Six submit applications for Collins' seat in Hoffman Estates

Six people have submitted applications to replace Hoffman Estates Trustee Cary Collins, whose last board meeting was on Monday night.

Collins thanked each trustee and Mayor William McLeod, who also thanked Collins.

“Most of all I'd like to thank you for being a very good friend for 32 years,” McLeod said.

Collins also acknowledged that he had been critical of the board of late, in particular Trustee Gary Pilafas.

“Maybe the reason I've been so critical of Gary is because the fact that I think he has a lot of potential to be a great public official,” Collins said.

Collins received two rounds of applause from the board and the audience, including a brief standing ovation that closed his tenure of almost eight years as a trustee.

The 63-year-old attorney said he wanted more time working at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. Neither Collins or McLeod mentioned the possibility of Collins taking the assistant corporation counsel and prosector post occupied by Dominick DiMaggio. DiMaggio was appointed in October as a village trustee in Hawthorn Woods. He could resign from his Hoffman Estates post to devote more time for his new job in Hawthorn Woods. The village board would have to approve such a move. Collins had said he would take the job if McLeod offered.

“I'm not leaving the village of Hoffman Estates, I'll still be around,” Collins said.

The Hoffman Estates board will interview candidates for Collins' vacancy on Saturday, Dec. 4, McLeod said. That will take place in open session, with the expectation of appointing a new trustee coming during the Monday, Dec. 6, board meeting.

The new trustee would serve the remainder of Collins term, which expires in April. Voters will have three trustee seats to fill in April, and there won't be a February primary. Separate from the applicants vying for Collins' seat, six trustee hopefuls have filed nomination petitions for the April election.

The new name was Robert B. Weitzel, who filed Monday afternoon. He joins challengers Craig Bernacki, Alison Hertz and Gary Stanton. Stanton has McLeod's support, as do incumbents Anna Newell and Pilafas, who also filed.

Meanwhile, the normally chatty Collins was subdued on Monday, at least to his standards. He said was feeling emotional.

It was an uncannily brisk set of committee and board meetings on Monday, with the biggest news all Sears Centre-related. The board approved a three-year deal with the Chicago Slaughter indoor football team. The contract keeps the Slaughter playing its home games at the village-owned arena for the next three years.