FANATICAL 5 TRUSTEES LOOK HIGH AND LOW FOR IMPROVEMENTS, CONTINUE TO WREAK HAVOC IN SAUK VILLAGE

Since being elected to office as the end result of dismal voter turnout of only 9 percent, the Fanatical 5 Trustees continue to stifle growth and improvements in Sauk Village. Infrastructure repairs and improvements promised during their campaigns never materialized, Public Works continues to leave orange fenced open holes throughout the pothole riddled streets, and the glut of stores and businesses continues to exemplify the poor condition of vacant homes continues to plague the Village.

That was their plan all along. In what smacks of a revenge plot, the Fanatical 5 Trustees came into office in May, 2019. Since that time they have effectively stopped all progress in Sauk Village. They conspired to fire Dr. Alicia Straughter, the HR Consultant hired for Sauk Village and was also handling Union negotiations, and Joseph Wiszowaty, who was working dual roles as Economic Development, Grants Administration and writing, and assisting with housing and community development and administered and applied for IHDA grants for addressing high grass and demolition of abandoned homes in Sauk Village.

Straughter, who was making $85.00 per hour was limited to working 17.45 hours per week. At $1483.25 per week, Dr. Straughter had to pay her own taxes and insurance. For the approximate $77,000 per year, Straughter was operating in key areas of Human Resources and compliance as well as handling Union negotiations. With representing clients such as SEIU Local 1, and others, Straughter was qualified to work in that dual role.

The actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees was quickly exposed. In the May 24, 2019 edition of the South Suburban News who did a special report piece on the actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees, it was pointed out then how their actions affected ongoing progress and interruptions in programs in place under the Burgess Administration were being affected. Today, residents are asking "What happened to the grass cutting program?" The answers were there. All residents had to do was recall the numerous warnings. Apparently, the residents felt this was mere speculation however ask the status of these programs today, and nobody in the Fanatical 5 can tell you.

This chaos came about shortly after they forced out Wiszowaty, who was instrumental in bringing the Gas & Wash to Sauk Village, selling of the old Laundromat property, and brought several new business into the Village such as the re-opening of Sugar Shack, Zee-O-D's Pizza, and BFF Banquets. The HR Consultant and the Economic and Community Development results producing personnel in the Mayor Burgess Administration were effectively forced from their positions in the Village by the Fanatical 5 Trustees. within a week of their being sworn into office.  Can you spell VINDICTIVE?  Neither can they!!

Once completely empty storefronts were transformed into gaming establishments that not only filled once vacant space, but also generated a constant revenue stream to Village Coffers through gaming revenues. And though viewed as negative businesses, Sauk Village by contrast has fewer establishments than neighboring communities such as Crete and Steger. But the Fanatical 5 Trustees were never about bringing IN revenue to begin with, as they had NO PLAN, NO CLUE, and NO KNOWLEDGE, NO EXPERIENCE definitely, NO EXPERTISE in any of these areas.  If they had, this town would not have deteriorated to this level in 63 years!!

Their answer? FORCE a Village Administrator on the taxpayers of Sauk Village at $90,000 a year PLUS BENEFITS, and be willing to SUE THE MAYOR AND TAXPAYERS COSTING $35,000 IN LEGAL FEES TO GET ONE, to perform ALL THESE DUTIES (Impossible!) and effectively take away day to day operations from Mayor Burgess, whom the residents overwhelmingly voted for, whom for $20,000 a year PART TIME PAY was effectively holding department heads accountable, paying off outstanding debts and turning around the dismal conditions of Sauk Village.

Since being elected to office in May, 2019 the Fanatical 5 Trustees have NO ANNOUNCED PLANS to improve the obvious poor conditions or fill these key positions that were once working for the betterment of the Village. They can't answer the status of current Grants or IHDA funding, they can't tell you what's going on for Public Services nor for Economic Development because THERE IS NONE, NADA, ZILCH!!!

As for Public Services Committee Chair Bernice Brewer who has held that chair SINCE BEING ELECTED in 2017 has not held A SINGLE COMMITTEE MEETING. So getting any straight answers to why potholes continue to grow, as streetlights continue to fail, and fire "hydrates" replacements go unaddressed doesn't seem to see the numerous orange fencing holes and displaced parkways throughout the Village. Nor has Trustee Brewer addressed any of these items with Public Works SINCE BEING ELECTED TO OFFICE. But then again, she'd actually have to FORM A MEETING AND COMMITTEE in order to do that and stay off her friend Bob Murphy's Facebook page.

Now that they have "waisted" a year with their vindictive governing, the Fanatical 5 Trustees have consulted their personal taxpayer funded law firm to ask their selected Village Administrator to RESIGN, only to turn around and officially FIRE HIM in at a recent Board Meeting.  If that is not FUBAR, we don't know what is!

Covering up their own mistakes
At the Village Board Meeting Agenda held via Zoom video conferencing meeting on June 9th, 2020, the Village Board will seek another Human Resources Consultant as the Fanatical 5 Trustees hold talks to bring in yet ANOTHER Village Administrator. Recall that the Village Insurance Carrier MANDATED an HR person be brought into the Village back in 2015 to stem the ever increasing lawsuits brought on the Village through its haphazard hiring and firing practices, and its treatment of its employees at the unqualified hands of the then Hanks Administration. Realizing it is repeating the mistakes of years past, the Fanatical 5 Trustees must now re-adhere to the mandates put in place by the Village's insurance carrier.