Barrington Hills trustees accuse president of politically motivated investigation
A majority of Barrington Hills trustees are fighting what they call a baseless and politically-motivated investigation into alleged improprieties surrounding the village's new horse boarding rules.
Village President Martin McLaughlin said he hired special legal counsel in January to investigate trustees who voted in favor of the boarding regulations - Fritz Gohl, Karen S. Selman, Patty Meroni, Joseph S. Messer and Michael Harrington.
Those horse-boarding regulations are expected to go into effect soon, since trustees on Monday overrode McLaughlin's veto of the ordinance.
The exact nature of McLaughlin's allegations are unclear, as he did not respond to a request Wednesday for specifics of the allegations or if any wrongdoing has been discovered since the counsel was hired.
On Monday, however, McLaughlin seemed to indicate no progress had been made when he said the best outcome would be if the special counsel finds no improprieties. If there was wrongdoing, he said, officials could act quickly to avoid legal action against the village.
"It would be nice to not have to put ourselves in front of a speeding train if we don't have to," he said.
Messer said he believes McLaughlin knows there is no valid basis for his inquiry. If it were legitimate, Messer said, McLaughlin would have gone to the Illinois Attorney General or Cook County State's Attorney with his accusations.
Labeling McLaughlin's actions an abuse of power, Messer has introduced a pair of ordinances aimed at stripping the village president of his authority to unilaterally appoint special counsel. Both passed, one in January and the other this past Monday.
"Taxpayers shouldn't be footing the bill for President McLaughlin," he said Wednesday.
On Monday, McLaughlin vetoed the January ordinance, saying the measure was unconstitutional because it modifies the structure of village government without voter approval.
He said he is in favor of putting the issue before residents in the form of a referendum.
"I'd be more than happy to go forward in that regard," McLaughlin said Monday. "I think it is the appropriate way to go forward when you change the form of government."
Trustee Michael Harrington asked why the village even has a board if trustees can't make changes to village government.
"Why don't you just have a czar?" Harrington said. "Why have any representatives at all? I must have missed something in civics class."
Messer has accused McLaughlin of an abuse of power in August 2014, when McLaughlin named the law firm Bond Dickson & Associates as the temporary village attorneys. That appointment has been a source of consistent contention between McLaughlin and the majority of trustees, who have refused to pay the firm for months.
Harrington took an apologetic tone Monday when telling Patrick Bond, who has attended village board meetings for months on behalf of the firm, why he was voting against paying their bill.
"It's nothing against you personally. I feel bad for you, I don't know why you are still here," Harrington said. "I think you are a very smart guy and I think you are taking an educated businessman risk, and that is your risk."
Bond said Tuesday he is confident his firm will be paid because they have state law on their side.
"It's a unique position that we find ourselves in," Bond said. "We believe that we have been properly seated in the position we are in, rendering services that the village requested and believe by law that we are to be compensated."