Gary Grasso - Mayor of Burr Ridge

03/22/2026

Sometimes I find a pearl of wisdom in the Tribune’s Voice of the People. I did today. Ron Richards of Elmhurst wrote about the baked-in unfairness of Illinois’ notorious plurality-only primary system that often yields a “winner” that most voted against. Think Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss who “won” his 16 candidates, congressional primary with 29.5% of the vote last week – over 70% wanted someone else but now they get liberal, progressive Congressman Biss in November in brazenly gerrymandered Illinois. (Gerrymandering is anti-democracy, slam-dunked in your face from Springfield with not even a feigned try at fair districts – more on that in future posts.)
Raising his Voice today, Mr. Richards noted that California – yes, California - since 2011 has held single ballot primary ballots that are open to voters of all parties (even if one earns over 50% of the votes). The top two run off head-to-head, and get this, the voters get real choice! (We might prefer a modified version for each party where the top two in multi-candidate primaries run off if no one receives 50% of the votes cast – still providing the candidate most preferred by voters.) What Mr. Richards importantly raises with his Voice is that if Illinois had that system (or similar), voters would better decide whom they prefer to represent them - how novel! Thanks for raising your Voice today, Ron.
Our plurality primary system coupled with in-your-face gerrymandering leaves most of us unrepresented in most state and federal elections – no matter the party. DuPage voters, raise your Voices for meaningful change! Help elect me DuPage County Board Chairman in November. I’ll raise my Voice in a sustained, loud protest from all of us in DuPage County and demand Springfield rid us of gerrymandering and also give us fair primaries and general elections in Illinois. We have to try!
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It’s Sunday – Family Day – maybe call one of yours and catch-up or invite them over. Janet and I are having our usual Sunday Dinner with whomever of the family can make it. Most of them usually do. Stay well, all - and, like Ron Richards of Elmhurst, raise your Voice./ GARY GRASSO

03/21/2026

As Mayor of Burr Ridge, first from May 2005 to December 2012, and now since May 2019, a span of over 14 years, I have never had to vote on a substantive issue. I am a consensus builder. When a village trustee or trustees have serious, well-meaning questions or positions for or against a substantive issue, I continue the matter for further information-based debate. Staff is tasked to get us more information. That approach has consistently achieved consensus on projects. It does not mean every vote has been unanimous, but it does mean that an issue or project has passed by at least a solid majority without me having to break a tie that leaves a group of trustees against it. Reliable information is power - making sure decision-makers have full, reliable information leads to vetted debate that will usually yield the correct decision. As Chairman of the DuPage County Board, I will work for informative debate and votes cast based upon respect and consensus for each County Board Member's view.

03/18/2026

Gary Grasso, “SM-FC Republican”

As a Republican elected official, my positions and policies are based on being socially moderate and fiscally conservative. I believe in live-and-let live, but within our means. I have followed these principles as Mayor of Burr Ridge and believe that is why it is “a very special place” and debt-free today. These policies are not achievable without dedicated elected public servants supporting them with me. I will continue my policies of being a social moderate and fiscal conservative as Chairman of the DuPage County Board.

You must get out the vote for me of independents and democrats who too are social moderates and fiscal conservatives. The Democrat Chair, Clerk and county board members press a progressive agenda that in just a few years have expanded our county budget with costly staff increases and programs that have not made your family lives better. Progressive Democrats want “affordability” of their agenda paid by your taxes. Give our Republican team the votes to center the ship of state in DuPage County.

March 18, 2026

03/08/2026

Condolences to the Family of Gayle Franzen, former DuPage County Board Chairman in the 1990s, for his passing. Gayle was genuine, dedicated and insightful. I was new to DuPage County but wanted to serve somewhere and Gayle gave me the opportunity by appointing me to the DuPage County Board of Health where I served for 12 years before moving on to other public service positions. Thank you Gayle and farewell.

03/07/2026

02/28/2026

Today IS historic. When would you have ever believed seeing people in Israel and Iran, in Tel Aviv and Tehran, dancing in their streets celebrating the elimination of Iran’s terrorist thug leaders.

