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On Wednesday, April 29th, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) leaders convened in Springfield to participate in the Illinois Municipal League’s annual Lobby Day, joining IML president and Matteson village president Sheila Chalmers-Currin in a full day of meetings at the State Capitol.
SSMMA’s delegation of 16 mayors and numerous other local officials included:
- SSMMA President, Village of Lynwood Mayor Jada D. Curry
- IML President, Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Curran
- SSMMA Legislative Chairman and Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold
- Alsip Mayor John Ryan
- Calumet Park Mayor Ron Denson
- Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford
- Dolton Mayor Jason House
- Glenwood Mayor Toleda Hart
- Harvey Mayor Shirley Drewenski
- Hazel Crest Mayor Sandra Alexander
- Lansing Mayor Brian Hardy
- Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge
- Steger Mayor William Joyce
- Sauk Village Mayor Marva Campbell Pruit
- Park Forest Mayor Joseph Woods
- Peotone Mayor Chris Vieaux
SSMMA’s focus during meetings with State Senators was speaking out about concerns with Governor JB Pritzker’s Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) legislative agenda. While SSMMA has long supported and worked on expanding quality affordable and accessible housing within our region and across Illinois— recognizing the importance of addressing housing challenges such as community-wide affordability and opportunities for wealth building—the proposed BUILD legislation (House Bill 5626 and Senate Bills 4060, 4061, 4062, 4063, 4064, and 4071) includes language that preempts local land use decision-making in an attempt to address housing supply and affordability. Critically, the current agenda fails to require developers to dedicate specific affordable housing units within new construction, undermining the very affordability goals it claims to address.
SSMMA mayors were emphatic about the need to maintain local control at the municipal level, as it is essential that local land use decisions align development with infrastructure capacity, emergency response access, and long-term community planning, and continue to permit a robust decision-making process that includes extensive public engagement opportunities to allow residents to participate directly in shaping their neighborhoods.
SSMMA municipal leaders expressed how they and other communities across the State are best positioned to address complex and diverse housing challenges in a thoughtful way, depending on the specific needs of a community.
Beyond housing, SSMMA leaders advocated for the full restoration of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). For decades, this revenue-sharing agreement has been a cornerstone of municipal stability. Restoring these funds is essential to ensure municipalities can continue providing critical services—such as public safety, road maintenance, and sanitation—without placing an undue tax burden on local residents.
Learn more about SSMMA’s legislative positions and concerns regarding the BUILD agenda:ssmma.org/legislation and view photos here.
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