Settled in 1832 by namesake Pierce Downer, the village of Downers Grove today is home to nearly 50,000 residents. The village employs a council-manager style of government, with the elected mayor and village council setting policy and the village manager and his team responsible for executing those policies and handling daily operations.
A former ball bearing factory, Village Hall is the hub of Downers Grove operations, housing the offices of the Village Manager, Village Attorney and Village Clerk, as well as the Community Development, Finance, Building Services, Community Events, Information Services, Communications and Human Resources departments.
In 2009, the Community Development Department issued 1,339 building permits, while the Village Clerk's Office processed 472 Freedom of Information Act requests and issued 1,153 licenses.
The council meets in chambers in Village Hall at 7pm on the first, second and third Tuesdays of the month. Other village commissioners also meet in Village Hall on a regular basis.