Challenger: Lake in the Hills mayor's legal woes taint village
Lake in the Hills mayoral candidate Russ Ruzanski says the domestic battery charge against incumbent Village President Paul Mulcahy casts a cloud over the village's reputation.
Ruzanski, 70, a retired sales manager for Coca-Cola Chicago who has served as village trustee since 2011, said it's the reason he decided to challenge Mulcahy for village president April 4.
Ruzanski said many women in town have inquired about the accusations against Mulcahy.
"The whys and wherefores I don't know," he said. "All I know is it was not a good thing for us, for our village."
Mulcahy, 65, was charged Nov. 6 with misdemeanor domestic battery and causing bodily harm to a woman he was dating. He is accused of dragging the woman by her feet down a flight of stairs and across the floor before throwing her out of his house, according to the police report obtained by the Daily Herald.
He was released after posting $200 bail. Mulcahy's next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 1 at the McHenry County Government Center, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, court records show.
Mulcahy, who previously served 10 years as village trustee, said he "deeply regrets" what happened.
"I have never been in any kind of trouble with the law," he said. "I got myself into a bad situation that I couldn't get out of. I'm deeply ashamed of what happened. I'm ashamed of the light it cast on the office that I hold, and on the village board, and the village itself. I love this village. When I think that I cast a big black spot on that village, it tears me up. It was one major mistake that I've made in 65 years of life. I don't think that mistake negates the 20 years of what I humbly think is exemplary service to the community."
"I don't see an impact on my job in any way," Mulcahy added. "We will see how the community looks at it in the election."
Ruzanski said the mayor's legal woes come on the heels of several department heads leaving the village because they had problems working with Village Administrator Gerald Sagona. Sagona subsequently resigned last August after serving nearly 20 years with the village.
"The word on the street was ... don't go to work for Lake in the Hills," said Ruzanski, who criticized Mulcahy's handling of the situation and lack of record-keeping of complaints against Sagona. "We cut him loose. He was compensated very well according to what he had earned over the years."
Mulcahy said he worked with Sagona for two years trying to improve him. Mulcahy admitted there was no paperwork of any complaints against Sagona or corrective actions taken, nor did Mulcahy submit any written performance evaluations.
"I had Mr. Sagona going to seminars, to webinars, to conferences, reading self-help books, seeing a doctor at one point about some of these issues," Mulcahy said. "It all came to a head at one point and (I) realized that some improvement he had made had gone away. The problem was addressed. The problem was dealt with. We didn't want to embarrass the village."