What's Hunt really done for village?

I read with great interest the article regarding Keith Hunt and his justifications for the outrageous expenses he charged to the village of Hawthorn Woods over the past two years as village president.

While the village faces a huge budget deficit, Mr. Hunt is out eating and drinking at taxpayers' expense, including a night out to celebrate a village officials retirement to the tune of almost $3,000!

My husband and I were Hawthorn Woods residents for almost 15 years before we relocated to Long Grove. More than that, my husband was village president of Hawthorn Woods for six years. He served the six years prior to that as a village board nember.

In his 12 years of service, he never expensed one cent to the village and even managed to hold onto his law license in the process.

Even small expenses that he may have been entitled to reimbursement for were never expensed, such as cell phone calls and local travel. There was no village credit card but then again there was no village budget deficit either!

Yet with all the problems being faced by the village today, Mr. Hunt continues to wine and dine himself at the village's expense. Then he has the nerve to say the village is a better place today than it was eight years ago when he took over the reins of the village from my husband, John Clery.

In what way? Is it the special assessment that is being charged to each homeowner, in addition to their regular tax bill, to fix the dilapidated village roads or is it the huge budget shortfall and loss of eight village employees?

The only thing in a better place in the eight years since Hunt took office is his wallet.

Susan Clery Long Grove