Happy belated Thanksgiving!

It’s been a busy and exciting month, and there’s a lot happening as we close out the year. I’ll be sharing the results of the community project survey that you all filled out, which I’m super excited about!

However, the hot topic that I need your help on right now regards video gaming. City Council is taking a fresh look at Berwyn’s video gaming ordinances and, as part of our discussion, we were asked to collect feedback from residents and business owners. I whipped up a short survey and I would deeply appreciate it if you took time to fill it out. Anyone who lives in, works in, or visits Berwyn can participate, so feel free to share it around.

This is your chance to weigh in on several policy changes being considered. If you have a few minutes (it’s really short), click the button below to fill it out. Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the community project survey! Next year, we will engage in a full participatory budgeting process, but this year’s survey was a resounding success. We had 144 responses, which gave us a solid sample of what matters most to our ward. I also ended up having a little more money in my expense fund than I originally thought ($6,595), which means more money to fund these items. Here’s how you voted:

So what does this all mean? Well, I wanted to bring some structure to a process that can feel a little arbitrary. I decided to fund the top four projects because each participant selected four choices. For the community group support, I set aside $1,000 to divide among the top three groups. Why three? There was a clearer drop in votes after the third group, and it also keeps the number of funded groups close to half of the total options without going over. None of this is perfect, and I wish I could fund every group, but I also want the awards to be meaningful rather than spread too thin.

With that in mind, here is how the project funding shakes out:

That leaves about $1,000 for community groups. Based on the results, here is how that funding will be distributed:

If the actual purchase costs end up being lower than the amounts listed, any leftover money will be added to the community group pool and split among the three groups in the same proportions as their original awards.

The next step is to award the grants and begin coordinating with Public Works on purchasing and installing each item. I’ll share updates as the work gets underway. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to vote! It’s exciting to see these dollars go toward projects that residents chose.

Here are several upcoming local events to be aware of:

Calendars:
Berwyn Community Calendar (city events)
WeLoveBerwyn.org (community events)

At our most recent City Council meeting, the Council voted on whether to give Berwyn voters the chance to decide if the Mayor, Clerk, and City Council members should have term limits. The resolution doesn’t create term limits itself, but it puts the question on the next election ballot so residents can decide the issue directly.

The referendum would set a limit of three consecutive terms. The question for voters is whether Berwyn should adopt a clear cap on how long officials can serve or continue relying on regular elections to decide that.

I voted in favor of placing this question on the ballot and am a strong proponent of term limits at all levels of government. I am happy to say that the resolution passed unanimously. This issue has come up many times in public conversation and now residents will have the chance to weigh in at the ballot box.

The Council also considered a resolution establishing a clearer process for how the City should respond if federal agencies contact us about local nonprofit organizations. This comes amid national concerns that some nonprofits have been subject to investigations driven more by politics or ideology than by any legitimate wrongdoing.

The resolution directs City departments to evaluate federal requests using a consistent set of criteria before sharing information about local nonprofits. The intent is not to block cooperation when there is a lawful basis for it. Rather, it is to ensure that charitable groups in Berwyn are not singled out because of their mission, the communities they serve, or any perceived political stance.

Local nonprofits play an important role in everything from food access to youth programs to housing support. They deserve clarity and fairness so they can keep serving our community without fear of politically influenced scrutiny. I voted in favor of this resolution, and it also passed unanimously.

If you have thoughts or questions about anything here, I’m always glad to hear from you. Also, please fill out the survey on video gaming if you haven’t.

As we head into the holiday season, I hope you find some time to rest and enjoy the people you care about, whatever you celebrate. This has been a great year and I can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store. Happy Holidays!

Best,
Micah