Incoming Oswego village president says hiring new police chief will provide ‘first major test’

As he takes his seat Tuesday as Oswego’s new village president, Ryan Kauffman will hit the ground running.

One of his first tasks will be to find a new police chief. Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner will retire on June 13 following 27 years of service to the village.

He was appointed Oswego police chief in 2014 after working his way through the ranks. Burgner was hired as an Oswego police officer in 1996.

“Jeff is a fantastic public servant and he is just a great guy all around,” Kauffman said. “I’m sad to see him go, but I’m excited for his next chapter and happy for him personally. He leaves huge shoes to fill, but he has positioned the Oswego Police Department extremely well, so we have a deep bench of experience. Hiring Jeff’s replacement is the first major test I will face as president, so it’s critical to get right.

Kauffman, who served on the Oswego Village Board from 2015 to 2019, said he wants the process to find a new police chief to be as transparent as possible.

“We are working with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for the candidate vetting and interview process,” he said. “I’m asking all of the village trustees to participate in the interviews and I’m asking community and stakeholder groups to participate in various ways as well. The bar is very high for the next chief.”

Kauffman is looking for the new police chief to have a deep knowledge of law enforcement along with “exceptional leadership skills.”

“The bar is very high for the next chief.”

—  Incoming Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman

He is also looking for the chief to have unsurpassed integrity, be tech savvy, be a strategic thinker and possess excellent communication skills. In addition, the new chief “should have a deep understanding of the diversity in our community, including their unique needs and challenges,” Kauffman said.

There are other changes with Oswego’s staff. Kauffman has asked David Silverman, of the law firm Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, to be village attorney.

“Dave was the village attorney when I was a trustee, so I had the privilege of seeing him in action for four years,” Kauffman said. “He is a wonderful attorney and I’m excited to be working with him again.”

Kauffman said he will work to ensure that partisan politics do not become an obstacle during his term. Troy Parlier, a Republican, lost in his bid for a second term as village president to Kauffman, a Democratic. Village voters had their choice between an even split of Democratic and Republican candidates, each on opposing slates for village president and three open board seats.

The Democratic Village Board candidates, Karin McCarthy-Lange, Luis Perez and Andrew Torres, garnered more votes than incumbent trustees James Marter II and Terry Olson and Planning and Zoning Commission member Jason Kapus, running as Republicans.

“It’s essential to encourage open and respectful dialogue,” Kauffman said. “All sides should have an opportunity to express their viewpoints and concerns without fear of retribution or being dismissed. Encouraging open communication can lead to a better understanding of each other’s perspectives, which can, in turn, lead to more effective decision-making. In a democratic society, it’s impossible to please everyone, but it’s crucial to find common ground and work towards solutions that benefit as many people as possible.”

He doesn’t expect to be the tie-breaking vote on many issues that come before the board.

“I am prepared to break a tie, if need be, but I don’t expect it to happen any more often than with past boards,” Kauffman said. “Ultimately, the goal of any governing body should be to work collaboratively towards solutions that are in the best interest of the community they serve. There isn’t a Republican way to fix a pothole, or a Democratic way to fix a streetlight. Local government is about nuts-and-bolts governance. It’s my sincerest hope that we can all work together for the best interests of Oswego, and not have any ‘party line’ votes.”

“There isn’t a Republican way to fix a pothole, or a Democratic way to fix a streetlight. Local government is about nuts-and-bolts governance. It’s my sincerest hope that we can all work together for the best interests of Oswego, and not have any ‘party line’ votes.”

—  Incoming Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman

During the campaign, Kauffman talked about a number of goals, including a rental project moratorium, reducing the number of gaming licenses and repairing the relationship with Oswego SD308. He plans to address those goals simultaneously.

“I’ve been in contact with the School Board and I’ve been working to rebuild those relationships right away,” he said. “The gaming license discussion is on the agenda for one of the first meetings. The ethics ordinance is being worked on.”

Kauffman is pushing for the village to implement an ethics ordinance preventing elected officials from accepting campaign contributions from developers or their attorneys. Another goal is to have a Metra station off Orchard Road.

“We’ve all been hearing about Oswego getting a train station for decades now,” he said. “It’s definitely a goal. I’d love to be the president that gets it done for the residents of this incredible village.”

Kauffman is expecting that downtown Oswego will continue to see development, including that Shodeen will start work on its second building in the downtown in the near future. The proposed six-story building, part of The Reserve at Hudson Crossing, will have 104 apartments with an attached parking garage with spaces for 119 vehicles.

He also expects that a new tenant will soon move into the vacant Dairy Barn building on Main Street in downtown Oswego.

“I’ve heard some great potential news, but nothing I can share yet,” he said.

Kauffman is supporting the village board’s previous vote to bring Lake Michigan water to Oswego. As he noted, the aquifer that Oswego draws water from is getting “dangerously low.”

“It’s crucial we start getting water from a reliable source very soon,” Kauffman said. “The Lake Michigan Water Project is a significant initiative that will bring clean, safe and reliable water to our community. As we await the results of the water study commissioned last year and is due this summer that will determine water rates, it’s important to remember that once completed, this project will ensure that our residents have access to high-quality water for years to come.”