Dupage Policy Journal

Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico noted he was stepping aside as mayor hours before a controversial vote on a gun ban in the city. 

Read Chirico’s full statement below: 

"Dear friends, To say that I love this community is an understatement. It’s been my lifelong home; the place I grew up and that provided the foundation that supports who I am as a husband, father, grandfather, businessman, and mayor. Over the past eight years, we’ve been through a lot as a world, country, and community, including a global pandemic and, closer to home, a natural disaster."

"But now it’s time. It’s time to let someone else chart this community’s course alongside the entire City Council and our professional, hardworking City staff.  It’s time to bring new ideas and leadership into the Mayor’s role and build upon the economic stability I have prioritized since I came into office in 2015." 

"And that’s why I am announcing today I will not be running for reelection in 2023." 

"I’m proud to have worked with hundreds of people – my colleagues on the Council, City staff, community leaders, residents, and businesspeople – to make significant strides that will leave our community in good standing for years to come. That includes implementing one of the lowest property tax rates in the last 50 years, rebuilding our cash reserves and lowering our debt, balancing our budget, and focusing on putting dollars towards infrastructure projects, which saves money in the long run instead of fixing costly breaks. It also includes making our City a prime location for development and re-development, as seen by our building permit applications reaching highs not seen since the 1990s. And it also includes making sustainability a priority through approving a comprehensive, multi-approach plan that spans the next decade and then some."

"We are less than 10 years from celebrating Naperville’s bicentennial; a time where we’ll look back at the decisions of the past and remember how far they’ve allowed us to come. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your leader for eight of those years and do the hard – but necessary – work to make Naperville the best place to live, do business, and visit. I’m looking forward to continuing to be involved in the community that my entire family loves, and of course, I’m looking forward to more time with Julie, my kids, and my grandkids. They are a large part of why I serve – to make tomorrow better for future generations." 

"I know Naperville will be in good hands and look forward to sharing in our community’s future successes – just from a different vantage point."

Chirico took office in 2015. He served as a Naperville councilman for one term prior to becoming mayor, Naperville News reported.

The Naperville gun control law comprises “semi-automatic rifles, pistols, shotguns and large capacity magazines that hold 10 rounds of ammunition by any licensed dealer,” according to NCV17. On Tuesday, July 19, Naperville was scheduled to vote on the ordinance. Theresa Sullivan, Ian Holzhauer, and Patrick Kelly are the council members that are criticizing the ordinance.

The Chicagoland region has been plagued by gun violence. Over the weekend of July 4, a shooter at the Highland Park July 4th parade started shooting at the crowd, killing a 4-year-old boy, CNN reported.  During the same period, there were 68 additional shootings including eight fatal shootings in the Chicago area. In Chicago, such gun violence weekends seem to be recurring. Some have alleged bias in the Highland Park shooting, which took place in a predominantly white suburban area.