Ogle set to become next mayor of Frankfort
Frankfort Trustee Keith Ogle is all smiles minutes after the polls closed Tuesday, April 6. Ogle is set to become the next mayor of Frankfort, according to unofficial results posted on the Will County Clerk’s website. JON DEPAOLIS/RICHARD FREE PRESS
By Erin Threlkeld, Freelance Reporter
FRANKFORT, Ill. — Trustee Keith Ogle is set to become the next mayor of the Village of Frankfort.
Ogle, the owner of a local audio-visual company, emerged victorious Tuesday, April 6, defeating fellow Trustee John Clavio. According to unofficial vote totals from the Will County Clerk’s website, Ogle received 2,227 votes (53.56%) to Clavio’s 1,931 (46.44%) with all 14 precincts reporting results.
“My wife and I knocked on a tremendous number of doors to talk to people,” Ogle said during an interview on Wednesday, April 7. “This was very much a grassroots thing.”
Ogle began his bid for mayor in September 2020 after longtime Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland announced his intention to not seek a fifth term in office. Prior to becoming a trustee, he also served as the Village’s clerk and as a past president of the Flagstone Homeowners Association.
He said he was excited and humbled by the election results. Ogle also stated that he has faith that Frankfort’s community members and newly elected trustees are ready to help the town recover from the toll of the recent pandemic.
“I’ve reached out to all our board members, including the new trustees coming on, so that we can start working for Frankfort,” Ogle said. “All of them are committed to the betterment of Frankfort.”
According to Ogle’s spokesperson, the mayor-elect plans to address current matters left on Holland’s agenda. And, as was stated in his campaign announcement video, Ogle’s goals as mayor aim to reflect his vision for Frankfort as a place where families can safely raise children and local business owners are supported by their neighbors.
He said he is confident that the development of new homes will bring in new construction jobs and more residents.
“Certainly, for the construction trades, we also have a lot of people that are desiring to move to Frankfort,” Ogle said. “That’s something the entire board, including this new board, is committed to: That Frankfort is a welcoming place and that it is an attractive place for people to come and raise their families.”
Ogle also touched on how he plans to help implement economic development for the Village.
“We just hired an economic development director, and he will be starting around the time my term will begin,” Ogle said. “The board, administration and I will be working together to get development going here in Frankfort.”
He stated that in December 2019, a comprehensive plan was put in place to add healthy lifestyle amenities for residents. He also noted how he plans to work with the Village to achieve its objectives for Frankfort’s future.
“It was a 20-month study of residents, businesses and stakeholders to determine where they wanted to see Frankfort going and the types of amenities [they want],” Ogle said. “In our Village, part of the platform is to connect these trails that aren’t fully developed, for which we will be applying for grants.”