DEBBIE WILLIAMS CREATES HOSTILITY- Hurting Sauk Village

Debbie Williams Creates Hostility: Passive Aggressive, Always the Victim

Debbie Williams

Just who is this Trustee 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 indicate all to the contrary.  The acronym she touts is “P.E.A.C.E.” but what 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 going about town slandering the Mayor’s name, giving her opinion about his ability to run the Village and telling people why she should be 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, a mere 4.6% of the electorate in 2019, surely confirms this.  Even so, a win, no matter how sorry, was good enough in Debbie’s book.  Well, hopefully we can give you some food for thought before you repeat this fatal mistake yet a third time and endanger the survival of our Village.

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

 

Debbie Williams coming off a stinging defeat in 2017 lost her $17,000 per year job as Village Clerk, an income she had come to rely on.  But Debbie Williams, like a feral cat with 9 lives  living on Shirley Avenue dodging loose pitbulls,  ever the resourceful and self-preservationist, landed a politically connected job as deputy clerk.  Her stock really began to rise as did her bank account as she was now earning $52,000 per year, the most she has ever made in life.  Even so, she managed not to keep her job long claiming, “I have resigned under duress due to the hostile work environment”.  It seems everywhere Debbie Williams lands becomes a “hostile work environment”.  The truth is Debbie Williams is no stranger to “hostile work environments”, in fact many Sauk Village former employees in previous administrations of Lewis Towers and David Hanks claimed that Debbie Williams herself made Village Hall a “hostile work environment”.  In fact many employees in Village Hall are under that same "hostility" that she and her coalition bring today.  One former employee even noted that Debbie Williams brought with her and her friends a "hostile work environment" to Village Hall after the 2019 election.  Some former employees have even filed suits and complaints citing this very fact and made claims that Debbie Williams used racial slurs against them. 

 

Come clean Debbie!  Truth is Debbie Williams did not “resign” from her position as Calumet City’s Deputy Clerk; she, in fact, was probably given an ultimatum to resign or be fired on June 21, 2018. Reading between the lines, it appears one could deduce she got into a heated discussion with her boss which precipitated her actions.  In the professional arena, an immediate resignation without a courteous two week prior notification, usually indicates a firing was imminent or in fact already occurred.   Forever, the spin master, Debbie’s resignation letter even stated, “I have enjoyed my time in Calumet City…”  Well, if that were true, then the work environment could not have been “hostile” unless you were the creator of the hostility.  But readers we want you to draw your own conclusion on that,  these are the facts.   

 

So poor Debbie, always and forever the victim, found herself not only voted out as Village Clerk in Sauk Village in 2017, had now been tossed out of the highest paying job she ever landed.   Debbie Williams wanted revenge and she wanted revenge against Sauk Village and those who delivered that defeat.  So Debbie Williams scours the “ole” guard residents to find others who had an axe to grind with their perceived “enemy” to run for Trustees in 2019.  

 

Sherry Jasinski

She found a willing accomplice in Sherry Jasinski who was let go by the Village Board of Trustees at that time after they made a financial decision to consolidate her position in 2018.  Jasinski had 13 months to show she could do her job under Mayor Derrick Burgess and the Trustees at that time (Jaskinski began working for Sauk Village on April 15, 1998 and was given the position as Director in 2006 while her step-father sat on the Village Board of Trustees at that time).  Jasinski, who was the department head for Community Development (which included Code Enforcement and the Building Department) was the primary individual responsible for the decline in the Village’s housing standards from 2008 to 2018.  (If you take a look around town and see homes boarded up, burned out, vacant and abandoned, you can ask “what did Sherry Jasinski do to help the Village when she was in charge of Code Enforcement and the Building Department for a decade of decline? Not a single grant was written in her tenure as department head, and she is rumored to have colluded with slumlords to keep the standards and values low- more on this later)

 

