TRUSTEES FAIL TO PASS BUDGET BY DEADLINE... DUE TO POLITICAL PARALYSIS

SAUK VILLAGE | For the second year in a row, the Fanatical Five Trustees led by Trustee Debbie Williams have once again failed to approve a budget and appropriations ordinance by the state deadline date of July 31st due to their obsessed focus on demeaning Mayor Derrick Burgess and the Village Hall office workers; putting politics before the people’s needs.  

The Village’s fiscal year ended April 30th with 60 additional days to pass a budget under Illinois law.  Even though Trustee Debbie Williams along with 4 of her closest trustees enjoy a solid 5 to 1 majority, somehow they can’t seem to get a budget completed and passed.  The Village's Treasurer cannot legally make payroll or issue any checks for accounts payable, until the Village Board takes the necessary action to authorize him to do so. The Village Board will need to institute an emergency stop gap measure to circumvent the budgeting requirement.  It appears these Trustees did not learn from their mistake last year when the identical event occurred; the first time in Village history.  

Bernice Brewer

But week after week, self-appointed finance overseer Trustee Bernice Brewer consistently cries "our finances are in a shambles, we need a forensic audit, but the bills are paid and our water fund is healthy” asks “what have we done for the residents"?  Better than that, Bernice, people are now asking her: "What are you doing TO the residents"?  Beginning in 2017, Mayor Derrick Burgess assigned Trustee Brewer to chair the Village Board's Public Services Committee.  Since that time, however, Brewer has never held a single meeting.  In 2019 she joined alliances with Trustee Linda Todd and newly elected Trustees Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell to support their opposition to Mayor Burgess.  

All that the Fanatical Five Trustees have managed to do for the past 15 months is to move the Village from making consistent and steady forward progress to the Village erasing all positive gains and reverting to pre-2017 past practices; a divided and argumentative board, employees not being held accountable and higher unexplained legal bills. Only Trustee Rodrick Grant has routinely and intellectually opposed the actions of the coalition of Trustees against Mayor Burgess; calling their actions politically motivated and not in the best interest of Village operations.  

Many residents have stated, that for the past 15 months, these Trustees have been fighting our Mayor (Burgess) on everything.  They have refused to work with him for the good of our Village and we residents of Sauk Village are paying dearly for the arrogance of these five”.  “Mayor Burgess has accomplished more in his first 100 days after becoming Mayor than these five trustees have done over the last 14 months”, a long-time resident pointed out.  "These Trustees are a damn joke and need to go" she said.

MAYOR BURGESS ENDS IMPASSE APPOINTS FINANCE DIRECTOR AS CHAOS CONTINUES

The Village has been without a Finance Director since February, 2019 when Judith Sutfin resigned to pursue another opportunity.  Village Treasurer Anthony Finch has filled in the gap since Sutfin’s departure.

Following the election in 2019, the position of Finance Director was posted on the Village’s website and other agencies websites.  There have been no takers of the Finance Director’s job, a non-political position, given the political upheaval that the Trustee (collectively referred to as the Fanatical Five) have brought to the Village Board meetings.  Trustees have continued to thwart, impede and restrict the authority of the Mayor and fight him on virtually everything racking up tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills to carry out the Trustees’ directives.  Village Board meetings have devolved into Trustees rambling on for hours challenging the mayor on the most mundane matters as the meetings regularly drag on for two to three hours.      

Bernice Brewer "What have we done for the residents"
Our Question:  What are you DOING TO the residents

Last Tuesday evening the long impasse and inability of the Trustees to come to a consensus to fill the position, Mayor Derrick Burgess asked for a motion to appointed Michelle Royster as Finance Director.  The motion was made by Trustee Grant and seconded by Trustee Bell.  The appointment failed by a vote of 4 to 2 because the Trustees led by Trustee Debbie Williams opposed to anything that Mayor Burgess wants.  The matter would have continued the impasse until Mayor Burgess took decisive action and appointed Royster as “interim Finance Director”.  Under Illinois law a mayor may make indefinite temporary appointments in order to keep the business of the Village moving.  Only Home Rule communities can limit the Mayor’s appointment authority according to Statute.  Some may remember that the Village Trustees in 2012 lost a lawsuit against now former Mayor Lewis Towers when they attempted to restrict his appointment powers. 

