Legislators step into Antioch fray
SPRINGFIELD -- State lawmakers are taking sides in a lingering rift among Antioch officials.
On Thursday, the Illinois House approved banning village trustees from hiring their own attorneys and billing taxpayers.
"They should be doing that at their own expense," said state Rep. JoAnn Osmond, an Antioch Republican.
Her proposal outlaws the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for legal counsel for village board and city hall members who already have a city or village attorney at their disposal.
It was approved 72-39 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Osmond's push comes in response to ongoing tension among Antioch's local elected officials. Last year, after a series of heated meetings, the village board pushed through an ordinance giving itself the ability to hire a board attorney in addition to the village attorney, who is appointed by the mayor.
Supporters said they want to get legal advice from someone not beholden to the mayor. So far, trustees have not hired the additional attorney.
On Thursday, Antioch Mayor Dorothy Larson said she still believes the effort is a waste of taxpayer money and said she hopes the state Senate similarly supports Osmond's plan.
Osmond said Antioch residents approached her about changing state law to overturn the new attorney ordinance.
Some state lawmakers, however, said they should butt out.
The Antioch officials were all publicly elected and the board attorney plan was approved by a majority of the Antioch trustees. If local taxpayers don't like it, they can vote the trustees out, critics said.
"Don't you believe in local control?" said state Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat. "What's next? Are we going to do zoning changes from Springfield?"