A month before he’s due to become Orland Park mayor, Jim Dodge said he has some immediate priorities, including shoring up relations with village police officers.

Dodge said that assessing Orland Park’s financial condition is also a priority once he and his group of trustees and clerk take office.

Unofficial vote totals showed Dodge with 57% of the vote in the Tuesday’s election to 43% for incumbent Keith Pekau, who was seeking a third term.

A canvass of votes by the Cook County clerk has not yet taken place, although Pekau conceded defeat and texted congratulations to Dodge Tuesday night after results showed Dodge’s apparent win.

Dodge said he expects he and his running mates on the Orland Park For All ticket to be sworn in at the May 5 Village Board meeting.

His slate, apparently winners, includes a village clerk and three trustees who will join Trustees William Healy, Cynthia Katsenes and Michael Milani, elected in 2019 and running on Pekau’s People Over Politics

He garnered rare endorsements from unions representing village police officers and firefighters working for the Orland Fire Protection District. The unions said their past practice had been not to endorse one candidate over another in municipal elections.

Dodge said morale among police officers is low and recruiting officers has been a problem.

“I want to sit down with the folks in the department and work to address their concerns,” he said.

Chapter 159 of the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, in its January endorsement of Dodge, said the village’s administration “imperils the independent, effective, and professional law enforcement service Orland Park’s citizens have earned and deserve.”

The union has said the village’s hiring of outside command staff, rather than promoting from within the ranks, runs counter to a 20-year tradition of promoting from within. Promotions from within the department ensure “that officers were well-trained and prepared for leadership roles,” the union said.

Dodge said in previous discussions with police, there was a desire among officers to implement a schedule that provides for three 12-hour shift days and four days off each week. He said other suburbs near Orland Park have done this.

“It’s definitely work taking a look at,” he said. “If other towns can do it, why can’t we?”

Dodge said voters indicated they want the town’s leadership to get back to a more nonpartisan, bipartisan stance focused on their needs.

He said in a statement Tuesday the results ushered in “a return to dignity where we will bring back respect, transparency, and civility to Orland Park.”

Dodge said he is committed to maintaining communication with the community, promising regular updates and opportunities for engagement.

Dodge that another near-term priority is to get a true and accurate understanding of the financial condition of the village.

Last fall, the state comptroller threatened Orland Park with a forced audit due to delays in the village filing financial audits for the 2022 and 2023 budget years.

The village said last month the problem was resolved with the recent completion of the 2023 audit, coming after the 2022 audit wrapped up late last year.

The audits became an issue during the mayoral campaign, with Dodge criticizing Pekau’s administration for not having them filed on time.

He said during his time on the Village Board, the village was never late in submitting annual audits to the state.

Until audits were filed, the comptroller was holding back offset payments to Orland Park, money the state withholds from state income tax refunds and other sources for things such as past-due traffic tickets and other fines.

Village officials blamed the resignation in June of the former finance director and early retirements of key people in the village’s Finance Department as factors for the delayed filings, along with the implementation of a new computer system.

Last November, the Village Board approved a resolution accusing the comptroller of singling out Orland Park for harsh treatment while dozens of government entities throughout the state have been late in filing audits but not subject to the same treatment, and criticizing what it called “punitive sanctions.”

Dodge said he heard complaints from residents about a village tax on electric and natural gas bills that took effect last year. The village estimated the average resident would see an increase of $12.55 per month between gas and electric costs.

It was enacted in part to help pay principal and interest on new debt Orland Park expects to issue to pay for infrastructure work, according to the village.

“We’re going to have to take a look at that,” Dodge said.

Dodge, 62, became village clerk in 1989 then was appointed trustee in 1996. He did not run for reelection as trustee in the April 2021 election.

His Orland Park For All ticket also includes for clerk Mary Ryan Norwell, a former Cook County assistant state’s attorney and a municipal attorney for the last nine years.

She had 58% of the vote compared with 42% for Clerk Brian Gaspardo on the Pekau-led People Over Politics ticket, according to unofficial results. Gaspardo was recently appointed clerk.

Seeking trustee positions on Dodge’s ticket were John Lawler, Dina M. Lawrence and Joanna M. Liotine Leafblad, with Lawler receiving 8,514 votes, 8,594 for Lawrence and 8,279 for Leafblad.

People Over Politics trustee candidate Sean Kampas had 6,127 votes and candidate Brian Riordan had 6,426 votes, according to unofficial results.

Also seeking one of three trustee seats on the People Over Politics ticket was Carol McGury, who had 6,182 votes.

Dodge said he did not foresee issues with his team getting along with the three trustees on the Village Board.

“I’m looking forward to have positive discussions and relations,” he said. “My starting point is looking forward to connecting with them so we can talk things through.”

Cook County Board member Sean Morrison, R-17th, in an open letter Thursday to the Orland Park community, praised Pekau and said as the transition takes place he is “committed to working collaboratively with the new administration to advance the interests of all Orland Park residents.”

Morrison said Pekau “has demonstrated a deep commitment to responsible governance,” and that “under his leadership, the Village of Orland Park has made significant advancements in public safety, fiscal discipline, and economic development.”

Morrison said the election was “marred by a level of nastiness and vitriol that has no place in public service” including anonymous attacks, baseless character assassination and coordinated personal harassment designed to distract voters from the real issues.

With the transition to a new administration, Morrison said it is “an important moment for Orland Park and for all of us who care about good, clean government. Let’s ensure the next chapter reflects the highest standards of public service.”