Royster comes with good credentials having most recently worked since 2016 as a Program Manager for Cook County Planning and Development Department earning $92,000 according to public records.  Royster has an Accounting degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola University.  It is expected that Royster will begin her job after giving notice to her current employer.    

McCoy resigns amid political retaliation and racial tension

TONYA McCOY

The political and racial tensions in Sauk Village have prompted yet another departure of a well qualified and professional Community Development Director Tonya McCoy.  McCoy announced she accepted a position with the Village of Matteson as Deputy Director of Community Development. 
 

McCoy announced her resignation during her report to the Village Board of Trustees calling it “bittersweet news” but blasting the Trustees for what she called “racism”.  “When I started here I did not know anyone in the Village, didn’t know the mayor didn’t know the clerk contrary to what some may believe.  I will say that the women in the front office have become my family.  I have come to love them.  They are very much under appreciated”. 

“Now as for the board I wish I could say the same, but I can’t.  It was more than a notion to come in and have people who were incompetent and racist people who would try to tear down what the Mayor built.  I cannot even explain how the atmosphere changed when you came in.  I’m going to quote Michelle Obama ‘When they go low we go high’ and I am going to walk out of here with my head held high” McCoy said.

 

McCoy was appointed to the position of Community Development Director by Mayor Derrick Burgess following the resignation of Joseph Wiszowaty in June of 2019, who served in a dual role of both Community and Economic Development Director.  The Trustees led by Debbie Williams cut McCoy’s pay $20,000 to $48,000 as political retaliation since she was appointed by Burgess.  The previous Community Development Director, now Trustee Sherry Jasinski, was generously over-paid $72,000 per year and had not written a single grant in her more than 12 year tenure as the department head.

McCoy and other appointments made by Mayor Burgess have been clearly targets of political retaliation and racial discrimination by the Trustees following their gain of their majority over Mayor Derrick Burgess in May, 2019. 

·         Joseph Wiszowaty- resigned

·         Alicia Straughter- terminated

·         Mary Klopp- terminated and eliminated from the budget

·         Christopher Williams (although not appointed by Burgess) terminated

·         Tonya McCoy- resigned

The power struggle has the Village Board, and the 5 to 1 majority they have had since May of 2019, obsessed with taking the powers away from the mayor and stopping any and all progress he had made.  The political circus has come back to Village Hall led by Debbie Williams with them focused on political nonsense instead of economic development, fixing streets, cutting dead trees, repairing infrastructure and more important the finances of the Village.

 

Photo: Gary Bell's Facebook Page

 

 

This racist post by GT Bell (Village Trustee Gary Bell) was posted on his personal Facebook account (photo provided).  Bell currently serves on the Sauk Village Fire Department and serves on the Village Board of Trustees.  Bell using a racial slur "TNT" or "Typical ni**er tramma".  

SAUK VILLAGE SUED IN COURT FOR WILLFULLY VIOLATING THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

Fired after $170,000 of TAXPAYER'S MONEY spent,
Fired Ex-Village Administrator Christopher Williams

*** Sauk Village sued in Court for willfully blocking FOIA request for information of fired Village Administrator timekeeping records *** 

In a recently submitted Freedom of Information Act request, the Village of Sauk Village and its now FIRED Ex-Village Administrator, Mr. Christopher Williams were asked to supply "Any and all timekeeping, and time and attendance records for the Village Administrator Christopher Williams back in mid February. The Village through its $165.00 an hour counsel stated "Your request was denied, there are no records responsive to your request."

This FOIA request was submitted amidst allegations of Ghost Payrolling and taking unearned time off from his position as hired by the Fanatical 5 Trustees during an inquiry into these allegations.

Given that Williams uses the Identicard card / fob access systems throughout Village Hall, at entrance doors and back office access areas, there MUST be some sort of timekeeping and accrued record of earned paid time off for vacation time as well as any compensatory time off , in addition to bio-metric clock stations in Village Hall and other departments where most every other Village employee must clock in and out for payment and timekeeping purposes. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office seemed to agree with that, as the Public Access Counselor has requested the Village to produce those same records that were asked for in the original FOIA request.

