Though not on ballot, McLaughlin big winner in Barrington Hills election

A day after all three trustee candidates he supported won in Tuesday's village board election, Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin said Wednesday he does not expect all of the issues that have divided the community the last two years to be resolved at the drop of a hat.

On Tuesday, Barrington Hills voters elected the slate of Brian Cecola, Bryan Croll and Michelle Maison to fill three trustee seats on the village board. A competing slate of McLaughlin critics - incumbents Karen Selman and Patti Meroni and challenger Mary Naumann - were defeated.

The results give McLaughlin supporters a clear majority on what had been a deeply divided village board.

The winning candidates say they hope to settle many of the long-running issues of public debate in Barrington Hills, including commercial horse boarding.

But McLaughlin said he does not anticipate immediate changes.

"We've got three new board members. Now we will get them seated and get them up to speed," he said.

"They've done a nice job attending meetings, and I have confidence they will get up to speed quickly."

Trustee Michael Harrington, also a frequent critic of the village president, was happy to hear McLaughlin say he does not expect sudden change.

Since both were elected in 2012, Harrington has voted against McLaughlin and with Meroni, Selman and Trustee Joseph Messer on several hot-button issues, such as horse boarding and the appointment of a new village attorney. Messer did not seek re-election Tuesday.

Harrington said he hopes the newly elected trustees take their new responsibilities as seriously as their predecessors did.

"Campaign rhetoric is exactly that," he said. "In the actual act of governing there is a lot more information and you're actually responsible for decisions."

Harrington said he hopes the new trustees stick to their pledge to represent all of Barrington Hills.

"We certainly could use less acrimony and less controversy and less personal attacks and anger in our village," he said. "I hope we get that. I don't know if we will, but it is long overdue."

McLaughlin said Cecola, Croll and Maison will be seated at a special village board meeting on May 11.

The final scheduled board meeting for Meroni, Selman and Messer is set for April 27.