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Tinley Park public comment erupts over alleged harassment; village attorney says no rule bars trustee conversation
Summary
Resident Diane Galante used public comment at the Sept. 16 Tinley Park meeting to accuse local political opponents of ongoing harassment; the village attorney told the board he was not aware of any rule that bars trustee conversation during presentations.
A heated public-comment exchange at the Sept. 16 Tinley Park Village Board meeting drew sharp criticism from resident Diane Galante, who accused members of a local political party of harassing her family and spreading false claims online. Galante used her public-comment time to say she had filed police reports and asked the party to stop naming her in posts. She also criticized what she described as improper conduct in village spending and said she had been labelled "unethical" in prior proceedings.
Mayor Michael Glotz (Village President) interrupted to maintain meeting decorum and later asked the village attorney to address a procedural question raised by Galante and others about whether trustees may speak to staff or attendees during presentations. Village counsel (referred to in the transcript as "Mister Delgado") replied, "There is no such rule that I'm aware of, either under Robert's rules, the village ordinances, or the statutes of the state of Illinois." The mayor then asked if there was any further public comment and moved on.
Galante's remarks included a request for the political party she criticized to "leave my family alone" and repeated allegations that her name had been used improperly in social-media posts and local claims. The village did not take an official action on the claims during the meeting; the mayor and staff suggested individuals pursue law-enforcement avenues already mentioned by Galante.
Separately, some board members used their board-comment time to denounce political violence and call for civility following incidents nationally; those remarks were not tied to formal village action. The meeting record indicates that the village attorney confirmed no village rule prevents trustees from speaking during presentations and that the mayor managed time and decorum during public comment.
