Villa Park fires village manager days before Christmas

The Villa Park board fired the village manager in a 4-3 decision at a specially called meeting Monday, just days before Christmas.

The majority of trustees voted to terminate Richard Keehner "without cause," as allowed by his contract.

Voting to oust Keehner were Trustees Kevin Patrick, Jack Corkery, Jack Kozar and Deepasriya Kumar - the latter three elected to the board this past April. Trustees David Cilella, Christine Murphy and Village President Nick Cuzzone voted in opposition.

Keehner started his job as village manager in 2011 and was charged with overseeing the village's day-to-day operations.

The trustees who voted for termination alluded to clashes in terms of transparency, accountability and management style. But they also offered compliments, with Kumar acknowledging that Keehner is a "wiz at financial matters."

Patrick called Keehner a "good man" and praised others on the village staff.

"One person is not responsible for our success as a village," Patrick said. "The future of Villa Park is bright, full of potential. Together we can overcome any challenges together."

Those opposing Keehner's ouster strongly questioned the timing the vote. Cuzzone cited many major projects on the horizon, like The Station luxury apartments near the Metra station and a $10 million grant that is to be used for a Lions Park recreation center.

"To devastate a man and his family at this time of year is unconscionable," Cuzzone said. "I've heard many times in the last six months that the village manager's not transparent and how we are always in a rush to get things done. What is the hurry to remove the manager? This could have been approached in January after the holidays were completed."

Keehner did not attend the meeting, and his normal seat on the podium was empty. Another empty podium spot marked the absence of one of two attorneys normally hired by Villa Park from the Naperville-based law firm of Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo Ltd.

Murphy repeatedly brought up the lack of legal counsel at the meeting, first in her failed attempt to table the decision to terminate Keehner. Murphy then cited the missing village attorney as the reason for any subsequent opposition votes, including a motion that passed 4-to-3 to place Keehner on paid administrative leave.

Several residents voiced their support of Keehner during the meeting, including former Village President Al Bulthuis and former Trustees Robert Wagner and Cheryl Tucker.

Rae Rupp Srch, a former president of the DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference who also served as Villa Park's village president, likened trustees to "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" before literally gifting them bags of coal.