Once this FOIA request was denied by the Village of Sauk Village through its legal counsel of record Odelson & Sterk, a lawsuit was filed against the Village for improper denial of FOIA records. Then on May 19, 2020 during a specially called meeting, the Fanatical 5 Trustees FIRED WILLIAMS. On the official record of minutes was Trustee Gary Bell stating "I apologize to the residents for wasting the Village's Money" and Trustee Bernice Brewer stating "The shameful cost to residents throughout the process".

Christopher Williams's firing came 3 months after the investigation was sought into the timekeeping and paid time off compensation records, while many were alleging Ghost Payrolling and that Williams was absent from Village Hall more than he was in Village Hall charged with taking care of day to day operations as he was hired by the Fanatical 5 Trustees to do. Trustee Gary Bell voiced his displeasure and voted YES to Williams's termination citing Williams's lack of availability to talk with him, that Williams failed to provide job descriptions, and that he failed to lay off staff, namely all of the African American front office staff that was brought in at the beginning of the Burgess Administration. While Trustee Linda Todd, who also voted to terminate Williams stated he specifically failed to produce the requested records knowing they existed.

Christopher Williams was given a contract by the Fanatical 5 Trustees to serve as Village Administrator to the tune of $112,000 with benefits, yet Williams was alleged as not working a single 5 day week since he began in July, 2019. The same Trustees who gave us Williams are the ones saying they want to “watch the money”.  Mayor Derrick Burgess was forced by Court action brought by the Fanatical 5 Trustees using the Village Attorneys to allow Christopher Williams to serve as Village Administrator.  Burgess had not had a Village Administrator for the first two years of his term saving residents some $224,000 in pay and benefits.  Burgess did not appoint Christopher Williams and has stated that Williams lacks the requisite experience to do the job.  Burgess was working full-time for the Village residents at a part-time salary of $20,000 per year.

WHO IS DEBBIE WILLIAMS AND WHY IS SHE HURTING SAUK VILLAGE

Handling food at pop-up food giveaways, other people's food that is.
Would you TRUST her handling yours? Nose "poppin out"
No mask, no gloves! NO WAY! #COVID-19 #BigDig

by Joachim Mahomes

Just who is this Debra “Debbie” Williams that has Sauk Village residents angry and raging mad? Just who is this power hungry, glory seeking nemesis of Sauk Village?  Her mouth says she just wants “peace” for Sauk Village and that everyone should sing Kumbaya, But her historical actions in Sauk Village clearly indicates all to the contrary.  Her acronym she touts “P.E.A.C.E.” we hear from a good number of people is that she "practices evil and chaos everyday". They tell us that this controversial and political hot mess is out telling people she wants to become Mayor!

Really, Sauk Village?  What monster have you unleashed on the good people of this village?  Have you given up on yourselves?  Your dismal voter turnout of only 382 votes or a mere 4.6% of the electorate in 2019 surely confirms this, never-the-less a success in Debbie’s book.  Well, hopefully we can give you some food for thought before you repeat yet a third time a fatal mistake for the survival of this Village.

(This is the first in a series of expose articles that we will publish so stay tuned as the drama unfolds).  

WHERE DID DEBBIE WILLIAMS COME FROM?  WHAT HAS SHE DONE FOR OR TO SAUK VILLAGE?  

Records indicate that she and her husband moved to Sauk Village in 1987.  Even though she volunteered to be a Girl Scout Leader, a member of the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) and a member of the Housing Commission, controversies often clouded these groups and committees on which she served.  

We cannot find any evidence of Debbie Williams ever attending college or holding a long-term, meaningful career.  We found that she sold Pampered Chef and Avon and she is a writer for the infamous attack rag paper which had launched a campaign against the current Mayor since he took office.  Prior to that career change, she was a part-time survey-taker at Pammer Research.  But wait, we found that she worked, very briefly, (13-months) in a position she was gifted in Calumet City before being let go. (Sources from public records and self-biographies).

WHERE DID SAUK VILLAGE GO WRONG? Let's count the ways! 

2007 - Debbie Williams ran unopposed to victory in the election for the McConathy Public Library Board of Trustees after having developed a personal friendship with then Head Librarian Nan Wargo.  Williams sat on the Library Board, and at some point rose to become president of that exclusive political clique.  More on the library later.    