Gary Bell

The final piece to this political puzzle rounding out their non-diverse, all-white slate, Gary Bell, another “scorned” cast off from the Sauk Village Fire Department who allegedly sustained an injury while serving on the department and was being blocked by the former and late Fire Chief from re-joining the Department.  Bell quit his full-time job as a janitor and apparently became “disabled” due to that alleged injury.  After getting his little settlement monies from his injury, Bell took his money bought him a new car and left Sauk Village; only to return a couple years later.  Bell found himself outside looking in pinning for the days of yesteryear.  So the “scorned” slate of candidates was now complete and ready to take their vengeance against "those people" in Sauk Village and to shut down the progress Mayor Burgess had begun to make in Sauk Village.  (More on Gary Bell, his "disability" and racist rants a little later)

 

 

Both Jasinski and Bell had a small handful of "friends" who supported their misguided way of thinking who bought into their scam and con of "making Sauk Village great again" and bringing the Village back to the “good ole boys” days.  Of course Debbie Williams ever the opportunist latched her wagon on to anything and anyone she could, including the very "friends" that could not stand the sight of her just two years earlier.   They needed to work to get black votes to and could not do that with an all-white slate, so she found another willing accomplice they could use and exploit for their own benefit in failed perennial candidate and ex-Trustee Lynda Allen Washington-House. 

 

Lynda Washington-House

Debbie Williams used Washington-House to give the trio of candidates an African American face they could latch onto and put her picture up on their billboard to give them an appearance of a ‘diverse slate’.  Lynda Washington may as well have put on the billboard “Pick THREE just not me” as her entire election effort worked to help them win their election as she came in dead last, again.  No telling Washington-House would want to put her picture up on a billboard with a racist man like Gary Bell who called Sauk Village a “Golden Ghetto” and demeaned black residents for walking at Village Hall. He also uses other colorful racial slurs to define African-Americans when he is around “his own kind”.  Never-the-less, Washington-House tied herself to them.      

 

Stay tuned to our 4th in a series as we continue the history lesson about Debbie Williams and how she is hurting Sauk Village.  

 

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.

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".  

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. 

SAUK VILLAGE FINANCIAL MESS - You can't pay? Village wants to charge more!

This is the seventh in a series of revelations of the 2014-15 Audit Report.  The Village was delinquent in filing their audit with the Illinois Comptroller (due December 26, 2015).  The Audit report (see attached link at the end of this report) reveals the status quo with the Village finances continues with 3 years into David Hanks’ Administration.

SAUK VILLAGE |  When it comes to the finances of the Village clearly there has been a lack of attention to detail, especially when it comes to investment, assets and the Village’s public utility.  At last night’s Village Board meeting David Hanks’ political lackey and Village Administrator J.W. Fairman recommended raising the reconnection fee for water when the Village shuts the water off due to nonpayment.   The reconnection fee currently is $25 if paid before 3pm or $75 if paid after 3pm according to Community Development Director Sherry Jasinski.  Fairman wants to raise this to $250.  “When people cannot afford their water bill in the first place, how in the hell can they afford an additional $250 to have it turned back on” Trustee Derrick Burgess said following the meeting.

With all that said, the Village seems to have its own problems managing the water fund receivables according to the Village’s audit management letter.  The following is an excerpt of that letter:

17.   Outstanding Utility Bills (Repeated from Prior Year)

We noted that various residents have long-outstanding unpaid utility bills, and that receivable balances are escalating.  We recommend that the Village review its policies and procedures with regard to the collection of utility receivables.  Implementing these policies and procedures on a timely basis could improve cash flow.

(Editorial Note:  Is increasing the water reconnect fee a way we have reviewed the policies and procedures regarding collections?  If people could not afford to pay their outstanding debts and the village allowed them to accumulate a “high balance” then logically, they need to work out arrangements with the user.)

16.   Capital Asset Capitalization Policy (Repeated from Prior Year)

The Village does not have a formal written capitalization policy.  We suggest that the Village develop, and the Board approve a form written capitalization policy.

(Editorial Note:  Really?  This is a repeated finding by the Auditors!  Way to take care of the Village’s Assets!)

