The mayor of Harvey, Illinois is Shirley Drewenski, who has served as acting mayor since February 23, 2026. The Harvey City Council elected Drewenski, previously the 1st Ward alderman, after Mayor Christopher J. Clark died unexpectedly on January 30, 2026.1City of Harvey. Office of the Mayor She holds the full powers of the office until a new mayor is elected and qualified following the April 2027 municipal election.
How Drewenski Became Acting Mayor
Clark won the mayor’s seat in April 2019 and was reelected in 2023, putting him roughly two years into his second four-year term when he died.2Illinois State Board of Elections. Candidate Details – Christopher J Clark His family did not disclose a cause of death.
Illinois law decides what happens next by how much time is left on the term. When fewer than 28 months remain, the city council fills the vacancy by electing one of its own alderpersons as acting mayor rather than calling a special election.3Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50 – Events Upon Which an Elective Office Becomes Vacant Harvey fell into that window.
The process was not quick. At a special meeting on February 2, 2026, no nominee drew the four votes required. Three weeks later, on February 23, the council voted unanimously for Drewenski, who had served as Mayor Pro Tempore. After being sworn in she had to either resign her aldermanic seat or leave it vacant for the rest of its term.
What the Mayor of Harvey Can Do
Harvey is a home rule municipality in Cook County with a strong-mayor form of government, giving the office real executive weight.4Illinois Courts. Appellate Court Opinion, First District, March 1999 The mayor appoints and removes administrative assistants, the budget and finance director, and all department heads, with appointments made on the basis of merit and fitness. The mayor also appoints members of city boards and commissions.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/6-4-7 – Mayor, Powers and Duties A change in mayor can meaningfully reshape how police, fire, public works, and other departments operate.
The mayor also holds veto power over ordinances, resolutions, and motions passed by the city council. A vetoed item returns to the council with written reasons at the next regular meeting occurring at least five days after passage. The veto reaches individual line items in spending ordinances, so the mayor can strike specific appropriations and leave the rest in place.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-40-45 – Ordinances, Approval, Veto If the mayor does not return an ordinance within the designated window, it takes effect without a signature.
Overriding a veto takes two-thirds of all alderpersons then holding office, voting yes at the next regular meeting after the council receives the mayor’s objections, with each vote recorded by name in the official journal.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-40-50 – Reconsideration, Passing Over Veto That threshold gives the office considerable leverage on budget fights and other close calls.
The Mayor at Council Meetings
The mayor presides over all city council meetings and controls debate and the agenda, but has a narrow vote. Under state law, the presiding mayor can cast a vote only when the alderpersons are tied, when exactly half of the elected alderpersons have voted in favor of a measure even without a tie, or when the code requires more than a simple majority.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-40-20 – Presiding Officer, Vote The office is primarily executive, with a vote reserved for close or high-stakes decisions.
When Harvey Votes Next
Harvey mayoral elections run on Illinois’s consolidated cycle, held on the first Tuesday in April of odd-numbered years.9Illinois State Board of Elections. Schedule of Future Elections The next regularly scheduled municipal election is in April 2027. The mayor serves a four-year term and stays in office until a successor is elected and qualified.10Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-15-10 – Chief Executive Officer Drewenski’s acting term ends when the April 2027 winner is sworn in.
Who Can Run for Mayor
Eligibility is set by the Illinois Municipal Code. A candidate must be a qualified elector of the city, meaning at least 18, a U.S. citizen, and registered to vote. The candidate must also have lived inside Harvey’s city limits for at least one year before the election.11Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5 – Qualifications, Elective Office
Two disqualifications apply even to otherwise eligible candidates. Anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, or perjury in any U.S. court cannot take the oath of office unless pardoned or formally restored to rights by the Governor. Anyone who owes unpaid taxes or other debts to the city is also barred from taking office. If a debt is disputed, the municipal clerk serves written notice and the official has 30 days to pay or request a hearing before an appointed hearing officer.11Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5 – Qualifications, Elective Office
Removing a Sitting Mayor
Illinois does not give voters a recall. There is no petition process to force a sitting mayor into a recall election. Between elections, removal happens only through the specific grounds in 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50, each of which triggers a vacancy that the city council formally declares:3Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50 – Events Upon Which an Elective Office Becomes Vacant
- A conviction or guilty plea for a felony, bribery, perjury, or similar offense.
- A permanent physical or mental disability preventing the mayor from doing the job. A finding of mental disability requires either a court-appointed guardian or written certification from a licensed doctor.
- Abandonment of the office, or moving out of the city on more than a temporary basis.
- Unpaid debts to the city after notice from the clerk, a 30-day window to pay or contest, and a hearing officer’s final determination if disputed.
- A court ruling that the mayor’s election was void.
Short of one of those triggers, a Harvey mayor serves out the term.