2008 - So with two years of all that political experience in hand, she forms an alliance with Lewis Towers to strengthen her odds of winning in the 2009 Village Clerk race.  They formed Sauk Village’s first political party. 

2009 - After her party’s election win, Williams as Village Clerk and her daughter, Rosie Williams as Trustee, quickly turned against their friend, Mayor Lewis Towers after achieving what they wanted.  Williams, brought her experience of chaos to Village Hall; often overstepping her position, routinely commenting during Village Board meetings which was not the role of a Village Clerk position.  Williams and her daughter continued to stay in the political fray from 2009 to 2012.   Williams continually locking horns with Towers' pick for his Chief of Staff Brunetta Hill-Corley causing a "hostile" work environment at Village Hall during that time.

DEBBIE WILLIAMS AND HER FOOD

2011 - Village Trustees stripped the ability of the Mayor to appoint a Village Administrator and they appointed Henrietta Turner, an African-American woman.  Debbie Williams was named in a complaint to the Illinois Human Rights Commission and within lawsuit later field by Turner.  Turner claimed, among other things, that Debbie Williams used racial slurs against her.  This was a ploy that Debbie Williams will once again use against the current Mayor, more on that a little later. 

2013 - Ever the opportunist Debbie Williams was the lone white candidate for her bid at re-election running against three African-American candidates for Village Clerk.  Williams always the opportunist, won a plurality, but did not win a majority of the votes cast.  She fared better in her re-election at the same election for her Library Board seat running yet again, unopposed for a six-year term. 

2014 - 2016 Village Clerk Debbie Williams, her daughter Trustee Rosie Williams and David Hanks orchestrate controversial policies that entrench Sauk Village in financial chaos.  Under their misguided lack of leadership the Village routinely had over $1 million in unpaid bills

2017 - Village Clerk Debbie Williams loses her bid for Village Clerk and her daughter Rosie Williams-Baig loses her bid for Mayor to that Black candidate... .Mayor Derrick Burgess.  Deposed Debbie Declares, “Vengeance is Mine!”  

Tune in for our next part in the series!

TRUSTEES SET TO DO ABOUT FACE, AGAIN

Hang on residents of Sauk Village, you might get whiplash after the nonsense going on at Village Hall!  The Fanatical Five Trustees are slamming on the brakes...AGAIN and doing another about-face as they continue their assault on the taxpayers of Sauk Village.  When Derrick Burgess was elected by the residents to be Mayor and Village President of the Sauk Village in May, 2017, Mayor Burgess began his administration with a Trustee Board of business professionals and a Pathway to Progress Plan authored by the mayor in hand.  This plan outlined the blueprint for the rejuvenation of Sauk Village and its Residents.  Mayor Burgess AND his Board quickly assessed what worked and what failed about former Mayor David Hanks’ Administration.  Hanks hired a full-time Village Administrator, who then hired himself a part-time assistant.  The Village’s contracted Risk Management  company, The Owens Group also provided a Human Resource Consultant, Dr Alicia Straughter on a limited basis.  Mayor Burgess and his new Board of a Trustees envisioned an expanded need for Human Resource needs outside of what was identified by the previous administration.  Dr. Alicia Straughter was retained by Burgess after he became mayor and the Village Board engaged her as HR Consultant and the Village’s representative outside of her agreement with the Owens Group.  Ms Straughter’s expanded role focused on revamping the Village’s human resource processes aimed at minimizing violations of employees’ rights thereby virtually eliminating lawsuits which had continuously plagued the Village.

Following the election of Trustees Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell, in April of 2019 the trio joined political forces with Bernice Brewer and Linda Todd to terminate the agreement with Dr. Straughter.  By July 31, 2019, the Trustees voted 5 to 1 to terminate the agreement with Dr. Alicia Straughter over the objections of Mayor Derrick Burgess And Trustee Rodrick Grant who knew the Village needed a Human Resource professional.  In August 2019, The 5 trustees led by the taxpayers’ law firm won their lawsuit to hire Village Administrator Christopher Williams over Mayor Burgess’ objections.  Now, In less than 9 months, the same Trustees who voted to bring in Christopher Williams turned on him and fired him. 

