Former Hoffman trustee doesn't get prosecutor job

At his final village board meeting last month, former Hoffman Estates Trustee Cary Collins jokingly wondered if there would be a check in the farewell card he received from the board.

Collins, who left his trustee post five months before his term expired, received no such gift. Instead, it seems his former colleagues have left him with a lump of coal.

The village board on Monday soundly shot down Mayor William McLeod's proposal to name Collins village prosecutor. Only McLeod and Collins' replacement, Trustee Gary Stanton, voted in favor of the appointment that failed 5-2.

“It's a personnel issue; I'm not going to go into it,” McLeod said after the meeting. “Suffice it to say, I didn't have the votes.”

While Collins said he didn't want to run for April re-election, his early departure from the board was unexpected. Shortly after his resignation, speculation mounted that the board would appoint Collins village prosecutor, following Dominick DiMaggio's resignation.

No trustees commented on their votes during Monday's meeting.

“Everybody votes their own conscience on it,” Trustee Karen Mills said after the meeting. “And I just didn't feel comfortable with it.”

Mills added she didn't know if a deal was made before Collins' resignation to give him the prosecutor's job, which is separate from the village attorney's job. Responsibilities include representing the village at the adjudication hearings that convene on Monday nights twice a month for village ordinance violations such as traffic citations.

DiMaggio resigned earlier this month as prosecutor because the Monday night hearings conflicted with his recent appointment as trustee in Hawthorn Woods. DiMaggio made $72,692 last year as prosecutor, according to the village website.

McLeod had asked the board to table their vote on Collins' appointment last week, saying he wanted more time to speak to trustees.

If Collins had gotten the appointment something he said he was open to it may have created an awkward situation.

He sparred this summer with Cheryl Axley, the adjudication officer who presides over the hearings. Axley drafted a complaint to McLeod claiming Collins attempted to use his influence to have a batch of loitering tickets thrown out that had been issued to seven teenagers.

The tickets were pulled at the July hearing, but later heard and dismissed in August. Collins denied any wrongdoing, even through Axley claimed an ethical breach. A report by Hoffman Estates police stated Collins tried to intimidate a police officer before the hearing.

“Well, that didn't help the situation, being really honest there,” Mills said. “There were a lot of angry residents about the way it was handled and concerns what would happen in the future.”

McLeod actually changed the parameters of the position in an attempt to convince trustees on Monday.

His motion would have made Collins prosecutor for a six-month period and would not have him serve at adjudication hearings at the police station. Rather, he'd only represent the village at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

“It's back to the drawing board at this point,” McLeod said.

Despite McLeod's attempt to change the prosecutor's job to keep Collins out of adjudication hearings, Mills said she remained uncomfortable.

“Being someone who is living with a lot of the problems that went on, it was not a good way to handle it,” Mills added.

Collins filled in for DiMaggio at least week's adjudication hearing, but Village Attorney Arthur Janura said it was unclear after Monday's vote if Collins would continue in that capacity.