Bensenville Park District issues badges to board members

Not all badges have power.

Badges for elected officials, for example, mostly are used as identification or as souvenirs.

But the improper flashing of such badges has sparked controversy in several local towns, including Lombard and Villa Park.

Still, most Bensenville park board members aren't letting a few bad apples stand in the way. In a 3-2 vote, the board this week decided to issue badges to its members.

"It's something that we are entitled to as elected officials," said board President Henry Wesseler, who initiated the idea.

Wesseler and commissioners Ken Anderson and Richard Johnson voted in favor of the proposal. Commissioners Tom Earley and Tom Tolin opposed it.

"I'm not sure what we'd use this for," Earley said of the badges. "When would we need to show this?"

In January, a surveillance camera captured former Lombard Trustee Steve Sebby, who currently serves on the Glenbard High School District 87 board, flashing a badge at a local business and demanding that a former political rival's campaign signs be taken down.

The signs later were taken down by a man matching his description, but Sebby has denied the entire incident.

Last year, Villa Park Village President Joyce Stupegia admitted that one of her former campaign workers duped her and stole her identity. Among other things, he was caught speeding in Henry County and showed state police an ID badge identifying him as Villa Park's deputy village president.

Bensenville Park District attorney Patrick Bond recommended that the park board adopt a policy that defines when and how the badges can be used -- and when they cannot.

The measure adopted Wednesday states the badge can be used only for identification purposes and "shall not be used in any way to evade or avoid enforcement of any law in any governmental jurisdiction or gain an inappropriate advantage for any purpose."

Park commissioners will be required to return the badge upon leaving office.

"I don't think anybody in here would misuse it, but it can be misused," former park board Commissioner John Wassinger said. "So what's the positive? You're here for the people, and the people get no benefit from you having a badge."

Bensenville parks commissioners used to receive badges, but the practice was stopped in 1999. Wassinger urged the board against reinstating the badges.