2024 Best of the Best Winner: Village of Roselle
Every year, as part of the Daily Herald Media Group’s Readers’ Choice program, we ask readers to vote for their favorites in more than 200 categories, including the areas of dining, entertainment, business, shopping, places and people.
This year, readers responded with more than 44,000 votes, which we narrowed down to the top vote-getters in each category and featured in our Top Picks special section.
Readers voted again for their favorites — 88,000 votes! — to narrow it down to the 2024 Readers’ Choice Best of the Best Winners!
We are proud to showcase some of these winners with more information about who they are and what they offer.
VILLAGE OF ROSELLE
2024 Readers’ Choice Best of the Best:
• Best City/Town To Live
The Village of Roselle serves both Roselle residents and businesses through public services like police and fire protection, street repairs and maintenance, providing clean water to homes and businesses and wastewater and stormwater management. Roselle elected officials guide Village operations by making decisions about the Village’s local regulations, annual budget and future planning.
What do customers say they like about the way you do business?
Across our Fire, Police, Public Works, Administration, Community Development and Finance Departments, the Village of Roselle believes in providing prompt, timely responses to the public and continuously striving to improve delivery of public services. Village staff and elected officials understand the importance of being responsive to the community, budgeting conservatively to best use public funds and supporting redevelopment initiatives that bolster our community.
What have you learned over the years that helps make your business a Readers’ Choice Best of the Best pick?
Our community residents and businesses are an integral part of Roselle being named Best Town to Live. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roselle’s businesses saw such great support from the community that none closed due to the pandemic. Roselle’s special events are largely supported by our community’s dedicated volunteers, many of whom volunteer across multiple local organizations. It is not uncommon for Roselle families to move in and stay here, sometimes for generations. Roselle both values its history and envisions a vibrant future for its community.
What makes your business or service unique?
The Village is proud to run an efficient team of dedicated staff members, many of whom stay with our organization for years. In 2023, we celebrated 17 staff members across all Village departments who reached milestone anniversaries from 5 to 25 years with our organization.
Why do you think you were voted a Readers’ Choice Best of the Best?
Roselle is a tight-knit community of residents that help each other, support small businesses and value its history. We believe that Roselle’s small town charm, unique small businesses, friendly people, convenient location and access to transit makes Roselle the Best Town to Live.
Roselle’s vibrant business community plays a key role in making Roselle a desirable place to live. The Village is proud to see 15 Roselle businesses named Best of the Best in this year’s Readers’ Choice contest! Roselle is the home of three Illinois Office of Tourism Illinois Makers — Lynfred Winery, Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters and Happy by Chocolate. The Illinois Makers program, launched by DCEO, celebrates small businesses who create locally made and uniquely Illinois style products. Additionally, the Roselle Main Street Merchants group regularly host events like progressive dinners that invite residents and tourists alike to get to know everything Roselle’s downtown has to offer.
At a July 19 ceremony recognizing Roselle’s federal funding secured by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mayor David Pileski remarked that Roselle is at the start of a renaissance. Since celebrating its 100th birthday in 2022, Roselle has created new public art pieces, welcomed several small businesses, constructed new housing developments, secured over $4 million in grant funding and created new public spaces for Roselle’s downtown. We are excited to keep this momentum going and bring more positive change to Roselle while continuing to support the residents and businesses that make our community the great place it is.
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“Roselle is one of many municipalities focusing on infrastructure improvements in the wake of new IEPA wastewater regulations and aging infrastructure. While often unseen, infrastructure touches our lives every day, from the roads travel to the water we use. After voters approved the March 19, 2024, referendum and Roselle gained home rule status, Village staff and elected officials are working to determine how new revenue streams will be used to improve more Roselle roads each year, address mandated wastewater treatment system updates and improve stormwater management in our area.
The village is also experiencing remarkable growth and development in its downtown area, highlighted by the construction of a 290-unit luxury apartment complex featuring a public parking garage adjacent to the Roselle Metra station. In addition to providing new residential housing options, Roselle is actively enhancing its walkability by constructing a pedestrian bridge that will seamlessly connect Main Street and the Roselle Metra station.
Does your company donate time or money to any philanthropic causes? If so, what causes?
Recognizing that Roselle is a community full of dedicated volunteers, Village staff strive to volunteer locally whenever possible, such as supporting the Taste of Roselle or helping the Roselle Community Food Pantry. The Village also helps promote local philanthropic causes to the community to increase participation.
What community involvement does your business participate in?
The Village of Roselle is proud to work with our local partners like the Roselle Park District, Roselle Lions Club, Roselle Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Green Roselle to bring special events to the community each year. Summer kicks off in Roselle each year with the Rose Parade and Rose Festival, free outdoor concerts in downtown Roselle, Independence Day Celebration and the Taste of Roselle. In the fall, the community is invited to Roselle Recycles, Public Safety Open House and Founders Day Festival. Each winter, the community comes together at Winterfest to celebrate the winter holidays.
What do you do to make your business a good place to work for your employees?
To support our employees as they serve the community, the Village of Roselle provides training, professional development and mentorship to staff and works to recognize staff achievements at all levels of our organization.
What is one interesting fact about your company that most people may not know?
Roselle is named for one of the earliest settlers in our area: Rosell Hough, a Union Army colonel in the Civil War who later became the first president of the Chicago and Pacific Railroad Company. Rumors suggest Rosell used his influence to direct the new railroad through his community rather than Addison and Bloomingdale around 1873. The Chicago and Pacific Railroad Company named the stop Roselle after Hough.