Mt. Prospect trustee resigns after third term on board

Mount Prospect Trustee Richard M. Lohrstorfer resigned from the board for personal reasons, village officials said Tuesday. The vacancy allows a newcomer to serve out Lohrstorfer's term, which expires in April.

At the board meeting, Mayor Irvana Wilks said he had sent her a notarized letter that he wanted to relinquish his seat on the board. He was in his third term, serving the village for the past 11 years.

"I wanted to let the community know a dedicated public servant has decided to resign," Wilks said. "I will really miss him. He was a very good listener and he really cared about the village."

In light of the resignation, Wilks has about 60 days by state statute to appoint a new trustee with the board's approval, she said. The manner in which applications will be submitted for review is still being figured out, she said. Wilks said she'd discuss the matter with board members in closed session before requesting application from interested candidates.

Lohrstorfer was first elected to the board in 1997. In 2001 and 2005, he was re-elected to 4-year terms. The person who is appointed would serve out his term and have the opportunity to run for the board.

Before becoming a trustee, Lohrstorfer had served on River Trails School District 26 school board as a member and as board president, village officials. said. He also served as an adult adviser on the Mount Prospect Youth Commission.

Trustees said that Lohrstorfer's insight on the board would be missed. He was regarded as a less outspoken trustee than some others on the board, but it was noted that when he did speak, he cut to the heart of the matter.

"I truly will miss working with Rick," Trustee A. John Korn said. "I found that he was not a man who spoke a lot, but when he spoke he spoke with authority. I always found things he had to say was a true contribution to what the discussion was about and I will miss his insight."

Lohrstorfer was not available for comment on Tuesday night.