The mayor of west suburban Burr Ridge — who clashed with Gov. JB Pritzker about COVID-19 restrictions — expects to see better days for his village now that things health metrics have improved significantly.
Mayor Gary Grasso was among elected leaders who called on the governor last year to ease restrictions on restaurants around Father's Day.
Now, Grasso tells WBBM Newsradio, he says Pritzker was doing what he thought best.
"I would have preferred seeing a bit more balance on the economic impact," he said Wednesday. "I still think we're going to see some very severe issues on the economic side that may have been avoidable."
That said, Grasso adds, he envisions better days ahead. Officials are planning for late summer and autumn public events.
Local restaurants and small businesses appear to be making a comeback, but office buildings may be the last to recover, he said.
"We have a considerable number of office buildings. I know, just driving around town, the parking lots are not full," Grasso said.
Another indication, he said, that things are improving: The village board plans to meet in person in April, for the first time in months.
