Oak Park mayor pro tem Carolyn Burns resigns for health reasons; council sets application timeline to fill vacancy

Oak Park Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn Burns announced Jan. 6 that she is retiring for health reasons after roughly 12 years on the city council. The council unanimously accepted her resignation effective at the end of the meeting.

Burns said the decision was "very, very hard" and thanked colleagues, staff and residents for the opportunity to serve. The council presented a proclamation praising her service across multiple commissions and initiatives, including work on Juneteenth events and park improvements.

City Manager Eric Tungate told the council the city charter requires the council to appoint a replacement within 30 days. Tungate recommended posting the vacancy on the city website and social media and using ApplicantPro, the city's applicant-management system, to collect applications. He summarized the eligibility requirements stated in the charter: applicants must have been Oak Park residents for at least one year immediately prior, be a qualified and registered voter as of Dec. 31, 2024, be a U.S. citizen, and not be in default to the city or other governmental unit.

Council discussed logistics and agreed on a two-week application window. As recorded in the meeting, staff will close applications at noon on Jan. 17; the council discussed holding interviews in late January (the transcript records interviews planned for Jan. 29 in council chambers) and selecting a candidate at the Feb. 3 regular meeting to satisfy the 30-day appointment window. Councilors also agreed members could use ApplicantPro ratings and also receive hard-copy materials so each member could nominate three candidates for interview.

Council members and staff said they will provide a tutorial on ApplicantPro for councilors to rate applicants. The council voted to adopt the staff-recommended application and interview process.