Harvey Mayor aims to a build better Harvey

Christopher J. Clark has been Mayor of the City of Harvey since 2019. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CITY OF HARVEY.
Christopher J. Clark has been Mayor of the City of Harvey since 2019. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CITY OF HARVEY.

Harvey Mayor aims to a build better Harvey

By Tia Carol Jones

Christopher Clark is a lifelong resident of Harvey. He was elected Mayor of the City of Harvey in 2019. Clark, who is an attorney by trade, also has a degree in Electronic Engineering. “I love my city and I am happy to be serving it at this particular time,” he said.

For Clark, wanting to be the Mayor of Harvey was a culmination of an upbringing where it was expected he would go to college, get a degree and come back to his hometown to help the people that poured into him. He was also encouraged by residents in Harvey to run for Mayor.

In early February, Harvey hosted a public safety forum where it outlined the Public Safety Plan and how it was being implemented. According to Clark, Harvey recently hired about 25 new Police Officers. There are currently 54 Police Officers on the force.

According to Clark, in 2018, the previous administration had laid off half of the police force. When Clark took office in 2019, the first thing he wanted to do was build up the numbers in the police force.

“I’m looking for a much fuller Police Department, even though I am going to listen to my Police Chief and Commanders as to what that number should be,” he said. The City of Harvey also has purchased new police vehicles, something the city hadn’t done in more than 10 years. It also has implemented body cameras for the officers, and use of tasers.

“There have been so many things, from equipment, to putting officers on the street and working with the community, we have done all that to implement a safety plan in the City of Harvey,” he said.

Clark talks about ‘Building a Better Harvey’. He acknowledges that Harvey needs a lot of improvements. When it comes to the ones he cannot control, it includes the school districts, park districts and library districts. The overall infrastructure of the City, which Clark does have a say in as Mayor, also needs a major overhaul.

In 2022, the State of Illinois and Illinois Department of Transportation broke ground on a $94 million project to reconstruct Wood Street/Ashland Avenue, which is the commercial, residential, and industrial corridor. The goal of the project is to modernize the 90-year old infrastructure, with the aim to improve public safety, create jobs, support economic development and enhance the quality of life.

Clark said when he took office, he inherited a $164 million debt. But, the City of Harvey has still been able to fix roads, repair lights and enhance the police department. Now, the City is down to being $149 million in debt.  Harvey is working to ensure the audits are current. Getting its financial house in order will help the city along the way, as it begins to make additional moves. There is a plan to get Harvey to financial independence.

“The City of Harvey has a revenue problem. We don’t have a spending problem. We only collect 52% of our property taxes, that’s a revenue problem. We’re only getting 2/3 of our sales tax, that’s a revenue problem. This administration is figuring out ways to improve our revenues into the City of Harvey,” he said.

Clark’s vision for Harvey is one where children have safe places to play and can go to school and get educated, where people can find jobs in the community where they live and make a decent salary, where people can have a good home and can take care of themselves and their families. When Clark looks at the direction the City of Harvey is headed, he knows that his vision can happen. He described the people of Harvey as tenacious.

For more information about the City of Harvey, visit www.cityofharvey.il.gov.

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