With allies on board, Craig ready for change

Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig admits he's being coy, but the message is clear: Major shake-ups are coming to village hall.

There's currently a big target on longtime Village Manager Marc Hummel, who may be without a job after more than 30 years of service.

"Are there going to be some big changes? Yeah. It's important for the health of our community," Craig said. "We've got an opportunity to turn things around."

From police staffing to newsletters, the two haven't agreed on much during the mayor's first two years in office. CommUnity Party trustees tended to align themselves with Hummel, and Craig rarely carried the votes to move his proposals forward. Trustee Toni Carter was his lone ally.

But that all changed when Craig's slate swept up on Election Day.

Craig defeated Trustee Lori Kaiser by a 3-1 ratio to secure a second term. Joining Carter in Craig's corner are newly elected Trustees Bill Cannon, Rick Roberts and Edward Zimel. Even the Hanover Park Progress Party's candidate for clerk, Eira Corral, was elected. Now, he can move to make a personnel change without the board overriding it and without the political backlash.

Craig said he'll sit down with Hummel after the new trustees are sworn in at the May 7 board meeting. Until then, he's staying quiet about the manager's fate.

"I'd like to take the high road and be considerate of other people," Craig said. "I'll just say we're going from a culture of no to a culture of yes."

Hummel, who took his post in August 1978, declined to comment.

Carter, who will be named deputy mayor, lauded Hummel for his fiscal responsibility and conservatism. However, she said the time has come for change and innovation.

"I'm not sure he's up for the challenge," she said.

Carter said she won't support his termination and instead referred to Hummel's impending departure as a "forced retirement" so that he's entitled to severance and other benefits.

"I won't allow him to be pushed out the door with nothing," she said. "I'll fight tooth and nail not to fire him."

Despite that sentiment, Carter's not shy about her desire for Hummel to go. She has spoken out against his "excessive compensation" package, which totaled more than $230,000 in 2008.

And while she wouldn't say who, Carter doesn't think Hummel is the only senior-level the new board will try to oust.