Orland Park’s new outreach coordinator has a long relationship with Mayor Jim Dodge, including serving as his campaign treasurer up until Wednesday.

The Orland Park Village Board voted in July to amend the budget to hire Dean Casper, who also serves on the Tinley Park Elementary District 146 board, for a new outreach coordinator position. He will receive a $90,000 annual salary plus an additional $1,300 toward Medicare and $5,600 toward Social Security benefits, according to village records.

The move drew criticism from former Mayor Keith Pekau, who said in a social media post Wednesday that the Casper’s hiring was “pure patronage.”

The budget amendment, which also included allocations for other personnel changes, an internship program, a tuition reimbursement program, a tree pruning pr

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