Testimony wraps up in Grafton Twp. suit

After five days of testimony from numerous current and former Grafton Township officials, attorneys in the dispute between Supervisor Linda Moore and the township board wrapped up their cases Wednesday.

In the lawsuit, Moore accuses trustees of trying to prevent her from doing her job. She also asks the court to affirm her attempts to fire Township Administrator Pam Fender and the township's legal counsel.

In their response, trustees charge that Moore tampered with mail intended for trustees and other officials, refused to pay some bills and removed important computer files and hardware from township offices.

On Wednesday, Moore's attorney, John Nelson of Rockford, tried to show that the township's senior transportation service - an area of contention between the two sides - comes at a high cost to taxpayers.

Under Nelson's questioning, Trustee Betty Zirk admitted the senior bus service costs the township about $50,000, but also said it was never township officials' intent to have the service pay for itself.

"This is a service that we're trying to provide to our senior citizens," Zirk said. "We know it wasn't going to be a self-supporting service when we started it."

When Moore took the stand for a second time on Wednesday, she testified that after she was elected in spring 2009, she corrected financial irregularities in township records and tried to make the bus service more efficient.

"It was being used very efficiently," Moore said. "It was really becoming quite a nice thing."

But during cross examination, attorneys for the township tried to portray Moore as an unresponsive supervisor who was reluctant to share public documents with the board.

Briefs are due in the case by June 24, when the parties are next scheduled to be in court. McHenry County Judge Michael Caldwell is expected to issue a decision sometime after that.