DuPage County Questions Conflict of Interest in Lisle
July 2013, the DuPage County Board appointed Tom Althoff (formerly associated with the Lisle Chamber of Commerce) to the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District (LWFD) Board of Trustees. LWFD is the largest fire district in DuPage County with an appointed, rather than elected, board. The LWFD appointed position pays a total of $4950 per the LWFD compensation disclosure.
Althoff's appointment to the LWFD Board was one of several by the County after a scathing report by Crowe Horwath issued in May 2012. The entire LWFD Board has been replaced since 2012.
TIF Joint review boards consist of one representative from each of the taxing bodies impacted by a TIF. Lisle Woodridge Fire Station #1 is located in the new Downtown Lisle TIF District. The Village of Lisle would like to see that site redeveloped and the fire station demolished to make room for retail, restaurants and entertainment businesses.
Back to the Crowe Horwath report....
LWFD has no money to demolish and build a new fire station to accommodate the desires of Mayor Broda. The LWFD has an underfunded pension plan, has seen their credit rating lowered and has yet to implement the Crowe Horwath recommendation to develop a long-range financial plan.
Althoff voted in favor of the Downtown TIF in January 2015. The Downtown Lisle TIF includes LWFD #1. The TIF declares LWFD Station #1 "blighted" as defined in State Statutes governing TIF Districts.
In May 2015, Althoff was appointed to the Lisle Economic Development Commission.
According the Village Code, the purpose of the EDC is:
"There is hereby established a commission which shall be known as the village of Lisle economic development commission for the purpose of encouraging industrial development, commercial business, retail and other supporting services which will provide job opportunities, broaden the tax base, and improve the quality of living in the village. The economic development commission (commission) shall develop a plan for proper economic development of the village and shall coordinate its activities with appropriate local and regional organizations. Said commission shall make its findings and recommendations to the president and board of trustees in the manner prescribed herein." - Village Code 2-12-1
All of this finally caught the attention of Lisle's District 2 DuPage County Board representative Liz Chaplin, who questioned Althoff's conflict of interest and asked Mayor Broda and County Board Chairman Cronin:
What are we going to do about this?
- July 7, 2015, District 2 County Board Member Liz Chaplin.
Email to Mayor Broda and County Board Chairman Cronin from Dist 2 County Board Member Liz Chaplin, July 7, 2015. (Click to enlarge).
Tom Althoff - appointed to LWFD & Lisle Economic Development Commission
Elizabeth Chaplin, elected DuPage County Board, District 2 (includes Lisle)
Mayor Broda did not respond to County Board Member Chaplin as of July 17, 2015 per FOIA response from the Village of Lisle. Sources tell Lisle Watchdog that County legal is investigating the conflict of interest concern.
Read more: http://keepingagreeneyeonlisle.blogspot.com/2014/10/alarm-sounds-lisle-woodridge-fire.html