Founded in 1999, the Independent Voters of Berwyn is a non-partisan civic and political organization made up of citizens like you. Our mission is to encourage the active participation of all residents in promoting honest government and fair representation in the City of Berwyn. We support candidates for public office within the City of Berwyn and support referenda and other citizen initiatives that foster progress and improve the quality of life in our city. We do not take positions with respect to candidates or issues at the county, state, or federal level.

 

For many years, a single dominant political party had a stranglehold on Berwyn city government. Emboldened by their monopoly power, these political insiders began to place their own interests above those of the people they were elected to serve. The result was blatant nepotism at City Hall, routine no-bid contracting for city business, massive increases in spending and borrowing without voter approval, and rampant fiscal mismanagement. Someone had to do something, and we did.

 

In the last municipal election, the IVB ran a full slate of candidates for both city and township offices. When the campaigning began, our organization was less than five years old and many of our members and candidates had never before been politically active. Nevertheless, we won a majority of seats, many by wide margins, despite the fact that our opponents outspent us nearly 5 to 1 and brought in outside help from Chicago and elsewhere in Cook County.

 

Much work still needs to be done. Regaining control of the city’s finances and operations has been a formidable task for the new administration. Some with less-than-honorable intentions continue to seek political influence in our city, and we continue to be mindful of the importance of promoting responsible leadership on our school and park boards. We hope you will join us and take an active part in making Berwyn a better place to live.