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Resident criticizes politicized hiring of village attorneys; Mayor Van Dusen defends appointments
Summary
During public comment the board heard repeated criticism alleging political hiring practices in the village legal department; Mayor George Van Dusen defended past hiring decisions and cited split votes on a past corporation counsel appointment. The board also set a target date to review a term-limits ordinance.
Public comment at the Jan. 21 Skokie Village Board meeting included a lengthy complaint that the village's legal department hiring practices are politicized, followed by a defense of past appointments from Mayor George Van Dusen.
An unnamed resident who said this was their 28th consecutive meeting to raise the issue argued the board has "politicized and corrupted Skokie's legal department" and called for reform. The commenter cited a 2002 appointment and related newspaper coverage as an example of politicized hiring.
Mayor Van Dusen responded directly, saying he nominated Pat Hanley based on experience and that appointees are not prohibited from participating in local politics. He recounted how the board's vote on that appointment was divided and named trustees who voted both for and against Hanley during the meeting: he said Dan Perrill and Frank McCabe voted in favor, while Michael Gelder, Michelle Brownberg and Harry Piper voted against, and he characterized the decision as made with the village's interests in mind.
Earlier in the public-comment period, Richard Vonitz of 7420 Kenneth Avenue used his allotted time to praise Van Dusen's quarter-century of leadership and to announce the mayor's reported decision not to seek another term; Vonitz credited Van Dusen with providing "stable, mature municipal government." Van Dusen acknowledged the comment as unsolicited.
Under unfinished business, a trustee asked to set a firm date to review the village's term-limits ordinance; the board's target was to bring the matter to the first meeting in February, or if drafting was incomplete, to the second meeting in February.
Trustee Stocker offered condolences and resources for those affected by grief and loss in the Los Angeles area during public comment and then moved to adjourn for an executive session; the board voted to do so.
