Candidates vying for three seats on the University Park Village Board say a lack of recreational activities, water quality concerns and public safety are top of mind for residents leading up to Tuesday’s election. Incumbents Karen Lewis, Janelle McFadden and Theo Brooks seek reelection and face a challenge from Timothy Robinson Sr., Davonia Sorrell and Sonia Jenkins-Bell. Sorrell, a longtime resident, said her son, Jeremiah, was shot nine times in December while walking to a friend’s house. The shooter was someone Jeremiah had encountered during a fight in high school, she said. While he survived the attack, Sorrell decided to run because the village needs after-school programs and recreational activities. “I can remember when my kids were younger, how we would go to baseball and we had the pool, and we just had different activities we would take them to, but there’s just really nothing for them to do now,” Sorrell said. Sorrell said she would prioritize increasing police patrols, expanding park programs and implementing mental health and youth activities that will “challenge their minds” and keep children busy. Robinson, a military veteran and three-year resident, said while chairing the Veterans Committee, he often receives requests from residents for more services. Theo Brooks (candidate photo) Karen Lewis (candidate photo) Janelle McFadden (candidate photo) Davonia Sorrell (candidate photo) Tim Robinson (candidate photo) Sonia Jenkins-Bell (candidate photo) While Robinson has planned events for Juneteenth and Father’s Day, including Music Under the Stars at a local field, and runs a youth program with pastors to mentor young men on budgeting and credit, he said residents want more events. Jenkins-Bell, who was elected trustee in 2019 but lost her seat after an unsuccessful bid for village president in 2023, said in previous summers there have been no youth programs or activities for seniors. “We need to get programming together now,” Jenkins-Bell said. Brooks, running for a third term, argues the village’s finances have been mismanaged, with funds diverted causing delays in community projects at the expense of residents. He said he would introduce several ethics ordinances to prevent conflicts of interest with developers and contractors and protect whistleblowers. He also said the village should work with multiple engineering firms, criticizing the firm now used for billing large sums for projects that are often left incomplete. “You’ve got to have someone up there who understands government and is not afraid to question the process, as well as being familiar with the process, and that’s one thing that I will definitely take pride in, is that I understand the process on how government works,” Brooks said. After Aqua Illinois, the village’s water provider, switched the water source to the Kankakee River and introduced a blended phosphate that caused elevated lead levels, Jenkins-Bell said the village, with a population of about 7,000, has become distrustful. “We are still scared to drink the water,” Jenkins-Bell said. Although the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said the water supply has met state and federal standards since 2021, McFadden, whose first term began during the height of the water crisis, said residents still struggle to understand the long-term effects on both the community and their health. “We inherited this crisis, yet we have tried desperately to put not only a spotlight on the issue, but to provide resources to the residents, and with the assistance of the U.S. EPA and our local, state and other federal regulatory agencies to educate the residents on the impact of the root causes and lasting effects of this crisis,” McFadden wrote to the Southtown. Residents are also frustrated over the village’s infrastructure, Jenkins-Bell said. Many roads used by school buses to transport children are filled with sinkholes, which she believes create a safety hazard. “We are in the process of trying to address some of them issues, but they haven’t been addressed yet,” she said.” McFadden said attracting businesses has been challenging and infrastructure improvements are needed, but she is committed to continuing to develop a fiscally responsible community that is “built to last.” Lewis, running for a second term, said there is still work to be done, but said she has served the community well by advocating for new businesses and job creation, while also guiding University Park through the COVID-19 pandemic and the water crisis. “I’m pleased to say that brighter days are ahead,” Lewis wrote. Both Lewis and McFadden said University Park, for the first time in its history, has a financial surplus, enabling officials to address critical infrastructure improvements and make the community a desirable place to live. Robinson said some residents asked him to run because of distrust of the board. “A lot of misinformation is being put out there on a lot of things,” Robinson said. “All it takes is one bad apple to score the whole barrel and a lot of interruptions during the meeting, it takes away from the village getting the information because you got distractions during the board meetings.” Sorrell also said bickering by leadership is affecting the community. “I just want to be that voice to try and get something else done,” she said. Jenkins-Bell said she wants to host a public town hall where residents can ask questions directly to the board and receive answers. “We are elected … but their hard money is what keeps the engine of the village going,” she said. “They should have a say on how their money is being spent.” smoilanen@chicagotribune.com ...read more read less