Recall only way to stop trustee's improper actions

As a concerned citizen and voter who cares about our community, I feel I would be remiss if I did not speak out on the crucial recall referendum that gives the citizens of Buffalo Grove the opportunity to recall and remove Trustee Lisa Stone from office. I had hoped that, when the village board unanimously adopted the recall ordinance earlier this year, the community would never feel the need to use it. Unfortunately, that has not turned out to be the case.

When one person has distracted the community from focusing in a positive way on making a great community even greater by her relentless negative and improper conduct and approach for over a year and a half, the time has come to say enough is enough.

This is not a situation that has arisen from an isolated incident or disagreement over an issue, but stems continual conduct that ignores rules, process, decorum and civility. It has become difficult to focus on what needs to be done in our community, whether by the board or our staff, when a trustee constantly harangues and attacks the integrity of dedicated fellow board members, volunteers and staff through baseless and mean-spirited innuendo. Her dwelling and ranting on issues and questions already asked and answered countless times for month after month have diverted the village staff and board from spending time on more productive tasks.

Such offenses have included her fear mongering and raising questions about environmental safety of a local business and potential development site that has regularly been monitored by state and county agencies that have jurisdiction of such issues. This continuing conduct was potentially damaging to much-needed economic development and created potential legal exposure and cost to our community.

Her overall conduct and disparaging of staff, board members and volunteers have created an undesirable work environment that has affected or potentially affects the retention and attraction of quality volunteers, board members and staff.

She has focused on her personal agenda almost exclusively, interrupting others, attacking them through innuendo, and speaking at will without civility, and has turned our meetings into embarrassing reality TV shows. She has had a day-to-day negative impact on our staff and the community as a whole. This misguided approach and conduct of one trustee has put an unwarranted blemish on our community.

I had hoped that some constructive ideas I have shared with Trustee Stone about the nature of legislative and policy formation and collaboration would be embraced. Instead of her derogatory comments or suggestions of wrongful conduct by innuendo, I have urged her to use a positive approach. I suggested she would be more persuasive in making her case on any issue by presenting herself in a clear and simple manner with supporting reasons.

However, she has chosen to maintain her negative approach. She has even said that she would break our rules as she sees fit. The village board has always welcomed the civil debate of new ideas. However, the nature of village government requires persuading a majority to support a position before the board takes action on a given issue. Sometimes one may be successful, while other times one may not be able to garner support. That is the process. Trustee Stone chooses to blaze her own path not caring what the position of the board is and not seeming to care who she disparages along the way, including the community she was elected to serve.

Please vote “yes” for the recall of Lisa Stone and urge your friends and neighbors to join you. This is truly a serious matter that affects the well-being of our community.

Ÿ Elliott Hartstein is Buffalo Grove's village president.