Burr Ridge Won't Enforce Vaccine Mandate

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso announced this week that the village would not enforce Cook County's vaccine mandate for indoor venues, which is set to start next week.

Grasso's statement appears to be connected to his Republican congressional campaign. He is facing Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, who announced a similar position for his village a few days earlier.

Grasso revealed Burr Ridge's stance on Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's mandate on his campaign Facebook page. The news has yet to be posted on the village's website or Facebook page.

In his campaign post, Grasso said he opposed enforcing the Cook County mandate to require a vaccination card as proof to be admitted to Burr Ridge businesses and restaurants. He said that before his statement, he polled village trustees on the issue outside a Village Board meeting.

With the board's agreement, Grasso said, Burr Ridge would not enforce the mandate. Many of Burr Ridge's businesses are on the Cook County side of the village.

Patch asked Grasso why he posted the information to his campaign page, rather than on the village's social media and website.

"Before the posting, I asked staff, much of which was out, to start telling businesses and restaurants this week," Grasso said in an email. "We will likely place it on the Village website, but it was more pertinent to tell businesses and restaurants ahead of time. We did not want to place our businesses and restaurants in a possible confrontation with patrons."

Grasso also said the vaccine mandate contains a number of exceptions that raise questions for him on its "real efficacy," including waiting to start it until next Monday.

Orland Park's Pekau plans to hold a special board meeting Tuesday to allow a discussion among trustees on the mandate.

Grasso said the Burr Ridge board would meet again Jan. 10, when anyone can speak to the issue during public comment. He said the mandate could be placed on the agenda.

Grasso and Pekau are appealing to a Republican base that is largely opposed to vaccine and mask mandates. They are running in the newly drawn 6th Congressional District.

Grasso has long advocated vaccines and mask wearing. In his recent congressional announcement, Grasso said he opposed the governor's pandemic-related closure mandates.

But he has yet to adopt the tone of Pekau and many other Republican politicians about mandates. Pekau once called Gov. J.B. Pritzker's use of state emergency orders "the actions of a dictator."