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Residents press Westchester board for transparency over forensic audit, request town halls
Summary
Several residents used the public‑comment period to decry heavy redaction in FOIA release related to a forensic audit, pressed the board to hold town halls and asked whether the village can recoup lost funds; trustees acknowledged concerns and discussed scheduling more public engagement.
Residents at the Feb. 10 Village Board meeting urged more transparency about a recent forensic audit and asked the board to hold town‑hall sessions to explain findings and next steps.
Diane Stutz told the board she received a 271‑page FOIA response from the village about the audit but said much of the content was redacted. "When nearly everything is redacted, it sends the message that the village is hiding something rather than being accountable," she said during public comment, and asked the board to reduce redactions in documents paid for with public funds.
Other speakers, including Mary Pitko and Angela Smith, asked for multiple town halls to share the strategic plan results and to explain what steps the village has taken after the audit. Kevin Canfield pressed the board to report suspected misuse of funds to appropriate authorities, saying the board has a fiduciary duty under Illinois law to act when laws may have been broken.
Trustees responded to the concerns: several members said they supported scheduling a town hall and emphasized the need to fill a vacant finance director position to strengthen internal controls. The board agreed to consider town‑hall scheduling and to continue discussion of financial oversight in the committee of the whole.
The public comment period included requests for clarity about the Derby Lane acquisition and whether back taxes would be covered; staff later described the Section 21‑95 process for tax removal when a municipality takes property by deed in lieu of foreclosure.
The board did not take immediate action on redaction practices at the meeting but acknowledged the requests for more public engagement and additional transparency.
