Residents press trustees over mayor’s conduct as meeting erupts into heated public comment
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Summary
Several residents used the public‑comment period to criticize Mayor Frank Rossi for alleged false accusations and social-media posts; the mayor defended his private‑page postings and trustees heard calls for greater accountability and civility.
During the meeting’s public-comment segment, several residents criticized Mayor Frank Rossi’s conduct and social-media posts and urged the board to hold him accountable.
Keith Lewis addressed the board to argue trustees should not dismiss residents’ complaints as politics and urged them to respond to what he described as a pattern of personal attacks and a chilling effect on civic participation. Melissa Taylor told the board she had presented concerns at the March 9 meeting about the mayor’s conduct and asserted that the mayor had repeated a stalking allegation about her after being warned the claim was false; she said those public posts harmed her reputation and raised potential liability for the village.
Mayor Rossi responded at length, saying some of his online remarks were made on a personal page and not in his official capacity. He acknowledged the pressures of public life and said he had separated personal and official communications. "When I do it in that realm, I'm not doing it as Mayor Frank Rossi, I'm doing it as Frank Rossi," he said, and added that he felt entitled to some private expression. Other residents and trustees urged civility across social media and public meetings; one trustee and a resident who serves on the board pushed back against exclusionary comments about workforce-housing projects and called for an end to harassment.
Board members did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting. The mayor closed his remarks by returning to agenda business and moved to adjourn later in the meeting. The exchange underscored ongoing tensions between officials and some residents over tone, social media use and the conduct expected of elected officials.
Trustees and staff did not produce independent findings at the meeting; residents and the mayor presented conflicting characterizations of past posts. Several public speakers asked trustees to make clear whether they endorsed or condemned the mayor’s behavior; no formal resolution or investigatory referral was adopted during this session.
