Government
On October 20, 1956, 143 residents voted on whether to incorporate with 76 votes for and 67 against, and created the Village of Harvester. The State of Illinois certified the incorporation on October 30, 1956, but the Village only had that name for six years. The community was renamed in 1962 and became known as Burr Ridge after the annexation of Burr Ridge and Woodview Estates. The Village of Burr Ridge functions under a Council-Manager form of local government, combining strong elected leadership with professional managerial experience. Under this form, the elected governing body, the Board of Trustees, is responsible for legislative functions such as establishing policy, passing local ordinances, and developing an overall vision. The Board appoints a professional manager to oversee the administrative operations, implement its policies, and advise. The Village President, also referred to as the President or Mayor, is the chief executive officer of the Village, chairs the meetings of the Board of Trustees, and is the Liquor Commissioner. The Village Clerk maintains the official records of the Village, attests to the Village President's signature on documents, serves as Clerk to the Board of Trustees, and acts as deputy registrar of voters. In the absence of the Village Clerk, the Deputy Clerk serves as an assistant and deputy registrar.
The Village-Manager Form of Government is common, especially with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 citizens. According to the International City/County Management Association, as of 2011, nearly 60 percent of cities in the U.S. use the council-manager system.
Learn more about the history of the Village of Burr Ridge in the community section of the website.