'You get the government you deserve': E. Dundee mayor blasts some trustees, who call it 'sour grapes'
Saying residents are getting "the government they deserve," East Dundee Village President Jeff Lynam lambasted some village trustees Monday for the way they campaigned ahead of their reelection this month.
Lynam's remarks, two weeks after the April 4 election, came at the close of Monday's village board meeting. He criticized trustees for "demonizing" local developers and said claims that he would raise property taxes are untrue.
"If someone's going to lie to you about that, they're going to lie to you about just about anything," Lynam said.
He also said claims that area developers are trying to gain control of the village board are "just a silly notion."
"You get the government you deserve; that's the take-away," said Lynam, who was elected village president in 2021.
Lynam said he was not campaigning for any candidates ahead of the election, but he did post a campaign sign in his yard promoting a slate that included incumbent Trustee Rich Treiber and candidates Ryan Gumma, Daniel Pearson and Shanna McKee.
Treiber, who was appointed to the board, won election to a 4-year term. Trustees Scott Kunze and Kathleen Mahony were reelected to 4-year terms. Trustee Andy Sauder, who also was appointed to the board, won election to fill a 2-year term.
Though the village board often can come to consensus on most matters, Lynam has found himself at odds with a majority of trustees on other matters, such as retention of a former village administrator and the Elgin Mall's plan to relocate to East Dundee.
"He's been unhappy with this board the last two years," Kunze said Tuesday. "But we're not here to make the village president happy. We're here to work for the residents."
During the campaign, a letter sent to East Dundee residents by Tom Roeser, president of Carpentersville-based Otto Engineering, offered support to Treiber, Gumma, Pearson and McKee. In his letter, Roeser states that progress in the village has stalled because the board cannot find common ground.
"The cooperative spirit that has (eluded) the board has been troubling," wrote Roeser, who does not live in East Dundee.
Kunze and other trustees responded to the letter on social media. In his remarks, Kunze noted that Treiber sided with the board majority on all but three votes in 2022.
Mahony said Tuesday she was disappointed with Lynam's remarks and his attitude toward residents. April's election brought the village's highest voter turnout in more than a decade.
"Him insulting all the residents of East Dundee who voted is inexcusable; it's sour grapes," Mahony said.
She also rebuffed Lynam's remarks that she, Kunze or Sauder "demonized" local developers during the campaign. Rather, Sauder questioned whether board members would favor certain developers because of their support during the campaign, she said.
Kunze and Sauder also noted that Lynam has indicated support for a property tax increase to fund the village's police pension obligations as recently as December. Trustees said they would want to explore other funding options before resorting to a tax increase.
Lynam did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.