Mayor Scott Wehrli

10/16/2026

Through the vigilance of a co-worker who saw something that wasn’t right, law enforcement rapidly intervened in a matter to save lives and prevent an act of mass violence that was being planned in Aurora. Police in Palatine, Mount Prospect, and Aurora moved fast, worked together, and are working with federal partners.

This is how public safety works. All levels of law enforcement collaborate, share information, and act quickly to mobilize resources against threats. Our police do this every day.

Many Naperville families pray at this Hindu temple in Aurora. Our neighbors were to be targeted.

Naperville invests in public safety resources, tools, technologies, and training to monitor ongoing threats against our community, youth, places of worship, schools, and festivals.

The best way to keep the community safe is to call or text 911. Don’t wait. Don’t make it someone else’s job. Don’t assume the police already know. It is our responsibility to keep our neighbors and community safe.

Police have shared that this planned attack was driven by animus toward race and religion. Hate tries to tear us apart; don’t let it.

Now is the time for leaders throughout our community to focus on being role models, especially for our youth. We must instill that violence is an act of cowardice, and the weak, not the strong, traffic in hate.

In a world full of division, be bold. Take the initiative to connect with a family member, friend, or neighbor and find common ground. Our kids are watching.

10/10/2026

Nearly every day of the year has an unofficial world or national “day of” observance attached to it, celebrating everything from objects and hobbies to important issues. These observances can be easy to overlook, but today’s World Mental Health Day truly deserves the spotlight.

This year’s global theme, “lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” reminds us that listening to the experiences of people living with mental health conditions isn’t optional and that their voices must help shape the policies and services that affect their lives.

That first part is so foundational that it’s easy to overlook. And we can’t have those difficult conversations about mental health, loneliness, and isolation - as individuals or as a community - unless we build true, meaningful connections with one another. Understanding doesn’t come from a phone app, and connection isn’t found under a keyboard. Today, I took part in two events that put this message into action and offered our community the opportunities people so desperately want and need.

This weekend’s inaugural Naperville Possibility Festival is one of just three local Possibility Festivals taking place across the country in 2026. Joe Chura of Go Brewing, KidsMatter, Alive Center, and the InsideOut Club created a space in Central Park this weekend where high-school and college-age students are connecting, having those meaningful discussions, and having fun while combating isolation.

Next, I headed to Springbrook Prairie to meet The Actual Naperville Running Club, founded by two Benet Academy graduates to help 18- to 28-year-olds connect through weekly runs and post-run socials. The group has grown from a few people to hundreds. Today’s event, aimed at keeping 20-somethings in Naperville instead of Chicago, was called the “Naperville Young People Retention Program.” A conversation between two friends has now helped others find friendship and, hopefully, a lifelong home in Naperville.

Today, I urge you to take a moment to check in with yourself and others. That first step of connection can do everything from making someone smile to finding a new running buddy, and maybe even saving a life. And that is worth celebrating every single day.

09/11/2026

Today is one of the most difficult and emotional days in our nation’s history. Every year since 2001, Naperville and many other cities have paused to reflect on the events of September 11 in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Having reached the 25th anniversary, the memories of that day seem to take on new meaning.

Maybe it’s because an entire generation has reached adulthood that was either not born or too young to remember that day firsthand. A post-9/11 world is all these young adults know. They know that day through history books, videos, and photographs rather than through the personal experience of watching the world change before their eyes.

And that’s why events like tonight’s 9/11 remembrance, hosted by Naperville Responds For Veterans are even more important as the years go on. Videos and photos show what happened that day, but they can’t always convey the stories of those who were lost, the first responders who showed us what true heroism looks like, or how an ordinary field in Pennsylvania became a symbol of courage and resistance.

It’s up to those who witnessed these events, who comforted friends and neighbors, including Naperville’s very own Shanower family, in the days and months after, and who helped with the unthinkable search efforts at the World Trade Center to bring these lessons to life so we may never forget . . . and so the next generation learns never to forget.

How do we do that? I urge everyone, young and old, to join our city in remembering this day at 5 p.m. this evening at the Shanower Memorial along the Riverwalk behind City Hall. You can also be part of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Remember the Sky project, which encourages us to recall and reflect on the significance of September 11, 2001 – a day the sky across the U.S. was crystal clear – and how we responded with unity, resilience, hope, and service. Simply take a picture of the sky, tag , and visit neverforget.org.

