Hi neighbors!

I am deeply honored and proud to serve the community where I was born and raised and where my wife and I are now raising our two young children. I have spent my entire professional career working on behalf of Des Plaines residents, and will continue to do so throughout the duration of my term.

Connect with us! One of my top priorities as mayor is enhanced communication and engagement through tools like this website, E-newsletters, social media, video and much more. Have you seen our "Monday with the Mayor" video series? Find it here along with lots of other videos about all things Des Plaines. I believe by investing in these efforts, we will improve transparency, raise public awareness, and most importantly, build trust and relationships between the City and its residents, businesses and visitors.

There are lots of exciting things happening in Des Plaines!

Renovation on the Des Plaines Theatre is complete and tickets are available at desplainestheatre.com. I’m extremely proud of the City's decision to invest in the theatre and appreciate the partnerships that made it happen. The future of Des Plaines as a vibrant destination for our residents and others across Chicagoland is bright!

Investments and developments are continuing throughout the City. This includes the Welkin Apartments downtown that will soon provide over 200 luxury units with residents looking to eat and shop locally and conveniently. We are working with building owners and potential developers of key structures that have unfortunately sat vacant for many years. We hope to restore life to these buildings to continue the momentum we are seeing here.   

We are continuing to work on adding a new Metra station in the Oakton Corridor, which is an area targeted for redevelopment (known as the Oakton Street Tax Increment Financing - or TIF - District). This station will be a catalyst for investment and transit-oriented development.

We are also continuing to responsibly invest millions of dollars each year to replace aging infrastructure and roads. A high priority project for the City Council and I is to build an overpass on Algonquin Road over the Union Pacific Railroad. This will improve traffic flow, reduce traffic congestion and emissions, and improve response times for emergency vehicles. A Phase 1 Environmental Study is currently underway, which is the first step in a multi-year, multi-phased project. The proposed Algonquin Road Bridge project will include a public involvement component, so stay tuned for details on how to provide input.

Lastly, another top priority is promoting our diversity. I strongly believe our diversity in all forms – race, ethnicity, gender, transgender, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability and disability – contributes to our uniqueness and strength.

As always, feel free to contact me directly at agoczkowski@desplaines.org or 847-391-5301.

The Mayor, as the chief executive officer of the City, ensures that all the laws and policies of the City are properly enforced and observed. In doing so, they must supervise the conduct of all City officers and departments and recommend to the City Council any measures they see pertinent to the well-being, security, or improvement of life in Des Plaines. It is the responsibility of the Mayor to preside over City Council meetings. Legal documents pertaining to city matters must be authorized by the mayor as directed by the City Council.

Monday with the Mayor Video Series:

Mayor's Address to Business:

Strategic Planning Goal Videos: