Island Lake board to debate rescinding loan, taking some power away from mayor

One week after giving the village’s finance director permission to transfer up to $300,000 from a special fund to pay bills, Island Lake trustees will meet Thursday to discuss rescinding that order.

The board also will discuss removing Mayor Debbie Herrmann’s ability to unilaterally fire or suspend employees or place workers on leave. That power would go to the full board, according to the proposal.

Trustee Donna O’Malley requested Thursday’s special meeting, with the support of trustees John Ponio and Laurie Rabattini.

O’Malley said she’s proposing taking away the mayor’s unchecked firing powers to maintain democracy in town.

“The governing body is comprised of six trustees, one mayor and one clerk, who as a whole need to accept responsibility (for governing),” she said in an e-mail. “If it were the responsibility of one position, we would not need to occupy the other positions.”

The change would give the village board “sole responsibility” when it comes to firing or suspending employees or placing workers on administrative leave.

Unlike most other area communities, Island Lake does not have a nonelected village administrator or manager to oversee the staff.

The mayor has used her personnel-related powers in several high-profile cases since being elected to Island Lake’s top office in 2009.

About a year ago, she unilaterally placed Police Chief Anthony Sciarronne and police officer Fred Manetti on administrative leave without first discussing the matter with trustees.

Sciarronne later was demoted and Manetti was fired.

Additionally, in December, Herrmann placed the head of the parks department, Karen Luebbers, on administrative leave following Luebbers’ arrest on misdemeanor battery charges.

The change would let employees focus on doing their jobs, Rabattini said.

Rabattini, a regular critic of Herrmann, backed changing the personnel rules.

“What we want to do is take the unilateral authority of the mayor to terminate employees and put it in the hands of the majority of the board to protect employees from political retaliation,” she said.

The other item on Thursday’s agenda concerns Finance Director John Little’s recent request to borrow up to $300,000 from the village’s water fund.

Little made the request at the Feb. 10 meeting because the village’s bills are mounting and revenue isn’t keeping up. The water fund, which is flush with cash, is supposed to pay for water-related projects.

Little also said the transfer isn’t needed now, and did he not know if it actually ever would be needed.

Because of that admission and other concerns, Ponio and Trustee Don Saville opposed the plan, but they were in the minority and the request was approved. Rabattini did not attend that session.

O’Malley, who voted with the majority last week, said she now wants more information about the loan.

She did not know if either proposal would have enough votes to pass.

The special meeting continues what seems to be a break between O’Malley and Herrmann.

Since being elected in 2009, O’Malley regularly has voted with Herrmann and trustees Connie Mascillino and Don Verciglio on village issues, often creating a 4-3 majority.

In January, however, O’Malley proposed a line-by-line reading of the village’s bills, a subject of regular disagreement at board meetings. Herrmann later criticized the change in procedure.

And last week, O’Malley joined Ponio and Trustee Don Saville to reject paying a bill for new carpeting in the mayor’s office.

In a voice-mail message left with the Daily Herald, Herrmann said she didn’t know what was behind the two proposals on Thursday’s agenda. She did not comment further.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. at village hall, 3720 Greenleaf Ave.