by Joseph WiszowatySAUK VILLAGE | The embattled Mayor Lewis Towers has resigned “effective immediately” at 5:45pm. An official announcement has been made and an emergency meeting of the Village Board of Trustees has been called for tomorrow, Thursday, November 8th at 7:00pm.
Official word was received by the Village Clerk at 5:45pm via email from Lewis Towers' village issued blackberry. "I am greateful (sic) for the time service as mayor, my family and health must come first" Towers said in his email.
Towers was elected in April, 2009 and has fought many of the Village Trustees since taking office. Towers leaves the village with over a $2.6 million deficit, no audit since taking office has been conducted, not resolution for the Village’s water situation, no Lake Michigan water or plan to bring it to the village.
Towers said on election night in 2009, “This is my Barack Obama moment”. The day after President Obama won a decisive re-election, Towers announced his resignation as Mayor of Sauk Village. He is the first African-American Mayor in the village’s 55 year history and the first to have resigned from office. Towers has several other dubious “firsts” while he served as Mayor including the first to have vetoed village board actions and the first mayor to have sued the village while mayor.
Some Village Trustees have agreed to select Village Trustee David Hanks as the Acting Mayor, which will be formalized tomorrow at the emergency meeting Thursday, November 8th at 7pm. Hanks said he will keep his seat on the Village Board of Trustees and will still be able to vote on all matters while serving as Acting-Mayor. Hanks said he would not run for Mayor in 2013 and will return to the Village Board following the election in May. The position of mayor has been part-time since 1989.
Hanks is 46 years old is married to Linda and they have 10 children. Hanks has lived in the village for many years. Hanks first ran for public office in 1989 for the Village Board, again in 1999 when he was first elected defeating incumbent Village Trustee Richard "Dick" Derosier. Hanks has served since 1999 and ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in 2005 falling short of a victory. Hanks ran with Burgess and former Trustee Robert Chavez on the People's Voice Party in 2011 when the trio won by a three-to-one margin.
A group of residents including Village Trustees David Hanks, Derrick Burgess, Village Clerk Debbie Williams and Village Clerk Candidate Marva Campbell-Pruitt and Village Trustee Candidate Jeff Morden celebrated the resignation of Lewis Towers. Longtime residents Judy Cast, Rose Langston, Pat Couch, Debbie Warn, Mary Hanks among many others celebrated until after 12:30am. Mary Howard, sister of David Hanks, and soon to be President of School District 168 Board of Education also stopped in.
“This is great news. We need to move this Village forward and now we can begin the process to do so. I look forward to presenting our Plan to the People of Sauk Village” Burgess said. Burgess is running for Mayor in April on the People’s Unity Party. "I remain cautiously optimistic" Burgess said.
“I can’t believe this has happened so soon. I figured he would have been indicted or would have lost the election in April but I’m just so happy for the Village” Cast, a critic of Former Mayor Towers, said.
“I feel like I’m going to wake up and this will all be just a dream” one long-time resident said.
Comments posted on Social Media below:
Clara Siedelmann Thanks heaven he finally did something good for us and left.
Clara Siedelmann Welcome Dave and may God help you since you will need all the help you can get.
Jonathan Greene Finally a mayor who cares about Sauk Village! The founding fathers are smiling !!
Pat Couch Was a "beautiful day in the neighborhood" as the bully with the badge stated previously!!! Now lets all help David by pulling together and try to start repairing some of the damage left by this group of misfits. Lets hope the back-bitting is over, try to get everyone on the same page, go forward and not backward (get that PeeWee Benson). Going forward toward April, I hope all the canidates realize just because the head of this snake was cut, the problems of the village cannot be fixed overnite. This is our new beginning!!!
Candice Burgos I hope the village turns around. My family has been there since the 70's and have never seen it this bad!
Sauk Village, Illinois where's he going Wendy? haha David's not going anywhere
Wendy Znavor Gildner Its about time the Village got some Good News!!!!!
Wendy Znavor Gildner i dont live their anymore either but i know David Hanks and he is a wonderful person
Crystal Parker I am soooooooooo grateful for this day. And for my mothers sanity!! Towers has been driving us all crazy for years now!!! Congratulations Hanks!! You are a very welcome blessing for the Village!! Good luck!!
Pamela Gonzalez My husband and I have lived here since 1972 and it has been a very long time since we have seen PRIDE or PROGRESS in this village. Would LOVE to see it come back again!!!!!!
Gerry Poppers Everyone needs to support David Hanks through thick and thin now.....Many good things can happen....! With Gods help and a little luck the Village can restore pride and generate better finances now too.....God Bless !
Erica Rogers-Watson Congrats!!! It DOSENT matter how many home have section 8 tenants!! As long as they are not breaking laws!! I would rather have a occupied house next door to me than an ABANDONED ONE because the homeowner can't pay their Mortgage!! And by the way all of towns take section 8 dear even upscale communities DARIEN,Naperville,Downers Grove!!!
Terri Carroll - McHale Awesome
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