18.   Investment Policy

The Village’s investment policy does not address interest rate risk, credit risk, concentration of credit risk, and custodial credit risk. We recommend that the Village update its investment policy to include, at a minimum, the foregoing risk considerations.

An expert on Illinois Municipal Finance, intimately familiar with Sauk Village’s financial history reviewed the Village’s audit and management letter and stated the following:   “I don't believe any of these are just normal issues.  In a well run environment, none of these issues should occur.  There should always be a system of "double-check" in order to eliminate any possibility of wrongdoing.  We have many of these safeguards in place to prevent fraud and provide transparency with taxpayer’s money.   What I don't get is the lack of attention being paid to account receivables.  What exactly does everyone working at Village Hall do?  Why is it that the Finance Director has no backup from existing staff? What does this so called Village Administrator or the Mayor do? (by the way the Finance Director  seems to have a lot of authority according to this report)?  This report is pathetic!”

Illinois Attorney General reviewing Travelgate Determination due September 8th

L to R: Rosie Williams and mother Village Clerk Debbie

Williams during a meeting at Village Hall with their

32oz McDonalds drinks... Have you had a break today?

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  The Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office issued a letter late Friday (July 25, 2014) stating the following:

"This letter is to advise you that pursuant to section 9.5(f) of the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/9.5(f) (West 2012), the Public Access Counselor in the Office of the Attorney General is extending the time period within which to determine whether to issue a binding opinion by 30 business days, to September 8, 2014.  We are extending the time for the issuance of a binding opinion to allow this office sufficient time to conduct a thorough review of the legal issues in this matter...."

The letter was also sent to Sherry Jasinski the Village's Freedom of Information Act Clerk and one of the Village's Attorney Sarah Gallagher who once worked in the Attorney General's office.

We filed with the Village a Freedom of Information Act requesting all information about Village Clerk Debbie Williams and her daughter Rosie Williams' trip to Washington D.C. to attend a Summit meeting in July, 2013, including the individuals who helped fund this "personal trip".  The Village refused to provide any information and did not provide any reason for the legal basis of their denial. 

Since the Village did not comply with the law, we filed a Request for Review with the Illinois Attorney General's office in September, 2013.  In March, 2014 the Illinois Attorney General's office issued a "non-binding" determination (CLICK HERE TO VIEW IAG's DETERMINATION LETTER).  We afforded the village a two week period in order to send information and none was provided.

Since the Village refused to provide the information, we filed another FIOA request with the Village in April, 2014.  The Village, through the Village Attorney's office, refused the request but did not provide a legal basis for the denial and claimed one part was "burdensome".  We provided the Village with response to limit the scope to make the request less burdensome and the village failed to respond.  As a result we filed with the Illinois Attorney General's office another Request for Review and asked for a determination since the Village did not comply with the previously issued "non-binding" determination and a subsequent request.

The Attorney General's office sent the Village a letter stating they wanted to know the legal basis as to why they refused to comply with their non-binding determination and provide all of the information to us.  The Village refused to make a formal response to the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

HOUSING COMMISSIONER HOLCOMB UNDER FIRE FOR HIS ACTIONS

HOLCOMB LEFT WITH DAVID HANKS
ELECTION NIGHT 2013

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Sauk Village Housing Commission Chairperson Gary Holcomb crossed the line said resident Leannette Scott who complained about her personal identity articles being publicly published by the Sauk Village Housing Commission Chairman.

According to Holcomb’s Facebook pages, on May 7^th, and his report to the Mayor and Board of Trustees on May 13^th, Holcomb and some of his Housing Commissioners volunteered to clean up a private lot at 22200 block of Yates Avenue.  This long abandoned and neglected home had been the location of illegal dumping for the past two years or more according to neighbors and was abandoned since 2011 according to Holcomb’s report.  This eyesore was consistently brought to light by neighbors and social media posts in an attempt, some claim, to shame the Village into action;  However, their lack of response resulted in only more garbage and debris being added to an already overwhelming amount. 