01/29/2026

Enough of the turmoil that is sweeping up too many good people and not leading to enough arrests of the worst of the worst. Protesters are crossing the lines, and Americans are being killed by their government. There is no longer right or wrong — only spiraling chaos. Basta.
The president, the secretary of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement should conclude that a significantly different, less confrontational and certainly far less violence-oriented immigration enforcement policy should emerge from this national catastrophe. There should be a pause to devise an immigration enforcement program that is constitutionally bound yet laser-focused on the immigrants who commit serious or violent crimes.
Americans believe that most immigrants who are undocumented are hardworking, family-oriented residents abiding by our laws. I believe that. These law-abiding immigrants are not the problem we want addressed. We want the criminal immigrants targeted, found and dealt with. Find those who defraud us of our largess and funnel drugs to Americans too willing to use them.
Then, focus on naturalization — not expulsion of the law-abiding, hardworking immigrants. As a nation, we have grown up with immigrants and acquiesced to their illegal migration. We have created Spanish language prompts and forms for applying for licenses because so many residents speak Spanish as their primary language. We have tolerated a porous immigration system that must be plugged; millions of Spanish-speaking immigrants have been here for decades. We have often used their labor and even asked them to care for our children and grandchildren. We have accepted and trusted the law-abiding, hardworking immigrants knowing their status is undocumented.
Thirteen million is the most frequently used conservative number of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. With due respect to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the government cannot deport even half that number — if she had acceptable levels of staff and resources and the time to identify, process and deport them. Instead, let’s own this issue — and fix it through tolerance and naturalization while keeping the borders tightly controlled and our sovereignty sacrosanct.
Let’s debate how best to pave those paths to citizenship, rather than each side justifying tactics that have only led to riotous civil unrest and the use of deadly force. Basta!

— Mayor Gary Grasso, Burr Ridge

Thursday, January 29, 2026
As published in the Chicago Tribune

01/11/2026

The Gall of Hard Dems

The gall of hard-core Illinois Democrats. They have led Illinois into economic despair this century yet want to campaign that they are better at bringing us affordable living. Hogwash. Judge their deeds that show clear paths of continuous economic waste of taxpayer money. Illinois hard Dems have led us in Springfield from Blago to Quinn to Pritzker, they have led the Illinois state house and senate from Madigan to Welch and Cullerton to Harmon, respectively. Springfield’s super majority donkeys have created a $2.2 Billion budget shortfall in ‘26. What’s their solution – raise “revenue” (read, more taxes) – God forbid they cut spending! Illinois Dems have controlled Chicago – and its public schools - for over seventy years. Is life easier in Chicago under them? No. They control Cook County from Board President to a board majority of 17-1. Is life easier there? No. In DuPage County, where they only recently gained control of the Chair and Board, they immediately increased county spending and bloated payrolls - how hardcore democrat of them. Illinois hard Dems have guided us into a financial abyss whenever they get control. DuPage voters, you can stop it at the polls this November!

01/11/26 Gary Grasso

01/08/2026

Five years have passed since the riot at the US Capitol that killed one police officer and a rioter, with many scores injured, some permanently, from the first incursions of the sacred grounds of the Capitol. We clearly saw rioters inflicting severe, purposeful damage to the exterior and interior of the Capital, including offices of US legislators – all of it in HD video for the world to see – with some no doubt grinning. It was not a peaceful protest through any lens and will be a stain on the history of our republic. Many offenders, some rightly convicted, publicly recanted, and regretted their actions, often genuinely apologizing to those they harmed.

Nonetheless, January 6th did offer proof of how resilient our institutions remain. The riot delayed but did not thwart the obligation of the Congress to certify the presidential election results of 2020. No proof by then or since, no matter that many in the country did not want the outcome, has credibly supported a stolen 2020 election argument, despite genuine strong beliefs to the contrary. Five years cannot erase the historical ugliness of that day, but we can reflect and understand that democracy is hard to hold, and more importantly, always worth the struggle to keep it securely within our grasp.

01/07/2026

DuPage Residents: Read this non-partisan account of how much the Democrat Governor and super majority legislators continue to withhold from DuPage County and our municipalities from our rightful share of the state income tax it charges all of us. All DuPage Mayors led by their DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference have been fighting the good fight that has restored some – by not close to the full 10% we are collectively entitled to receive from Springfield. And our Democrat led DuPage County Board – not a peep. No leadership from the Democrat County Board when it comes to fighting for our fair share of this crucial revenue – instead, the Democrat County Board raises expenditures for our tax dollars to pay. That’s a double whammy slap to DuPage residents. Let’s throw out the rascals and elect fighters for our rights./ Gary Grasso

10/08/2025

“‘I was very glad to see my government taking care of the people in Burr Ridge and keeping us safe, which is our number one job as an elected official,”Grasso said. "And when people put bounties on immigration officials or ATF officials, I mean, those people should be put in jail, and we should be cooperating with the people doing their job to put them in jail. And it's a shame that people don't recognize that these dedicated law enforcement people are doing their job, and now there's bounties on them.’”

A judge ordered an alleged Chicago gang member be held in custody after he was charged with soliciting the murder of a Border Patrol commander.

10/08/2025

https://nbcchicago.app.link/LlEpJU5QhXb

A judge ordered an alleged Chicago gang member be held in custody after he was charged with soliciting the murder of a Border Patrol commander.