Resident urges Swansea to seek AG opinion on whether trustees can serve as deputy fire chiefs

Rocky McDonald, a resident who identified himself during the public-comment period, urged the Swansea board on Oct. 7 to seek legal clarification about potential incompatibility when one person holds both village-trustee office and a command-level fire-department post.

"I'm asking the board to request an advisory opinion from the Illinois attorney general opinion bureau," McDonald said, citing case law and statute language that, in his view, distinguish volunteer firefighters from command positions such as deputy chief, which he argued are municipal offices subject to statutory prohibition on holding another office in the same municipality.

McDonald asked the board to determine whether such dual service would require recusal from votes affecting the fire department's budget, personnel or purchases, and requested that the village attorney review state statutes and relevant case law and report findings at the next board meeting. He also recommended a pre-candidacy compatibility review for future applicants.

The mayor said the village would look into the matter and that the board would attempt to provide an answer, but did not commit to a specific timeline for the advisory opinion or legal review.

The request came during a public-comment period that included other community items; no formal action was taken at the meeting on McDonald's request.