Proposal to rein in Carpentersville president's power

Carpentersville trustees want to scale back the village president's powers, claiming his efforts this week in seeking a trustee's removal were an abuse of power.

Trustee Judy Sigwalt will present a resolution Tuesday that would prevent Village President Bill Sarto from acting on the behalf of the board, initiating investigations and using village resources without prior consent from the village board.

"We want to make him stop so we can get on with village business," Sigwalt said. "We need to stop Sarto from expending money on a witch hunt that has been going on for three years since Paul (Humpfer) was first appointed to the village board."

Earlier this week, Sarto asked both Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to step in and remove Trustee Paul Humpfer from the board.

Sarto asked the state's attorney and the attorney general to begin quo warranto proceedings, an action that establishes the legitimacy of an officeholder.

The move came days after Humpfer was convicted on four counts of misdemeanor domestic battery for hitting his wife with a baseball bat.

Village attorney James Rhodes drafted the letters, which both offices confirmed they had received.

Rhodes did not return calls seeking comment.

But Sarto said the board does not have the right to adopt such provisions.

"My greatest concern here is that they are trying to limit my rights not only as president but as a citizen to inquire about anything," Sarto said. "It is a tempest in a teapot. I am not too concerned. It's a resolution, not an ordinance."

In addition, Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski called the resolution "comical."

"It is just Judy being childish," Ramirez-Sliwinski said. "When Judy doesn't like the rules she tries to change them."

Other trustees, though, say they support the measure.

Trustees Ed Ritter and Kay Teeter asked for the measure's inclusion on Tuesday's village board agenda.

"It allows the board to become involved with the matter at hand," Hinz said.

Teeter also said the resolution is needed to rein in the mayor.

"Yes, I support it, but it is just very irritating that we have to go through this because someone is abusing their power," Teeter said. "There were less than 24 hours after the verdict before he declared the seat vacant. He didn't care what we thought or had to say."