled, we can move forward and tackle bigger problems the state has, like the budget problems."

Find out what's happening in Chicago Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Olympia Fields Village Administrator David Mekarski said he heard the news on his way home.

"I think it's good day for Illinois, a good day for the people of Illinois," Mekarski said. "This causes pause to anyone who serves the public, it's not a right, it's really a privilege to serve. Is it good for the state? Yes, but Illinois is always a good place to live, and Chicago is one of the best metropolitan places in the world."

Find out what's happening in Chicago Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chicago Heights Fourth Ward Alderman Joshua Deabel, was preparing for his first ward meeting when he found out about the convictions. The new alderman said he hopes the verdict inspires change.

"Obviously I think it's a good thing," Deabel said. "If he was found guilty for these charges, he should pay the price for it, but I also think people, especially in this state, want to see change and they want to see honesty from the government. We know the state has had a lot of issues, so I really hope that people can open their eyes and I really hope that government officials can open their eyes to this too.

A little of the negative stigma attached to Illinois politics could be removed, thanks to Blagojevich being found guilty, according to Gonzalez.

"It does give us credibility," the mayor said. "That's (corruption is) not how we do things in Illinois, that's just the perception of us."

 -Additional reporting by Leslie Fuller Knox


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here