Serving as “Mayor For a Day,” Armstrong Elementary student Alex Dummer called to order the Highland Park Town Council meeting on April 7.
The third-grader joined Mayor Beecherl in reading town proclamations recognizing April 12-18, 2026 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and April 19-25, 2026 as National Library Week.
During the meeting, the Town of Highland Park was recognized with the 2025 ETC Institute Leading the Way Award, which honors cities and counties that achieve outstanding results in the delivery of local government services.
ETC Institute is a public policy market research firm specializing in community surveys for local governments across the U.S. The Institute provides data-driven insight on resident satisfaction, public safety, parks and recreation, and health needs to help city and county leaders make informed decisions.
In its 2025 community survey, Highland Park achieved a composite score of 280, exceeding the national average by 166 points. The town’s ratings were more than 20% above national benchmarks in 45 key service areas, including public library services and programs, household hazardous waste disposal, and communication with residents, said ETC Institute representatives.
Recipients of the community award rank in the top 10% of communities nationwide, said ETC representatives during the town council meeting. The ranking is based on their performance in three areas, including satisfaction with the overall quality of services, satisfaction with customer service provided by employees, and satisfaction with the value residents feel they receive for local taxes and fees.
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