Carpentersville approves separation deal with village manager

The Carpentersville village board Tuesday night approved a separation agreement with Village Manager Mark Rooney, who has served in the position for more than seven years.

Village officials did not immediately release the details of the agreement, and Village President John Skillman declined to comment. The unanimous vote came after a nearly hourlong discussion in closed session, in addition to a two-hour closed session during a Jan. 6 special meeting. The measure was not discussed in open session.

"I will leave my position with a sense of accomplishment and thanks for all I have learned through the inevitable challenges with a position such as mine," Rooney said in a statement to the Daily Herald. "I served with a specific set of values and principles with the overriding goal to make the lives of Carpentersville residents better."

Trustees also voted Tuesday to appoint Assistant Village Manager Marc Huber to the interim manager role, effective immediately.

Rooney, an Army veteran, was hired as village manager in 2010. Last year, he was earning a salary of $175,710 plus benefits, according to village records.

During his tenure, trustees supported two amendments to Rooney's employment contract, the most recent of which included a 5.5 percent raise that brought his annual salary up to $167,000 in 2015. His salary was adjusted each year based on performance evaluations by the village board, according to the contract.

The village board has seen significant turnover since Skillman, a retired Carpentersville fire chief, beat out incumbent Ed Ritter for village president last spring. Voters elected newcomer Diane Lawrence to a trustee seat, and Skillman later appointed John O'Sullivan and Jeff Frost to fill vacancies on the board.

"In this era of compressed time, constant commentary and polarized politics, things do not always work as they should," Rooney said. "Elections have consequences. I leave my position with my head held high."

In his statement, Rooney thanked trustees and Ritter for working cooperatively "with a mutual sense of respect and trust." He lauded the village's improved transparency rating, the creation of a community development department, new economic activity such as the Walmart Supercenter, and various other accomplishments in the last seven years.

Skillman said no decisions have been made for finding a permanent replacement for Rooney. The village board is expected to discuss its next steps at a later date.

Rooney previously served as village manager in Wheeling, a position from which he resigned in 2009. At the time, two trustees said his departure came after a majority of the board indicated in closed session that they no longer supported him.

Before Wheeling, Rooney served as village administrator in Highwood.