President wants chief gone, board wants him to stay
Who will be the Campton Hills police chief Dec. 28? It depends on whom you ask. Chief Dan Hoffman's contract expires at 4 p.m. Dec. 27.
The village board recently voted to extend Hoffman's term through May 2015, but Village President Patsy Smith has vetoed that move and wants to let Hoffman's deal expire.
"I have the support of the majority of the board," said Hoffman, who maintains his contract now runs through May. "I'm not going to do anything different."
At a Dec. 2 meeting, Smith proposed allowing Hoffman's contract to expire Dec. 27 and appointing Campton Hills Police Sgt. Bob Reichart as chief. The board, though, extended Hoffman's contract.
At a meeting this week, Smith vetoed the contract extension, but the board tabled until May a proposal by Smith to again appoint Reichart as chief at 4:01 p.m. Dec. 27.
Smith outlined her reasons for letting Hoffman go, but Trustee Harry Blecker said a majority of trustees are not convinced he needs to go now.
"I don't feel any of those allegations were substantial, or they weren't necessarily correct," Blecker said.
The earliest trustees could meet to override Smith's veto is at the next board meeting on Jan. 6, 2015.
Lawyers working for the village have different opinions.
Lawyers from Ancel and Glink, a law firm retained by trustees to advise them on legislative matters, disagreed with Village Attorney William Braithwaite and determined the board's Dec. 2 extension of Hoffman's contract is permissible.
Braithwaite said Smith appoints the chief for a definite term and it's the job of trustees to ratify the appointment.
"It could go to court," Braithwaite said. "It's also clouded by the action of the board in tabling the president's appointment of Sgt. Reichart until May 2015."
So what if 4:01 p.m. Dec. 27 rolls around and Hoffman is still sitting in the police chief's office?
"I vetoed the contract extension," Smith said. "I'll address that at that time. Stay tuned."