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Villa Park trustees move to executive session to discuss personnel matters involving village manager and legal counsel
Summary
After trustees raised concerns about the village manager's and the village attorney’s conduct and information-sharing, the board voted to enter executive session under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) to consider appointment, employment, discipline or dismissal of specific employees and related complaints.
Following trustee reports and public remarks critical of staff behavior and information-sharing, the Village of Villa Park Board of Trustees on Feb. 24 voted to go into executive session to consider personnel matters related to the village manager and village legal counsel.
Trustee Cozart and other trustees described instances in which they said Manager Harling and village legal counsel provided inaccurate statements or failed to share documents with all trustees in a timely manner. Trustee Cozart said an allegation that the manager had distributed a 41-page RDA contract earlier than the record shows was “definitively proven false” after the meeting and that she planned to pursue the matter. Several trustees said the pattern of communication failures was undermining trust and that executive session was necessary to consider personnel and legal questions.
The board cited the Open Meetings Act exemption for personnel matters (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)), stating that the session would include consideration of “the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body” and the validity of complaints against employees and legal counsel.
A motion to convene executive session was made and seconded; the roll-call vote to enter executive session was unanimous among trustees present. The board recessed to executive session and recessed the public meeting; no disciplinary actions or personnel outcomes were announced in open session at the Feb. 24 meeting. Trustees said the matter would be handled in executive session and that the board would reconvene in public on March 10, 2025.
