Libertyville village Trustee Todd Gaines resigns
Libertyville village Trustee Todd Gaines resigned Tuesday night, saying the demands of his new business made it tough to meet his elected obligations.
Gaines is a longtime owner of a local auto repair business and partner in a high-end Indian motorcycle dealership, which opened downtown in the renovated former Arden's furniture store in June 2015. Sales have taken off, he said, and a new product line and services are being introduced.
“There's such a demand for my time here at Indian, it's just not fair to hang on,” he said. Gaines was elected in 2009 and re-elected to a second term in 2013.
A letter to Mayor Terry Weppler said the resignation is official Sept. 27, the next village board meeting.
Weppler has chosen former police chief Pat Carey to fill the remainder of the term. The required approval of the full village board is expected.
Gaines did not intend to seek re-election. He said he would have stayed until his term ended in April had there been serious issues facing the board.
“I think we're in a good position right now,” he said. Gaines expressed confidence in Carey and called him “a man of integrity.”
Carey was police chief from November 1996 until April 2010. He moved to Florida but returned and was looking for avenues to contribute, Weppler said.
“With Kevin (Bowens) retiring, we had considered Pat for the position of village manager,” Weppler said. “We feel he'll be very helpful in the process.”
Gaines joined the board when local governments were hit hardest by the recession. Staff and other budget cuts and the creation of utility taxes were among the tough decisions early in his tenure.
He said the board made responsible decisions, and noted some of those taxes since have been cut or eliminated.
Trustee Donna Johnson, the longest serving board member, said Gaines brought balance, compassion and integrity to all decisions. Trustee Rich Moras said Gaines had the ability to “diagnose things with a great degree of common sense.”
Other issues during his tenure include: completion of a parking deck downtown and construction of a second one, which is ongoing; the sale of Bolander Park for residential development; the hiring of public works and finance directors; and, the decision to lease and ultimately close the 9-hole municipal golf course.
More recently, Gaines was the sole dissenter of a new 1 percent places for eating tax. Pending issues include significant proposed residential developments near the downtown Metra station and on property owned by the Catholic Bishop of Chicago west of Butterfield Road.
“As disappointed as we are he's leaving, we feel it's best for him,” Weppler said.
The last board vacancy was in August 2014 when banking executive Scott Adams was selected to replace Jim Moran, who resigned because he moved outside the village. Adams was elected to a four-year term in April 2015.