Government and Elected Officials FAQ
This guide provides government information and contacts for the residents of Western Springs, Illinois. As such, it only includes elected officials for whom they vote.
Where do I vote? How do I register to vote?
How do I find federal laws? How can I find the status of a bill?
How do I contact the governor or other elected Illinois officials?
How do I find Illinois Laws? How do I find the status of bills in the Illinois General Assembly?
How do I contact officials in Cook County government?
How do I contact Village of Western Springs officials?
Where do I find information about Village of Western Springs regulations and services?
What print resources about government are available in the Library?
What useful government websites does the Library recommend?
Where do I vote? How do I register to vote?
Voterinfonet from the Cook County Election Department tells you when and where to vote, what offices are up for election, candidates, election results, and even keeps a virtual ballot for your district to show you exactly what will be on it before you cast your vote.
The Illinois State Board of Elections website also answers voting questions, such as whether voting sites are handicap accessible.
How do I contact the President, my Senators, or my Congressional Representative in Washington? Do they have local offices?
President George W. Bush
Vice-President Richard Cheney
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
TTY/TDD Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
FAX: 202-456-2461
Website: www.whitehouse.gov
Email address: comments@whitehouse.gov
Website: www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident
Email address: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
Senator Richard J. Durbin
Washington D.C. Office
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2152
Fax: 202-228-0400
Chicago Office
230 South Dearborn Street, #3900
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 312-353-4952
Fax: 312-353-0150
Web site: www.durbin.senate.gov
Email and contact center link: www.durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Senator Barack Obama
Washington D.C. Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone 202-224-2854
Fax: 202-228-4260
TDD: 202 228-1404
Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Phone: 312-886-3506
Fax: 312-886-3514
Toll free: (866) 445-2520 (for IL residents only)
Website: obama.senate.gov/contact/
Congressman Daniel Lipinski
Washington, DC Office
1717 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5701
Fax: (202) 225-1012
Toll free from IL (866) 822-5701
Chicago District Office
6245 South Archer Avenue
Chicago, IL 60638
Phone: (312) 886-0481
Fax: (773) 767-9395
La Grange Office
19 West Hillgrove
La Grange, IL 60525
Phone: (708) 352-0524
Fax: (708) 352-0927
Website: www.lipinski.house.gov
Email contact form: www.house.gov/formlipinski/zipauth.html
How do I find federal laws? How can I find the status of a bill?
Though it is not simple to use, Thomas, a website from the Library of Congress, keeps track of both current federal legislation and laws passed in past years. Look at Thomas to find status of bills.
Cornell University Law School maintains a popular version of the U. S. Code, which includes all U.S. law in codified organization. This version allows scanning the titles, searching popular names of laws, and keyword searching.
How do I contact the governor or other Illinois officials?
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121
TTY: 888-261-3336
Website: www.illinois.gov/gov/
Email contact form: www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn
Office of Lt. Governor
214 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-7884
Fax: 217-524-6262
Office of Lt. Governor
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, 15-200
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-5220
Fax: 312-814-4862
Website: standingupforillinois.org
Email contact form: www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/
Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Office of the Attorney General
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-3000
TTY: 312-814-3374
Office of the Attorney General
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-1090
TTY: 217-785-2771
Hotlines and helplines: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/hotlines.html
Website: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
Email contact forms: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/contacts.html
Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes
Office of the Comptroller
Executive Office
201 Capitol
Springfield, IL 62706-0001
Phone: 217-782-6000
Website: www.ioc.state.il.us
Email contact form: www.ioc.state.il.us/comments/
Secretary of State Jesse White
213 State Capitol
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 1-800-252-8980 (toll-free within Illinois)
TDD / TTY: Numbers
Driver Services TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-5238
Driver / Seniors TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-5280
Vehicles TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-7864
Library TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-7861 (Talking Book and Braille Service)
TDD/TTY: 1-888-965-0748 (Reference Desk)
Personnel TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-5112
Court of Claims TDD/TTY: 1-888-261-7863
FAQ: www.cyberdriveillinois.com/general/most_faq.html
Website: www.cyberdriveillinois.com
Email contact form: www.ilsos.gov/ContactFormsWeb/secretary_contact.html
Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias
100 West Randolph, Suite 15-600
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-814-1700
TDD: 312-814-6592
Fax: 312-814-5930
Capitol Building
219 Statehouse
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-2211
Fax: 217-785-2777
Website: www.state.il.us/treas/
Email Address: Webmaster@treasurer.state.il.us
State Representatives
41st District
Robert A. "Bob" Biggins
207-N Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-6578
Fax: 217-782-5257
114 W. Valette
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: 630-941-1278
Fax: 630-941-1285
Website: www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=893
Email Address: bobbiggins@comcast.net
82nd District
Jim Durkin
6404 W. Joliet Road
Suite 203
Countryside, IL 60525
Phone: 708-352-7700
Fax: 708-352-7702
220 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-0494
Fax: 217-557-7209
Website: www.ilga.gov/house/RepCommittees.asp?MemberID=1129&GA=94
Email Address: repdurkin@hotmail.com
State Senators
21st District
Dan Cronin
313 S. Main Street
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: 630-792-0040
Fax: 630-792-8620
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone 217-782-8107
Fax: 217-782-0069 Website: www.senatorcronin.com/default.asp
Email Address: SenatorCronin@aol.com
41st District
Christine Radogno
410 Main Street
Lemont, IL 60439
Phone: 630-243-0800
Fax: 630-243-0808
105-A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone 217-782-9407
Fax: 217-782-9586
Website: www.radogno.senategop.org
Email contact form:
How do I find Illinois laws? How do I find the status of bills in the Illinois General Assembly?
