Tatooles wins fourth term in Inverness

Inverness voters gave Village President Jack Tatooles their stamp of approval Tuesday by awarding him a fourth term.

Unofficial results showed Tatooles had won an even 900 votes, or 56.9 percent of the total, to beat challenger Nanci Staten Robinson.

For 12 years, Tatooles has presided over a board largely unified in its vision for Inverness, causing him to have never cast a tie-breaking vote.

Nevertheless, Tatooles said he never took victory for granted.

"I've been through a lot of campaigns," he said Tuesday night. "You never underestimate your opponent, and always run like an underdog. But I can't wait to get back to work tomorrow."

Though running without a slate, Robinson was critical of what she described as a lack of openness in village board decision-making.

Robinson, making her first run for public office, felt the public had been left out of major decisions on starting the village's own police department and embarking on a comprehensive, $9.5 million road repair project.

But Tatooles defended these decisions, saying they'd been thoroughly researched and well considered before moving forward.

Tatooles believes the village will save $1.3 million in just the first five years by having a police department staffed by retired officers rather than recontracting with Barrington. He also argued that Inverness will see great value in repairing its roads right now.