Elmhurst Mayor Says Pritzker's Plan 'Unacceptable'

ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst likely could meet Gov. J.B. Pritzker's goals for the "recovery phase" of opening up the economy in a matter of weeks, if not days, Elmhurst's mayor said in a public letter to the governor Monday. But Mayor Steve Morley said under the governor's Restore Illinois plan, the city could be forced to wait months while Chicago and other areas catch up to Elmhurst's progress. That's because Elmhurst and many other suburbs are lumped with Cook County as part of the plan.

"As we are currently part of the Northeast region, per your plan, instead of opening our town in a matter of days, we will be forced to wait months until Chicago and other densely populated areas catch up to our progress," Morley said. "To be clear, this is unacceptable. What will you say to the residents of DuPage County once we meet your criteria but you continue to mandate we remain closed? A more surgical approach must be applied as we continue to plan and push toward reopening."

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According to the DuPage County Health Department, Elmhurst had 162 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Sunday. This is up from 142 a week earlier, a 14 percent increase.

Morley said big retailers such as Walmart and Target have been open and successfully operating, serving thousands of customers every day. They can operate while society is flattening the curve in the rise of coronavirus cases, he said. Small retailers, Morley said, should be given the same opportunity to operate during the crisis.

"There are many retail shops in Elmhurst that can count their daily traffic in the dozens. I am confident that these businesses can open and operate safely," the mayor said in the letter. "These businesses must be given the freedom to open or if they choose, remain closed."

Morley invited Pritzker to visit Elmhurst to further discuss the issue.

"Governor, you represent all Illinoisans, not just the city of Chicago ," the mayor said. "We are asking you to understand the needs of all communities."