09/05/2026

Music, food, a carnival, the business expo, and a parade that still draws a huge crowd every Labor Day: these are the sights and soundtracks of this weekend as we say goodbye to summer in our own unique Naperville way.

What I like most about the Naperville Last Fling is that there really is something for everyone: families, students, longtime residents, visitors, and people who moved here last month. For a few days they're all downtown together, young and old, and nobody is in a hurry to be anywhere else.

None of it happens without the Naperville Jaycees. They are volunteers. Nobody pays them to give up part of their summer to run the city's biggest multi-day event. The Last Fling is their largest fundraiser, and over the years it has raised more than $2 million for nonprofits across Naperville and DuPage County. While you're visiting the Last Fling, you can take a short walk to see where some of those dollars have gone, including the Jaycee Marina, the accessible playground on the Riverwalk, the gazebo at Fredenhagen Park, and Jaycees Park by the Municipal Center. That's an amazing testament to the volunteer spirit that has always been at the forefront of Naperville's success.

Thank you to everyone who is spending their weekend making the Fling a success, and to everyone who will come out to keep the Last Fling tradition alive!

08/19/2026

Last week, I had the honor of attending the designation of Douglas Avenue between Webster and Washington streets as Sgt. Robert L. Miller Commemorative Way. Later that day, I presented Sgt. Miller, a 70-year Naperville resident and now-centenarian who lives at Tabor Hills, with his very own copy of the sign that now hangs on the light post at the corner of Douglas and Webster.

This is a fitting recognition for a man who gave so much to this country through his service in World War II and to our community through his 36 years as a science teacher. He began his career at Washington Junior High – located on the very road that now symbolically bears his name – and ended it at the then-newly built Madison Junior High. His students went on to their own lives and careers, forever shaped by his knowledge. He and his late wife, Sally, raised a family of eight children, which grew to include 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

In retirement, he’d share his love of gardening by volunteering to beautify the newly built Riverwalk, eagerly encouraging everyone to visit Naperville’s newest landmark. And today, because of his service to America and Naperville, a sign bearing his name is now our newest commemorative landmark.

08/14/2026

Here are the details on the special citywide brush collection that begins Monday, Aug. 17: www.naperville.il.us/yardwaste

All week I’ve continued to hear stories of neighbors helping neighbors. Please keep it up - and help one another get brush and limbs out to the parkway for the special collection. Please also keep storm drains clear of debris.

This cleanup will take some time, and we appreciate your patience.

A special citywide brush collection due to severe weather earlier this week will begin on Aug. 17. Here's what residents need to know:

Bagged and Bundled Yard Waste
➖Groot will collect bagged and bundled brush and yard waste on residents’ regularly scheduled collection days during the weeks of Aug. 17 and Aug. 24.
➖Stickers are NOT required during these two weeks, but Groot’s size, weight and bundling guidelines apply.
➖Stickers will again be required beginning the week of Aug. 31.

Loose Brush and Tree Debris
➖Public Works crews will begin a one-time, citywide collection of loose brush and tree debris on Monday, Aug. 17.
➖Place materials loose and unbundled on the parkway by 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17.
➖Public Works crews will make one pass through each neighborhood.
➖A map showing completed collection areas will be updated daily at https://ow.ly/MLaL50ZzxpK.
➖After crews have passed, remaining brush must be prepared according to Groot’s bagged and bundled yard waste guidelines and placed out on the resident’s regularly scheduled collection day.

The City will announce when the special collection is complete. Afterward, residents must use the City’s weekly yard waste program or hire a private tree removal company to dispose of remaining brush. A list of important dates to help residents prepare for the two collection processes is available at https://ow.ly/MLaL50ZzxpK.

08/12/2026

Neighbors, Mother Nature has tested us since Sunday, and the forecast predicts more storms before the week is out. Our Public Works crews have received more than 500 service requests since yesterday’s storm and have cleared more than 70 of the 100 streets blocked by downed trees and limbs. South Naperville around 95th Street saw the most significant impact.

Thank you to our professional staff who have been working around the clock. Whether it is police officers and firefighters responding to calls, Public Works clearing streets and hauling debris, our Electric Utility restoring power, or our Water Utility monitoring our water and wastewater system, our city workers understand that serving our community is the priority.