 

In what some call Holcomb’s “zeal” to make sure the residents of Sauk Village as well as the “perpetrators” can know that his Commission means business, Holcomb appears to have taken it upon himself to post a copy of the alleged “violators’ ” state identification card and her son’s social security card that he found in the massive amount of debris on two social media pages that he controls.  Neither of these documents had been redacted to “protect” the sensitive information from the public according to photos provided to us for this story.

Ms. Scott explained that she is in fact a victim of a crime; “I had my house broken into about a year ago and they ransacked it.  They destroyed my house and took my television and kids games and papers from my home.  Now this man (Holcomb) has stolen our identification and put it out on the internet for any criminal to use.  I feel so violated.”    

 

HOLCOMB holding a sign
stating "No Confidence"
"Reap What you Sow"
Protesting former Mayor
Lewis Towers

Asked how did she suppose her personal information got in the neighbor’s yard?  “Do they really think that I would throw a copy of my personal identification and my son’s Social Security Card out in the trash?  If I did, I have my own garbage can I would have used.  I pay my (water) bill” Scott said.  So how did her identification and her son’s Social Security card get in a heap of garbage next door?  Scott speculates that when her home was broken into, the perpetrator(s) may have dumped what they didn’t want next door with the rest of the garbage accumulating there.  Garbage was close and it was easy. “This man is supposed to be working for our Village, he’s a Commissioner and he did this?” Ms. Scott said. 

Asked if she thought Holcomb should resign for what he did?  “Yes, this was just wrong” Ms. Scott said.  “He doesn’t need to be over the Housing Commission.  He comes to your house he’s rude.   He’s going to tell me what he’s going to do.  The Village, I don’t know, they just need to get it together”  Scott said. 

Ms. Scott came to the Village Board Meeting Tuesday night to address her concerns to Mayor David Hanks.  Ms. Scott explained that she had been warned by Sherry  Jasinski, head of the Village’s Code Enforcement Department, that she was going to be issued a citation for dumping garbage on the vacant property.   “You need to get your kids and go clean up the property” Scott said she was told by Jasinski. “ I’m not going to get my kids and do anything” Ms. Scott said.  “The Village also said they were giving me and my landlord a $500 ticket for illegally dumping. I guess I get to pay for the criminals who broke into my home and stole my personal information and apparently dumped it next door.’   Hanks’ gave his standard response, “I’ll have to check into that”.  Attempts to reach Jasinski for comment this morning were unsuccessful she was not in the office when I'd called and the individual was having problems putting me through to her voicemail.

Ms. Scott said that she has filed a police report with the Village of Sauk Village Police Department and that she has also filed a report with the Cook County State Attorney’s office in Markham.  “Charges are not currently filed”, said Steve Campbell, a spokesperson for the State Attorney’s office. Ms. Scott has not yet determined if she will also file a civil complaint against both Holcomb and the Village of Sauk Village.

“She (Scott) never had talked to me she talked to the Police” Holcomb said.  Holcomb also said that Jasinski and another Code Enforcement officer had taken the photographs, but didn't elaborate on how he came in custody of the photographs.    "Her son told us that he threw the garbage in the yard” Holcomb claims.  “She (Scott) never asked for her I.D.’s back” Holcomb claims.  “Once this information is in the trash it’s public property” Holcomb contends.  Some believe that doesn’t make the actions of what Holcomb did right or ethical as a Housing Commissioner.  One resident said toward the end of the meeting “so if you get your house robbed and they steal things, is it ok to take pictures of your Social Security card and driver’s license and say look what I found”.  When questioned about this violation of privacy, Holcomb, unapologetically, removed his post as of Monday night according to his Facebook posts.   “The ID’s have been removed out of respect for the mother’s request”, he quips but continues with, “by law it was public knowledge once it was disposed of in the manner that it was placed” Holcomb said on his page.

“The Sauk Village police asked me to take down the post” Holcomb said.