Wauconda trustees approve resolution removing Trustee Nicole Strauss from committee assignments after July traffic-stop video

The Wauconda Village Board voted Aug. 4 to adopt a resolution affirming Mayor Jeff Besoni’s statement to residents and removing Trustee Nicole Strauss from certain committee assignments after a widely shared July 13 traffic-stop video.

The resolution — introduced during new business — prompted several trustees to say Strauss’s on-camera remarks during the incident were inappropriate for an elected official. One trustee said the episode had become “a serious distraction in our community” and urged Strauss to “voluntarily step down from the board so that we may get back to focusing on the work that we should be doing for this community.” (Trustee, speaker S8)

The move drew a direct response from Trustee Nicole Strauss, who denied criminal wrongdoing and defended her service. Strauss said, “First and foremost, I have never been kicked out of any establishment at home. ... On Sunday, July 13, I broke no laws,” and described being physically assaulted earlier in the day. She also listed items that remain pending in the Natural Resources Committee — including requests for marine-unit shift reports, dock bumpers and cleats, and fish restocking — and said she would assist with transitions to the next committee chair.

After discussion, the chair called for a motion and a roll-call vote. Multiple trustees answered in the affirmative during roll call and the chair announced the motion carried; the transcript records the motion passed.

Why it matters: The vote changed Strauss’s committee responsibilities and signaled the board’s expectation that trustees' public conduct reflect municipal standards. Both the mayor’s statement and the board’s vote were framed as measures intended to limit disruption to village business while officials manage community concerns.

The board did not announce additional disciplinary steps during the meeting. The meeting adjourned later the same evening.