Berwyn council confirms Michael W. Fellows as police chief amid conflict-of-interest concerns

The City Council voted 5–2 to concur with Mayor Libero’s appointment of Michael W. Fellows as chief of the Berwyn Police Department, effective April 6, 2026.

The motion "by Leija, seconded by Polaszek" to concur with the mayor’s appointment carried after a roll call. Council recorded five aye votes and two nay votes; the motion was announced as carried and Fellows was sworn in at the meeting.

One council member who voted no said the opposition was not a judgment on Fellows’ service but on avoiding even the appearance of political influence in such a visible post. "My concern is about maintaining clear line in public safety and political activity," the council member said, noting that Fellows had served as treasurer for a local political action committee and that appearance matters for maintaining public trust.

Judge Elizabeth Chachalaza, speaking during public comment, urged council members to trust Fellows’s record. "Fellows is a leader whose career has been defined by courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to others," she said, adding she had known him for many years.

The vote followed a period of public comment in which residents both praised Berwyn police leaders and pressed the council for a clear enforcement plan on resolutions related to ICE activity.

The council’s clerk administered the oath to Fellows at the meeting. No civil or contractual bar to appointment was announced during the session; the council moved forward with the mayor’s slate of appointments for the police department, several of which were also approved by voice or roll call.

Next steps: Fellows assumes the post on April 6, 2026; the council and residents signaled they will monitor his initial actions in office.