Temporary trustee may remain on Buffalo Grove board

Eric Smith joined the Buffalo Grove village board last year to fill recalled Trustee Lisa Stone’s seat until the April election determined her successor.

But with former Trustee Jeffrey Braiman’s ascension to the village presidency, Smith could very well wind up staying on the dais.

Smith confirmed he is one of seven candidates village trustees will interview before deciding who will serve the final two years of Braiman’s trustee term. The board is expected to make the appointment Monday, May 3.

Names of the others under consideration were not confirmed.

When Village President Elliott Hartstein named Smith to succeed Stone, he said he chose someone who would not run for her seat in the April election. But as Smith pointed out Monday, that did not rule out his being appointed to fill another seat.

“They were going to pick somebody who was not going to run for office, who was not going to be in the election,” said Smith, who has lengthy experience serving on the village’s plan commission.

“When the new president solicited resumes for the position, I felt I was qualified from the work that I have been doing,” he added. “I have enjoyed my time on the board, so I put in a resume.”

The new village board will be installed next week. It will include the winners of the April election — incumbents Jeffrey Berman and Steven Trilling, and newcomer Andrew Stein, who won the election for the two year’s remaining on Stone’s term. Braiman will be sworn in as village president.