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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Eugene L. Siegel as
4he retires from his position as mayor of the Village of Chicago
5Ridge; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Mayor Siegel was first elected as part-time mayor
7of Chicago Ridge in 1975 to fill an unexpired term; he was
8re-elected in 1977 to a full-term and has been mayor ever
9since; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Mayor Siegel has accomplished much during his 37
11years in office; he was instrumental in the development of the
12Chicago Ridge Mall in 1981 and the Commons of Chicago Ridge in
131988; he saw to improvements to Ridgeland Avenue, installation
14of an adequate water system with a reservoir and pumping
15station, street lighting, construction of a senior citizen
16center, installation of traffic signals at hazardous
17intersections, creation of a full-time fire
18department/paramedics, the doubling of the police department,
19and the establishment of a youth service bureau; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Mayor Siegel's most recent accomplishments
21include the public works facility located in the industrial
22park and the new municipal complex, which holds the village

 

 

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1administrative offices, the police department, the youth
2services bureau, and the senior citizen center; the village
3board named the new facility the Eugene L. Siegel Municipal
4Complex; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Since 1984, Mayor Siegel has hosted an annual
6children's Christmas party at the Chicago Ridge Mall theatres;
7he also supports youth sports activities, scouting programs,
8and a senior citizens Christmas luncheon; he has spent over
9$225,000 of non-taxpayer funds over the years for these
10programs; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Mayor Siegel currently serves as vice-chairman of
12the Southwest Council of Mayors and is the legislative chairman
13for the Southwest Conference of Local Government; he is a
14member of the Illinois Municipal League Board of Directors and
15is on the executive committee; he was elected first vice
16president and then president of the Illinois Municipal League
17in September 2004 and served as president until September 2005;
18he was a past member of the Midway Airport Task Force and is
19currently a member of the Cook County Advisory Board on
20Community Development Block Grant Applications; he was one of
21the founders of Southwest Central Dispatch and is now a member
22of the executive board of directors; he was on the Chicago Area
23Transportation Study for Northeast, Illinois, and was a member
24of the executive committee and original member of Southwest

 

 

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1Local Government; he is on the Mayor's Caucus and serves on the
2executive committee for the Mayor's Caucus and was one of only
32 mayors representing Illinois on the National League of Cities
4Council in Washington, D.C.; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Mayor Siegel was married to Virginia for 42 years
6before her passing; he remarried in 2001 to Linda (nee
7Wilkins); with his remarriage, he added Linda's son, John
8Herring and grandson, John to the fold; his children with
9Virginia are sons, Gary, Andrew, and Matt; daughter, Janet; and
10grandchildren, Stephen, Bradley, Victoria, Alexandria, and
11Abigail; he has been a resident of Chicago Ridge for the past
1256 years; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15we congratulate Eugene L. Siegel as he retires from his
16position as mayor of the Village of Chicago Ridge, thank him
17for his service to the community of Chicago Ridge, and wish him
18well in all his future endeavours; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to Mayor Siegel as an expression of our esteem and
21respect.