Where do Oak Park President and Trustee Candidates stand on climate action?

Written By Derek Eder

March 10, 2025: Candidates Forum on Climate, Sustainability and Active Transportation. Photos by Paul Goyette

On Monday, March 10th, Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN), Bike Walk Oak Park, It’s Our Future, Interfaith Green Network, and Seven Generation Ahead held the final candidate forum for Oak Park President and Trustee candidates.

It was the first-ever candidate forum focusing on climate action and active transportation policy in Oak Park. Over 100 people attended, and candidates shared their stances and records on the most pressing issues facing our Village and planet. Thank you to Ana Garcia-Doyle for hosting, and for all our volunteers and planners for putting on such a successful event!

OPCAN believes that climate action cannot wait, and should not be delayed, as it locks in more pain, suffering, and inequity over time – harming our neighbors today as well as future Oak Parkers. We encourage all Oak Parkers to support candidates who understand the severity of the crisis we’re in, and who will uphold and strengthen efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience locally by funding Climate Ready Oak Park and achieving its crucial climate and equity targets.

At the forum, we evaluated all candidates stances on these two primary issues: 

  • Climate Ready Oak Park Plan (CROP): a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance climate resilience, promote sustainability, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in Oak Park. OPCAN believes that urgent climate action must be taken now, using CROP as the driving framework.

  • Vision Zero: a plan that aims to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries by improving street safety, promoting equitable mobility, and implementing safer infrastructure and policies for cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

Below is what each candidate said about these policies.

Board President Candidates

Vicki Scaman 

  • Strongly supportive of Climate Ready Oak Park Plan and its goals and has innovative ideas about how to finance the plan to meet the goals. Through PlanItGreen, a collective of taxing bodies, she would like to develop ways to increase the funding of the sustainability fund. Through the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4), a coalition of municipalities in western Cook County, she wants young people as well as our neighboring communities to help make an even bigger impact on climate action. Endorsed by Sierra Club.

  • Endorses Vision Zero for Oak Park and wants to ensure community residents and businesses are involved in the plan development. 

Ravi Parakkat 

  • Historical understanding of climate change impacts and working on climate-related issues, including Takeout 25, a local restaurant collaborative, but does not support immediate direct spending on greenhouse gas reduction policies. Although he voted for the Climate Ready Oak Park plan, he expressed support for waiting until technology and policies would require less funding, supporting voluntary, cost-free initiatives now. Market forces, including rising insurance rates, also might influence public support. He suggested providing additional funding for the sustainability fund but is hesitant about new taxes that might push current residents out of the Village.

  • Supportive of the framework of Vision Zero, and acknowledges the current challenge of having two different lifestyles–driving versus biking/walking–conflicting with one another. Believes the transition will need to be flexible in the process of developing an implementation plan. 

Trustee Candidates

Chibuike Enyia 

  • Expressed support for CROP and believes we should explore all financing options to realize its full impact. Has taken personal action to electrify his and his parents’ homes. Endorsed by Sierra Club.

  • Supportive of  Vision Zero and understands its potential impact on improving community health.

Lucia Robinson 

  • Supports CROP and offered several ideas for financing, including a new community electricity aggregation plan, the Capital Improvement Plan, and the sustainability fund. However, she did not include spending from the fund balance, something she has expressly opposed recently. Endorsed by Sierra Club.

  • Supportive of Vision Zero, but acknowledged the challenge of navigating the different interests. Educating constituents will be critical.

Jim Taglia 

  • Voted for CROP and expressed concern that Oak Park needs to develop a climate resilience plan due to its susceptibility to extreme weather. He clearly stated he would support using surplus reserves for CROP, a shift from his previous stance. 

  • Supportive of Vision Zero and wants to ensure interests are balanced in planning for its implementation. The Village needs to be thoughtful and pragmatic when listening to community and building out the infrastructure. 


Jenna Leving Jacobson 

  • Supportive of CROP and a vibrant sustainability fund, with interest in ideas about how to finance its implementation. Believes youth need to be involved in development and implementation and that equity is an essential lens. Endorsed by Sierra Club.

  • Supportive of Vision Zero 

Josh VanderBerg

  • Endorsed climate action goals through housing density (continued economic development), affordable housing development, and a bikeable and walkable community, supported by the Village’s annual budget. According to his website, he supports CROP but thinks its scope is too broad.

  • Supportive of Vision Zero and stated that what is essential to its success is giving people a vision of a sustainable community, such as living without a car and active transportation to everyday needs.

Additional photos of the event by Paul Goyette

Derek Eder
Next

Where do the D200 and D97 School Board Candidates stand on climate action?