Burr Ridge Enjoys An Unusual Status For Government

BURR RIDGE, IL — The Burr Ridge Village Board this week took final action on paying off the debt for its police station, which was built more than a decade ago.

At Monday's meeting, the board approved the final $6 million in bond payments. That leaves the village debt-free, except its pension liability, which is common to virtually all Illinois towns.

At the board meeting, Mayor Gary Grasso said he would take a "wild guess" that Burr Ridge was probably the only Illinois town north of Interstate 80 to pay off all of its bond debt, certainly in the last two decades.

"So thank you for the vote, and thank you for the leadership," Grasso told the board. "We had the fiscal ability to do this, and I think it sets a great example."

Last week, Grasso announced he would run as a Republican in the 6th Congressional District. He noted the village's coming debt-free status in his speech.

Grasso's Republican opponent, Keith Pekau, is mayor of Orland Park, which is several times larger than Burr Ridge. The town's total debt is $66 million, according to its 2020 annual financial report.