Dupage Policy Journal

Steve Morley, mayor of Elmhurst, has joined others in requesting a meeting with Gov. J.B. Pritzker to discuss the 5-phase plan to reopen the state.

Pritzker unveiled the plan on May 5, and Morley says that the plan is unfair to Elmhurst and DuPage County, which has been grouped in the Illinois' northeast sector, along with Chicago.

Morley recently signed a letter requesting a teleconference meeting with Pritzker. His letter also invites the governor to visit the community and acknowledges that Pritzker is in a tough position, but says that the plan could use work.

“I am happy to work with you to help create a plan that applies a more surgical approach. I am confident that together we can create a plan to reopen that is safe, acceptable, and reasonable based on facts and data,” Morley wrote.

He told WGN9 that he doesn’t see any logical reason for Elmhurst and DuPage County to be in the same health care region as Chicago. Morley said there are more than 100 small businesses struggling that will be able to responsibly open under CDC recommendations and social distancing guidelines.  

“The issue I have is Elmhurst and DuPage County are part of the northeast region he set up, and I don’t see any logical reason for that,” he said in an interview with WGN9. “And when you take a look at Chicago and suburban Cook, their infection rates are about 2.5 times what ours are. They have a population that’s five times what we have in DuPage County. Our ability to move the needle and achieve the Illinois scorecard is very limited.”

As of May 12, Pritzker had not responded to the letter, or Morley’s invitation to visit and discuss the situation.