Wheeling trustee announces resignation
After two stints as a village trustee separated by four years as village president and a hiatus from village politics to attend to family business, Wheeling Trustee Bill Hein announced his resignation from the board Monday.
Hein cited the health of his wife as a major factor in his decision to resign.
"I've been thinking about it for a while," Hein said. "She is my top priority."
Mary Papantos will be sworn in to replace Hein on Feb. 1.
Village President Dean Argiris said he received Hein's letter of resignation Wednesday and contacted Papantos about the position the next day.
Papantos briefly served on the board after winning a seat in the April 7 election in a close race with current Trustee Joe Vito, who ran as a write-in. But a Cook County judge ruled in July that 33 write-in votes for Vito that weren't initially counted should have been, giving him the seat.
Papantos has continued attending village board meetings since Vito was sworn in July 27.
"I'm convinced that Mary's short time on the board was a good time," Argiris said. "It was only appropriate and fitting that I reappoint her to the board to fulfill the rest of Hein's term."
Board members expressed their surprise about the news and took turns thanking Hein for his years of service.
"You're the historian," Argiris said. "You remember things about people who lives here, who owned what."
Trustee Mary Krueger wished Hein and his wife the best of luck in the future.
"I think you're irreplaceable," she said.
Papantos said she's grateful to be welcomed back unanimously by the board.
"I'm glad I'll be able to show the community what I can do for the next 14 months," Papantos said.
Vito offered words of encouragement to Papantos on Monday.
"It will be good to be working with you instead of against you for once," Vito said.