Oswego village president announces bid for second term: ‘The job has been done well, but is not complete’

Oswego Village President Troy Parlier

Oswego Village President Troy Parlier has announced he will seek a second term in next spring’s municipal election.

Parlier is finishing his first term, after being elected in 2019, when he defeated incumbent Village President Gail Johnson. He will again be running as a Republican.

Election day is April 4.

Parlier said he chose to seek another term because he believes there is a lot of work still to do, with big projects like Lake Michigan water sourcing and the pending improvements to Wolf’s Crossing Road.

“The job has been done well, but is not complete,” Parlier said.

Parlier cited the village’s positive financial outlook and investments in infrastructure and public safety as some of his accomplishments as village president thus far.

Parlier said since he was elected the village has prioritized the budget and cut wasteful spending to increase the general fund and create a surplus.

In a recent press release announcing his candidacy, Parlier said, “I’m very pleased to say through tax rate cuts and economic expansion both the village tax rate and the overall tax rate are at their lowest levels in over a decade. Village revenues are at record levels and we have added nearly 150 commercial businesses to our community in these four years.”

Parlier said in regards to infrastructure, they have resurfaced over 21 lane miles of village roadways, seal coated nearly nine miles of bike path, and replaced 829 parkway trees over the past three years.

Parlier said in the past three years, the village has made big investments in public safety, and has gotten great results, reducing the crime rate by 41% since he took office.

In addition to adding several new officers to the village police force, Parlier said they have invested in training, drone equipment and purchased an armored vehicle with funding from drug forfeitures.

Body-worn cameras for officers have also been purchased and are expected to be implemented soon.

Parlier said the goal for the next four years is to continue working on large-scale and long-term projects like Lake Michigan water sourcing, Wolf’s Crossing Road improvements and adding a Metra station.

The village of Oswego has been working on an intergovernmental agreement with Yorkville and Montgomery to establish a new water supply by connecting to Lake Michigan via the DuPage Water Commission.

Earlier this year, the village secured passage of a referendum for a real estate transfer tax that is expected to generate nearly $500,000 per year to help fund the Lake Michigan water sourcing. Parlier said the project is on track to be complete by 2028.

Parlier said he thinks the village’s outlook for day-to-day operations is in great shape. He said with a well-managed budget, the village has insulated itself from economic downturn, and the biggest challenges to come will be unforeseen events.

“We have a little safety net for the village,” Parlier said, “But nobody could have envisioned a global pandemic when I first took office.”

Parlier said in his time as president, he has learned that to be a good leader, you have to communicate well and be a good listener.

“Communication is paramount,” Parlier said. “You have to listen to your constituents, the residents, and always put their needs at the forefront. When you do that, everything works out.”

In his final year of his current term, Parlier said the village will be looking to continue to bring in new restaurants and entertainment facilities, and to expand the downtown area towards Van Buren Street, improving roadways and creating additional parking.

Parlier said he suspects there will be a challenger running against him next November.

Parlier closed his press release saying, “Yes, we’ve accomplished a lot over these past four years but there is much more work to be done and challenges to navigate through. I’m asking you to support my candidacy for Oswego Village President once again by voting for me for four more years. Together we will continue to build a great and prosperous Oswego.”

Yorkville Mayor John Purcell announced in July that he will seek re-election to a second term in next year’s municipal election.