The Board of Trustees will be holding a special meeting this afternoon at 3:00 PM. Topics for discussion and vote include:
- [Vote] Remote Participation Rules
- [Vote] Resolution Opposing Cook County’s Newly Enacted Covid-19 Mandate
Resolution 22 – - [Vote] Provide Advice and Consent, and to Approve the President’s Appointment of Darby Hills to Fill the Unexpired Term of Trustee Debra Buettner, Whose Death Created a Vacancy in the Office of Village Trustee
A copy of the agenda can be viewed and saved here.
A gutless political move on Cecola’s part to mollify Big Red who’s kept him on a tight leash ever since he was elected.
So, let’s get this straight. Presents Cecola who ran with Trustee Deb Buettner and Trustee Bryan Croll on a team that was successfully elected in 2019 has turned his back on her. Cecola was then endorsed and supported by Buettner to run for President in 2021. He was elected after significant help from his former running mates and many, many others in our community.
Then tragically Buettner passed away and it was conveyed to him and the full BOT by Trustee Konicek that Buettner from her deathbed wanted Robin Van Castle our deputy clerk and vice chair of or planning board to serve out her remaining term. Koniceck gave an impassioned plea to the newly elected board members and Bryan Croll to honor Trustee Buettner’s wishes. She was ignored.
Van Castle has served the village honorably for years agreed to do so (for roughly 1 year). Buettner, of course, expected her friend Cecola and the new BOT members to honor her request.
Cecola in a slap to the face of his former running mate the Honorable Deb Buettner and to her supporters has inexplicably “decided” to ignore her wishes and nominate someone else. What a class act!
Could it be because Van Castle spoke out against Cecola’s continued employment of his conflicted wife last summer against the recommendation of the former Village President and so many other elected and appointed officials and residents? Was our deputy clerk supposed to sit silent and accept the doubling of his conflicted wife’s pay?
Nothing against the nominee; this IS NOT about her. She was left in the dark intentionally by Cecola regarding the former trustee’s request. And how dare Cecola put any honorable resident in a position to be appointed without disclosing to them what the former trustees’s desires and wishes were.
Honorable is certainly a term that should not be used with this President.
Following up on the conflict question. What other reason not to consider VanCastle? She has excellent experience, is committed to the village and knows its driving issues, she’s a CPA and understands finances, particularly needed after our treasurer decided to leave. Why not at least call & meet with her?
I got a kick out of Strauss saying he didn’t want his service to be seen as political. He’s getting played like a fiddle.
Cecola removed Konicek from Chair of personnel in May I guess so she wouldn’t notice any irregularities. Placed Strauss, a newbie in behind the scenes, and convinced him and other trustees that the job required full-time and more. Mainly because of the protestations of Cecola’s wife. No conflict there!
Strauss and the majority of the board allowed Cecola’s wife to stay in her conflicted position and bilk our residents for twice the normal pay for 5 months undisclosed to the full BOT.
Now to cover for that poor decision the Village is posting for an assistant to the assistant position trying to justify that the job that was done effectively with one person part-time for years now suddenly must have two.
CYA much? Nothing to see here, folks.
Conflict, maybe you answered your own question. Maybe Village President more interested in conformity over competency. Could it be that history repeating itself in Barrington Hills.?