Typically, when an elected trustee resigns from a Village office, there is an open, public process to fill the vacant seat. An open process builds public trust and confidence and ensures that the most qualified person is selected to fill a vacant seat.
Unless, the vacancy is in Lisle.
Once again, we see that Lisle Mayor Broda chooses the backroom, closed process over the open, transparent public process - this includes the process of appointing a person to fill a vacancy in an elected public office.
Here's the Broda backroom process...
Lisle Watchdogs received several tips a few weeks ago that a Lisle resident was announcing to friends and neighbors that she was going to be appointed to the Village Board. We received several tips - but only verbal accounts - no records.
There was no vacancy in a public office.
On June 16, the Village of Lisle posted an agenda for the June 20 Board meeting that included a closed meeting to select a person to fill a public office. As of June 16, there was no vacancy in a publi office in Lisle. We received several more tips informing us about the person that Broda had already selected to fill an unannounced vacancy in a public office.
On the morning of June 20 - still no effective vacancy in a public office.
At the June 20 Board meeting, a letter from Trustee Getz was read, but there was no public announcement seeking letters of interest/resumes from Lisle residents interested in filling a vacancy in a public office. The following day we submitted a FOIA.
TIMELINE of Broda's Backroom Deal
- Thurs June 9, 2016 - Christy McGovern, former Green Trails HOA member, former public school teacher, and now a stay-home mom for the past 12 years submits her letter and resume addressed to the entire "Lisle Board of Trustees." (Did her letter actually get delivered to the entire Board of Trustees on June 9?)
- Thurs June 16, 2016 - Village of Lisle posts agenda for the June 20 Board Meeting with closed session item to discuss appointment of a person to fill a vacancy in a public office.... but at the time there was no effective vacancy.
- Friday June 17, 2016 - The Village of Lisle posts the packet for the June 20 Board meeting - no information on a vacancy in a public office is included in the packet.
- Monday June 20, 2016 (2:26PM) - Trustee Rob Getz submits a resignation letter via email (not notarized as required by statute) to Broda and Village Manager Sprecher. Because the letter is not notarized, there is still no effective "vacancy" on the Board. (Ref: 65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50 - see below)
- Monday June 20, 2016 - (7:30 PM) The public is informed of Getz's resignation as his letter is read aloud. The letter would not be made available to the public for 7 days. The Board goes into a closed meeting on June 20 to discuss appointment of a person to fill a vacancy in a public office. Broda presents the McGovern letter/resume. There was no effective vacancy as of June 20 because Getz's letter was not notarized.
- Tues June 21, 2016 - Lisle Watchdogs submit FOIA for the Getz resignation letter and the McGovern resume and letter of interest in the appointment.
- Monday June 27, 2016 - Village of Lisle posts info on Getz resignation on website. Broda is still not seeking letters of interest from Lisle registered voters. "Mayor Broda will propose a replacement to the Village Board for their approval"
- Tues June 28, 2016 - 10 AM. Village of Lisle responds to our FOIA and provides copies of the requested public records. (see below)
McGovern Photo: Facebook.
Getz photo: Village of Lisle website
CLICK to enlarge public records (redacted by Village of Lisle)
McGovern's June 9 Letter to "Lisle Board of Trustees" - obtained by FOIA
McGovern's resume - obtained by FOIA
Getz's June 20 Email to Broda and Sprecher - obtained by FOIA
Getz's June 20 Resignation Letter to Broda - obtained by FOIA
June 28, 2016 - Getz's seat as a Village Trustee is still not effectively vacated because he did not submit a notarized letter as required by State Statute (this will likely change after the VOL reads this blog):
Illinois Municipal Code: (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50)
Sec. 3.1-10-50. Events upon which an elective office becomes vacant in municipality with population under 500,000.
(a) Vacancy by resignation. A resignation is not effective unless it is in writing, signed by the person holding the elective office, and notarized.
