To the Residents of Orland Township: We Need Your Help.

At the last meeting of the Township Board, three trustees voted to eliminate the on-site Secretary of State services that have served our community since 2020.

This decision was made without a public hearing and without giving you, the residents, a voice.

For five years, our local Secretary of State office provided convenient, reliable service for driver’s licenses, renewals, and more, right here at home. It also supported our local businesses by increasing foot traffic and keeping tax dollars in our township.

Township Supervisor Paul O'Grady fought to keep this vital service in place. He proposed a referendum, so you could vote on it. That proposal was rejected by the board majority.

Now, we're asking you to take a stand.

Email the trustees who voted to end this service and ask them to reverse their decision:

• Ken Soltis – ksoltis@orlandtownship.org

• Ken Duffy – kduffy@orlandtownship.org

• Frank Williams – fwilliams@orlandtownship.org

Read the full press release below.

orlandtownship.org

This is your township. Your voice matters. Let it be heard.

ORLAND TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR O’GRADY RESPONDS TO BOARD VOTE TO TERMINATE SECRETARY OF STATE SERVICES

At the July 21 meeting of the Orland Township Board, there was a 3–2 vote to end the existing contract with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, effectively removing the on-site driver services that have operated in the township building since 2020. Trustees Ken Soltis, Ken Duffy and Frank Williams voted in favor of termination, while Supervisor Paul O’Grady and Trustee Lena Matariyeh voted to keep the office in place.

“The Secretary of State’s office has been a vital community asset for five years,” said Supervisor O’Grady, who partnered with then–State Senator Bill Cunningham to bring driver services to Orland Township after they were displaced from Village Hall in 2020. “I’m deeply disappointed that my colleagues chose to eliminate these services without first hearing from the people who rely on them every day.”

The decision not only deprives thousands of township residents of a convenient, local driver’s license facility, it also diminishes the foot traffic that supports our local retailers and restaurants. “This isn’t just a removal of services,” O’Grady noted. “Each person who visited the Secretary of State generated additional sales and sales tax revenue for our merchants. Those dollars won’t simply disappear; they’ll be drawn elsewhere.”

At the board meeting, Supervisor O’Grady urged that this significant policy change be placed before voters via a referendum question. “We should have given taxpayers the chance to weigh in before upending services that they upheld and valued,” he said. That proposal was narrowly defeated by the majority of trustees. Supervisor O’Grady is calling on concerned residents to make their voices heard. Please email your township trustees to express your opposition to the rushed vote and to ask that the board reconsider its decision:

• Ken Soltis – ksoltis@orlandtownship.org
• Ken Duffy – kduffy@orlandtownship.org
• Frank Williams – fwilliams@orlandtownship.org

For updates and more information on how you can help restore these essential services, visit orlandtownship.org or contact the Supervisor’s Office at (708)403-4222.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS FREE PETITION SITE WILL REQUEST A DONATION . A DONATION IS NOT REQUIRED.