Hinsdale Likely To Keep Lobbyist For Tollway Project

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale trustees are poised to keep the village's lobbyist for another six months and possibly a year.

The village has been paying lobbyist John D'Alessandro, founder of JLD Consulting, since 2021.

Under a proposed contract, the village would continue paying D'Alessandro $5,500 a month, or $66,000 a year.

He has represented the village with the state's Interstate 294 tollway expansion project. The village's concern is the Hinsdale Oasis, a big contributor to the local sales tax base.

The tollway closed the oasis, but the village wants to make sure the state keeps its promises for a replacement.

In 2021, Village President Tom Cauley expressed mixed feelings about having a lobbyist.

"It's important the trustees look at something like a lobbyist and scrutinize it more than something like repaving a road," Cauley said at the time. "Lobbyist expenses are certainly something that can be abused. On some level, I'd rather not have lobbyists, but I have to say John D'Alessandro has been very helpful to us."

The Village Board is expected to vote at a later meeting on the lobbyist contract.

D'Alessandro was a member of Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's administration. He also advises the Democratic Governors Association, according to his website.