The Legislative Reference Bureau at the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield maintains an online version of the Illinois Compiled Statutes that includes all Illinois law.
The status of bills can be found on the Illinois General Assembly website's legislation page. Knowing the bill number helps. There is a keyword search box available.
How do I contact officials in Cook County government?
Cook County Assessor James M. Houlihan
118 N. Clark St. Room 301
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-443-7550
Website: www.cookcountyassessor.com
FAQ: www.cookctyclerk.com/sub/faqs.asp
Other offices: www.cookctyclerk.com/sub/contact.asp
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger
118 N. Clark St., Rm. 537
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6396
Fax: 312-603-4678
Website: www.cookcountygov.com
FAQ: www.cookcountygov.com/faqs.htm
Cook County Commissioners
District 17
Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
Chicago Office
County Government Center
118 N. Clark St., Room 567
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312.603.4215
Fax: 312.603.2014
Des Plaines District Office - North
780 Lee St. - Ste. 109
Des Plaines, IL 60016
Phone: 847-759-8216
Fax: 847-759-8479
Orland Hills District Office - South
Orland Hills Village Hall - 2nd Floor
16033 S. 94th Ave.
Orland Hills, IL 60487
Phone: 708-349-1336
Fax: 708-349-1627
Website: www.lizgorman.com
Email contact form: www.lizgorman.com/contactus2.htm
Email Address: eadgorman@cookcountygov.com
District 16
Anthony J. Peraica
Main Office
118 N. Clark Street
Room 567
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6384
Fax: 312-603-4744
District Office
10001 W. Roosevelt Road
Westchester, IL 60154
Phone: 708-345-5808
Fax: 708-345-5838
Website: www.peraica.com
Email Address: ajperaica.@cookcountygov.com
Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown
50 W. Washington St., Rm. 1001
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5030
Fax: 312- 603-4557
Website: www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org
Email contact form:
Cook County Board of Review Commissioners
Joseph Berrios
Brendan F. Houlihan
Larry R. Rogers, Jr.
County Building
118 North Clark Street, Room 601
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5542
Website: www.cookcountyboardofreview.com
Other offices: www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/html/bor_offices.html
County Clerk David Orr
69 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5656
Fax: 312-603-9788
Website: www.cookctyclerk.com
Email contact form: 198.173.15.34/?section=ContactUSPage
Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore
118 N. Clark St., Rm. 230
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5050
Fax: 312-603-5063
Website: www.ccrd.info
FAQ: www.ccrd.info/CCRD/controller
Sheriff Thomas Dart
50 W. Washington St., Rm. 704
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6444
Fax: 312-603-4420
Website: www.cookcountysheriff.org
Email Address: sheriff@cookcountysheriff.org
State's Attorney Richard A. Devine
50 W. Washington St., Rm. 500
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5440
Fax: 312-603-3000
Website: www.statesattorney.org
Email Address: statesattorney@cookcountygov.com
County Treasurer Maria Pappas
118 N. Clark St., Rm. 212
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6202
Fax: 312-603-6201
Website: www.cookcountytreasurer.com
How do I contact Village of Western Springs officials?
Here is a list of village officials and departments with contact information.
