Lake in the Hills might fire recently hired village administrator

Lake in the Hills village officials are considering firing the village administrator barely three months after he was hired.

Village President Paul Mulcahy said Tuesday that Village Administrator Douglas Petroshius has been placed on paid administrative leave since March 8 pending board action next week.

Petroshius on Dec. 12 replaced Gerald Sagona, who resigned in August after nearly 20 years on the job.

"He started demonstrating really very quickly that he was just the wrong fit for that job," Mulcahy said. "It's been a tenuous relationship. There were things that weren't really discernible through the interview process."

Mulcahy said he particularly was disturbed by Petroshius' handling of communications related to the termination of a lease with Silver Lining Equestrian at 1109 Pyott Road.

The lease for the center, which has been in operation for more than 50 years, ends Aug. 9.

A group of current and former Silver Lining Equestrian members attended Thursday's village board meeting to express concerns over purported plans to demolish the center to create turf fields, according to an online petition started by some residents to save it. Village trustees later clarified there were no plans to raze the center.

Mulcahy said Petroshius told equestrian center owner Tricia Sales in an email that village officials discussed the lease termination in closed session, which is not permissible by state law.

"Essentially, he told the world that we held an illegal executive session," said Mulcahy, adding that the reason for the executive session was "possible or pending" litigation over the lease termination.

The center's lease was terminated because of issues with paying bills and compliance with the terms of the lease, he said.

Petroshius could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mulcahy said trustees also took issue with certain decisions Petroshius made and policies he put in place, which he didn't want to divulge.

"I don't want to drag Petroshius through the mud," he said. "I would never take an action like a possible termination of an administrator without knowing that the entire board was behind me. He really just wasn't a good fit with our community or with this job."

Petroshius, 37, of Gurnee, graduated from Libertyville High School in 1997. He served as intern for the towns of Wauconda, Round Lake Beach, Mount Prospect and Clarendon Hills and became the public works management analyst for the village of Lincolnwood in 2004. He later served as Lincolnwood's assistant village manager for eight years before joining Lake in the Hills.

Petroshius' employment agreement includes an annual salary of $140,000, a $375 monthly car allowance instead of expense reimbursement for local travel within a 50-mile radius, and a $50 monthly stipend for cellphone usage. He cannot be terminated without cause before the agreement expires with the current village president's elected term May 11.

If he is fired, Petroshius would get six months' severance pay under the terms of his contract.

The village board could decide his fate next week. Petroshius' termination is on the docket for the March 23 meeting, which begins 7:30 p.m. at village hall, 600 Harvest Gate.

"We will take some kind of action to comply with that agreement," Mulcahy said. "He is not coming back to the village."

Assistant Village Administrator Jennifer Clough is serving as the interim administrator.