Mundelein finance director to retire after 30 years

Mundelein’s longtime finance director is set to retire at the end of April, officials said Friday.

Mary Kay Hatton has been in charge of the town’s purse strings for nearly 30 years.

Over the decades, Hatton has seen Mundelein’s population double, thanks primarily to a housing boom on the town’s west side. She’s also helped come up with the funding for a variety of important public projects, including the construction of two fire stations and a police station, a sewer-treatment plant expansion and the acquisition of water from Lake Michigan.

She’s also advised mayors and trustees through some difficult financial periods, including a few recessions.

Hatton explains finances “in a way that makes sense to people,” Mayor Kenneth H. Kessler said.

“(She) is somebody who will give you all the information you need to make your decision,” Kessler said.

Despite decreased tax revenue, Hatton’s conservative financial approach has helped Mundelein get through the nation’s current financial struggles better than some neighboring towns, officials said.

“Mary Kay has always done a great job making sure that we stay fiscally responsible,” Trustee Ray Semple said. “She’s never had a problem telling us, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ when it comes to expenditures.”

A lifelong Mundelein resident and Carmel Catholic High School graduate, Hatton, 54, first worked for the village in 1977 while still enrolled at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis.

She started as a summer employee with the not-exactly glamorous task of reconstructing special assessment records.

“It helped pay for school,” Hatton said.

Hatton was hired as an assistant to the finance director after graduating from college in 1979. When her boss’ position opened in 1982, she took it and has remained in the post ever since.

The finance director also serves as town treasurer.

Village trustees are expected to vote to hire Hatton’s successor Monday. The candidate is Douglas M. Haywood, who now serves as the assistant finance director in Downers Grove.

After Hatton leaves village hall, she plans to take an extended cruise around the world. A cruise enthusiast, it’s a trip she’s been considering for eight or nine years.

“And after that, I’m going to get a dog,” she said.

Hatton also plans to care for her elderly parents and volunteer in the community.