BG clerk responds to Stone's attacks

For several months, Lisa Stone has repeatedly accused me of several things, and I would like to provide some factual information in regard to those accusations.

1. Stone says there were no minutes prepared for the 4/18/2005 executive session. Although I acknowledge that the audiotape from that meeting cannot be found, which is fully my responsibility, there are, in fact, minutes of that meeting, which were approved by the Village Board on 8/15/2005 and are available for inspection by anyone.

2. Stone says the clerk did not have the authority to destroy the audiotape of the 4/18/2005 executive session. In fact, Resolution #2006-32, also available for inspection by anyone, grants authority to the Village Clerk to destroy that audiotape on 2/15/2007 (18 months after approval of the minutes).

3. Stone says that there was an $11,000 bill for an outside counsel to oversee the challenge to the recall petition because the clerk failed to check the signatures on the petitions. The fact is that any municipal clerk has only the powers and duties mandated by Illinois statute. By law, the clerk only ACCEPTS filings, such as petitions. The clerk does NOT verify the authenticity or accuracy of such filings. That would be political. The clerk's office represents government, not politics. It is the responsibility of the affected party to challenge the signatures. The reason for the hearing and related legal costs is that Stone chose to file a futile objection that could not possibly have affected the validity of the petition.

Stone's repeated accusations are verifiably false. Thank you for looking at the facts.

Janet Sirabian, village clerk

Buffalo Grove