For perhaps the last time, the Barrington Hills board on Monday voted against paying the village attorney, which the board has refused to do for eight months now because of a dispute with Village President Martin McLaughlin.
Last August, McLaughlin appointed the law firm of Bond Dickson and Associates to serve as temporary village attorney after he asked its predecessor, the law offices of Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, to resign.
McLaughlin cited the Illinois attorney general office’s finding that the village violated the Open Meetings Act in April 2013 under the firm’s watch as one reason he asked for the resignation.
Read more here.
The Open Meetings Act violation in April of 2013 occurred not only on Burke Warren’s watch, but Bob Kosin’s as well. As Village Administrator he should have immediately recognized the potential for an OMA violation when he saw the agenda for that April BOT meeting where 30+ appointments were made by the former outgoing president and his “Save 5” trustees. Furthermore he should have spoken up during that meeting when Skip objected to the appointments without proper notice but instead he just let the partisan political steamroller mow down the law.
So we should expect Kosin’s resignation for his complicity as well?
Mike Harrington, as proxy for Bob Abboud, whines through 10 reasons to deny payment to Village Attorneys, Bond and Dickson. In 2 years voters can revisit Harrington’s monologues at Village meetings, attempting to appear thoughtful and intelligent, but missing on both points. Time to give Harrington the hook and put him out to pasture with Meroni, Messer, and Selman..
Give Mike Harrington the opportunity to monopolize the “mike” and the Board of Trustee’s meetings quickly become the “Bored” of Trustee’s meetings.
He has the unique ability of using lots of words but communicating very few of them in a coherent way that makes any sense because he never stops to take in any air or to add a comma or period as he tries to filibuster his way into sounding like he has something deep and profound to impart but as his long conversation into the mike comes to an end and the listener is surprised that he could have used one quarter of the words to simply state that he is voting with his buddies that will no longer be there to make him look like they agree with him. (period comma you can now breathe)
Mike;
Stick to picking up the garbage because
that is your forte, you are ill equpped to be on the board.
One honest man:
I believe you are confusing Mike Harrington with Mike Hannigan. Mike Hannigan does the Village a valuable service with his trash cleanup volunteer work. Mike Hannigan is an honorable person. “Picking up the garbage” is likely not a “forte” of Village Trustee Mike Harrington’s. That takes commitment. Any “forte” of Mike Harrington’s has yet to be discovered, other than perhaps reading the notes allegedly scribed by another, and taking credit for them (read 10 reasons)!
You are right Carlos…….my bad!
Firing Bob Kosin can cut 30 minutes from every meeting. He seems confused and not familiar with the agenda or able to anticipate the questions that may be raised. The non payment of Bond Dickson is just a black eye on the face of the village. It’s a terrible thing. Goodbye Meroni, Selman and Messer. We won’t miss your dysfunction or your lies. Harrington and Fritz, you’re next.
Finally, the village will take it’s cleansing breath after ten years of dysfunction. It’s a new dawn in the village of Barrington HIlls. The last board meeting is in the books now. Meroni, Selman and Messer are officially in retirement.
There have been so many public servants, or shall I say self-serving characters serving the people of this village who have made it their life’s work to stonewal and embarrass this village and it’s goals from being achieved.
The tide has turned, and had the election taught the losing side nothing! They probably don’t even perceive their loss. As they still voted once more to reject payment to Bond/Dickson!! How many times we sat through their illogical speeches. They in the end turned out to be their worst enemies, they are the reason they lost election. Their extreme views killed the message and the messenger!
Now we have an opportunity to sculpt this village in an image will support all our residents. Trustee Harrington will find himself a a lone wolf, and Fritz will have to decide which direction he wishes to reside, as all of them are in jeopardy because of the allegiance and the failure to do the people’s work properly. I particularly enjoyed P. Denise’s comment, that President McLaughlin’s win was not a mandate. Apparently, neither was the loss of the saveopenspace a mandate to continue their strangehold on our village. The sad part is that they still don’t get it! You represented someone else, and never the hard working residents of Barrington Hills.
I have good news and bad news. The good news is that your type of politics is done, and new people will be taking your chairs and really beginning the work of turning this village back to it’s former glory. It’s about time, and to the victor go the spoils. So let it be said, so let it be done!
I will match VBH BOT Harrington’s top 10 reasons why B-D should not be paid legal fees with my top 10 reasons why circumstances surrounding issuance of the Schuman Letter needs to be investigated by BOT . . . . . . . . . . drum roll please!
Let the investigation proceed !