Orland Park mayor outlines police staffing boost, $30 million road widening and other 2026 budget highlights
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Summary
Mayor Jim Dodge summarized key initiatives in the Village of Orland Park's 2026 budget workshop, including hiring eight sworn officers, a move to 12‑hour police shifts starting February 2026, a $30 million Illinois Department of Transportation award to widen 143rd Street and a $6 million road improvement program.
Mayor Jim Dodge, mayor of the Village of Orland Park, summarized highlights from a recent 2026 budget workshop and said the village will prioritize investments in public safety and infrastructure.
"The main theme of our 2026 budget was to invest in public safety," Dodge said in a brief message summarizing the budget workshop. He said the village plans to add eight new sworn officers and move patrol officers to a 12‑hour shift schedule beginning in February 2026.
The mayor described the staffing changes as the first major increase in police department personnel in 20 years and said the 12‑hour schedule is "overwhelmingly supported by our patrol officers," which he said improves morale, gives officers more family time, reduces shift handoffs and "increases the number of police we will have on each shift." Dodge said the village will also add drones to a first‑responders program and expand crime prevention and disaster‑preparedness efforts.
On the village's finances, Dodge said S&P Global Ratings assigned the village an "AA+" credit rating and quoted the ratings report: "with key management positions filled, we believe governance factors related to transparency and reporting are now neutral." He said audits are back on track and described the village as "in a strong position financially heading into 2026." The S&P language was presented in Dodge's summary of the ratings report.
On infrastructure, Dodge said the village's engineering department announced a $30 million award from the Illinois Department of Transportation to widen 143rd Street from Will Cook Road to Wolf Road. He said the project is intended to help traffic flow and address longstanding flooding issues on that corridor.
Dodge also said public works has budgeted $6 million for a road improvement program in 2026. The mayor said the recreation department plans new community events, including a new Memorial Day parade and barbecue and a large Independence Day celebration marking the nation's 250th anniversary. He said the village will take a "strategic look" at Centennial Park West, explore a recreation facility on the east side of town and consider a performing arts center, with outcomes of those assessments returned to the board for future decisions.
No formal board actions, votes or ordinance adoptions were recorded in the summary Dodge delivered. He closed by directing residents to the full workshop recording on the village's YouTube channel for more detail.
The brief contained no specific schedule or contract awards beyond the IDOT award announcement and the stated February 2026 start for the 12‑hour police shifts.