Just like last week when the Trustees hired a new Village Administrator, tonight at a Special Meeting,  the Trustees will once again perform their 2nd Do-Over to hire a new Human Resource Consultant, Sonya K. Douglas.  Ms Douglas comes with 14 years of Human Resource experience including having worked in the Village of Markham from 2015 to 2016 and is currently a Consultant for Elementary School District 159 in  Matteson.

Mayor Burgess had indicated to the Village Board that a Human Resource professional is critical to the Village long before the Trustees had dismissed Dr. Straughter last year. 

ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL HIRE BY TRUSTEES

Jerry Hurkes- Fanatical Five Trustees' second political
 pick for Village Administrator

Trustees being led by the ring-leader Debbie Williams are set once more to make yet another controversial hire according to this Tuesday's agenda.  Without so much as posting the position of Village Administrator, the five rogue Trustees are set to hire Jerry Hurckes.  Since sometime in early 2018, Hurckes has worked as the Village of Summit’s Executive Director.  So what do the Village of Summit and Sauk Village have in common?  Their lawyers and law firm Odelson and Sterk.

Hurckes reportedly attended a closed session of the Village Board and was the only candidate for Village Administrator presented for interview.  The Trustees did not have a search committee, the position was not posted through South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, nor was it published so it would appear that this hire is once again a politically motivated.

Hurckes held a political position with the failed Illinois Congressman Daniel Lipinski, who recently was defeated.  In fact, Hurckes, according to published reports had been seeking to become the Village Manager in Oak Lawn since sometime in 2019, his hometown.  Hurckes also ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in Oak Lawn. 

The Village Board is already poised to change the job description apparently to make accommodations for Hurckes.  Debbie Williams is no stranger to changing job descriptions to help friends and family get jobs, she was on the Village’s Library Board before taking office as Village Trustee when that board effectively "dumbed down" the qualifications so they could hire her daughter as Head Librarian.  Head Librarian’s and Director typically require a Master’s Degree; Williams’ daughter did not possess the required degree but she got the job.  The Library Board also voted to require any candidate be a resident of Sauk Village, the prior librarian lived in Indiana for years.  For the first time in the Library’s history they have an unqualified Library Director thanks to Debbie Williams. 

Hurckes, who is white, currently works part-time in the Village of Summit and earns about $35,000 according to

Resignation Letter Printed with Permission

public records.  Sauk Village has been without a full-time Village Administrator since the five Trustees fired their hand-picked guy, Christopher Williams.  Christopher Williams, who is black, was only on the job for 9 months after the Trustees fought Mayor Derrick Burgess on bringing him on.  Mayor Burgess at the time stated that he objected to the process by which the Trustees created the position of Village Administrator taking away the Mayor's ability to make the appointment like virtually every mayor has had in Sauk Village's history.  Christopher Williams offered his "involuntary" resignation claiming "There have been significant breaches of the terms of my contract, false allegations about my performance, and a steady resistance to my decision-making authority...."  Rumor has it that Debbie Williams would routinely put undue pressure upon Christopher Williams barking orders at him about firing or taking unwarranted action against certain employees of color as if she were herself alone his boss.  All of the abusive, intimidating and hostile work environmental actions by Debbie Williams went unchecked by the four Trustees which include Bernice Brewer, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.

 

It was reported that Debbie Williams held a pow-wow with her friend this past weekend and that she intends to run for Mayor in April, 2021.  She has been supported in her quest to shut down the progress Mayor Derrick Burgess has made from 2017 to 2019 by fellow Trustees Bernice Brewer, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.  Debbie Williams and her team have made some very bad decisions and it took them 6 months to put a budget together last year.  The Budget was due before the start of the fiscal year May 1^st and once again, Debbie Williams and her group of Trustees have been focused on politics over policy.

 

Only Trustee Rodrick Grant has been the voice of reason throughout this political mess that Debbie Williams has brought to the Village Board.  Williams has once again brought a circus atmosphere back to Village Hall as she did during her tenure as Village Clerk before losing in 2017. 

“Everything that Debbie and her bobble heads have done has completely lacked transparency which is what these five dunderhead Trustees complained about and lied to residents to get elected.  Funny how what they complain about their doing the exact same thing” a long-time resident said after reading the agenda.