The answer to a common question I’m getting is yes — we are planning to hold a special citywide brush pickup. Our Public Works team is lining up contractors now, but they are in high demand to service cities across the region. Finalizing the pickup will take some time, and we appreciate your patience. In the meantime, place branches in front of your home on the parkway. Once confirmed, details will be shared on the city’s communication channels: Facebook, X, www.naperville.il.us, and Naper Notify. I will share these updates on my social accounts as well.

A few things you can do now and after future storms:

If you have a downed parkway tree or limb, report it through the Public Works Request Center at data.naperville.il.us/pages/request-center. Every request gets triaged and assigned to a crew. It will take some time, so please be patient. Reporting it beats waiting for someone to drive by and notice.

If you are without power, or you see a downed line, call 630-420-6060. That line is staffed 24 hours a day. Never touch a downed line, or anything touching it, and never assume it is dead. For Police and Fire emergencies, always call 911.

Avoid driving through flooded pavement. The severe intensity of these rain events has at times overwhelmed our stormwater system. Water will slowly recede, but it is dangerous nonetheless.
Please keep an eye on National Weather Service alerts, keep your phones charged, and know where you will go if a warning gets issued for your area.

This is going to be a long week. I have already heard from folks who spent Tuesday night helping a neighbor drag limbs out of a driveway. That is Naperville, and it is why I am proud to live here.

08/05/2026

Hi everyone, I’m Rianna Tandon, a Chief of Staff Intern for Mayor Scott Wehrli and the Mayor’s Office of Naperville. Welcome to my takeover!

Yesterday evening, as I began my final week at the Mayor’s Office, I had the opportunity to join Mayor Wehrli and Naperville Police Department Chief Jason Arres at National Night Out, an annual event that brings neighbors, first responders, and local leaders together to strengthen community relationships and promote public safety. Throughout the event, we visited neighborhoods across Naperville. I met dedicated police officers and firefighters, community leaders, and members of our City Council.

My favorite part of the evening happened between each neighborhood visit, when I had the chance to ask Mayor Wehrli and Chief Arres questions about how our city government and police department work together. Mayor Wehrli and Chief Arres shared some great (and quite funny!) stories of their experiences in keeping Naperville a safe and welcoming place. It was fascinating to learn more about the leadership that has helped Naperville earn Niche’s #1 Best City to Live in America ranking for the third consecutive year.

As I wrap up my internship with the Mayor’s Office, I’d like to thank Mayor Scott Wehrli for his guidance in this incredible opportunity to learn and serve our community. I am so grateful for everything our Mayor has invested in my journey.

National Night Out was such a memorable evening, and a great reminder of what makes our Naperville community so special!

07/25/2026

Today I’m celebrating two of Naperville’s finest athletes who started out walking the halls of Waubonsie Valley and Naperville Central and have now made it into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame!

Professional soccer players Vanessa DiBernardo and Casey Krueger are being inducted later today into this best-of-the-best group, a testament to their hard work and dedication forged on Naperville’s high school fields in the late 2000s. During these years, DiBernardo and Krueger (then Casey Short) brought home numerous state titles and honors in soccer, and for Krueger, track as well.

Today, DiBernardo is a member of the Kansas City Current, and Krueger plays for the Washington Spirit. Although their careers have taken them away from their hometown, their hometown will always be proud of them and the qualities they’ve shown on and off the field, which serve as examples for future generations of Naperville athletes: leadership, fair play, athleticism, commitment, optimism, humility, and respect.

07/16/2026

Naperville's strength comes from many areas: its residents, businesses, schools, parks and recreation opportunities, and nonprofits and civic organizations. The list is endless in a community like ours. All of you contribute to a quality of life and a world-class reputation that attract people to live here and businesses to locate here.

Here's why that matters for your wallet. Our professional financial staff understands that the revenues the City collects are truly the People's Money, and our budgeting practices reflect that understanding. Strong retail sales mean strong sales tax revenue, and that revenue eases the pressure on property taxes. It's a big reason our property tax rate is at its lowest point in 56 years.

So, it should come as no surprise that our AAA bond rating was recently reaffirmed, marking more than 30 years at that rating. We were also named the state's top retail sales tax generator outside Chicago in 2025, the ninth consecutive year we've held that position. A strong local economy means a more affordable Naperville for the people who live here. Thank you, , for continuing to make Naperville a city we all love.