Western Springs Village Hall
740 Hillgrove Avenue
Western Springs, IL 60558
Phone: 708-246-1800
Fax: 708-246-0284
Website: www.wsprings.com
Officials
President Jack Lynch
Phone 708-246-1800, ext. 120
Email Address: jlynch@wsprings.com
Trustees
Marcia Buell
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 116
Email Address: mbuell@wsprings.com
Janet Dahl
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 115
Email Address: jdahl@wsprings.com
Roger Hendrick
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 119
Email Address: rhendrick@wsprings.com
John Madell
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 118
Email Address: jmadell@wsprings.com
James Maragos
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 114
Email Address: jmaragos@wsprings.com
Bill Rodeghier
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 117
Email Address: wrodeghier@wsprings.com
Clerk Jeanine M. Jasica
Phone: 708-246-1800, ext. 127
Where do I find information about Village of Western Springs regulations and services?
The Village has a new website www.wsprings.com for its residents, as of July 2007. Some popular pages of interest include the following:
Bike Licenses: www.wsprings.com/living/licensesbikes.asp
General Information: www.wsprings.com/departments/info.asp
Parking: www.wsprings.com/about/parking.asp
Pet Licenses: www.wsprings.com/living/pets.asp
Vehicle Stickers: www.wsprings.com/living/vehiclestickers.asp
Key Regulations: www.wsprings.com/living/keyregulations.asp
Village Government: www.wsprings.com/government/index.asp
Village Services: www.wsprings.com/living/villageservices.asp
What print resources about government are available in the Library?
Here is a sample of what the library keeps in its reference collection. You are always welcome to use them or ask reference staff for assistance.
2006 U.S. Master Tax Guide - R336.2 UNI 2006
2007-2008 Directory of Health and Human Services in Metropolitan Chicago - R361.9773 DIR 2007-2008
Congressional Digest (current year plus 2 previous years) - Located in the Magazine section of the library
The Encyclopedia of Illinois - R977.3/ENC
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution - R342.73 ENC
Illinois Compiled Statutes 2006 - R348.773 ILL
Illinois Issues (current year plus 2 previous years) - Located in the Magazine section of the library
The Municipal Year Book 2006 - R352 INT
Sullivan's law directory for the state of Illinois 2006 - R340.25 SUL 2006
The United State Government Manual 2006/2007 - R353 UNI 2006-2007
Also available online at: www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/index.html
Washington Information Directory 2006-2007 - R353 WAS 2006-2007
What useful government websites does the Library recommend?
The Child Abuse Page from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services defines child abuse and explains the process to report suspected cases.
The Federal Aviation Administration Information for Travelers page reports on security checkpoint wait times, airport status and delays, what you can bring on board, baggage size requirements, and just about anything else related to your flight travel.
The Federal Election Commission explains rules that regulate contributions to candidates, campaign and personal finance disclosure, PACs, and public funding of candidates. Current and historical records of contributions to Presidential candidates are included.
Federal Student Aid from the U.S. Department of Education helps students and parents with their applications for funds for higher education.
GPO Access is an all-purpose portal to information from the U.S. government. This service of the U.S. Government Printing Office provides free electronic access to Federal publications, websites and databases.
The Identity Theft Hotline page from the Illinois Attorney General provides advice to prevent identity theft and contacts for those who need help.
Illinois Department of Revenue has forms and information you need to file your state individual income tax returns.
The Illinois Department on Aging provides information for senior living and contacts for assistance with care giving, housing, nutrition, and transportation.
The Illinois Immigrant Assistance Program helps immigrants know their rights and request government services.
The Illinois Public Safety webpage links to the Illinois State Police, the Sex Offender Registry, the Most Wanted Fugitives list, rape crisis centers, victim services, criminal justice data, and state crime reports.
Living in Illinois contains links for commonly requested information and services within the state of Illinois.
National Do Not Call Registry lets citizens reduce annoying telephone marketing.
State Department Passport Information tells you what you need to know for obtaining your passport. You may also check the status of your passport application.
USA.gov Government Made Easy is a portal to everything related to Federal, State and local government, including government officials and employees, Agencies, statistics, etc.
U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinderlets you enter the name of a city, town, county or zip code to generate a fact sheet on that community. You may also view the U.S. and world population clocks. Locate just about any data pertaining to the U.S. census, as well as maps showing state, county, Congressional district boundaries and more.
United States Election Assistance Commission explains the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lets you locate local air quality conditions and forecasts by entering your zip code. This site contains everything from consumer information about going green to technical databases.
U.S. Internal Revenue Service is a heavily visited website. You may locate and print IRS forms and publications, as well as research tax laws and regulations.
UV Index: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lets you enter a zip code or city and state to find out what the UV index will be tomorrow, or you can sign up to receive UV alerts in your e-mail.
Created by Lynnea Nash and Rick Roche, Thomas Ford Memorial Library, September 2007
