CONTROVERSIAL CANDIDATE DEBBIE WILLIAMS FACES CHALLENGES

CHECK PAYABLE TO DEBRA WILLIAMS

Copy of Exhibit from Anderson v Williams

obtained from FOIA and Illinois Attorney General

Binding Opinion

PETITION CHALLENGER SAYS PROCESS IS RIGGED

SAUK VILLAGE |  The incumbent Village Clerk Debra Williams faces a formal challenge being filed by former Village Trustee Francine Anderson against Debra Williams's name being certified to be placed on the April, 2017 ballot.

Anderson states in her 33 page objection, among several other matters, that Williams accepted a check for $500.00 from the Village's Attorney Odelson and Sterk for her trip to Washington DC. for the Building One America Summit which began the "Travelgate" scandal.  Anderson contends that since the Office of the Illinois Attorney General  determined that the trip was in her "official capacity as Village Clerk" that the money should have been rightfully deposited with the Village and consequently, Williams owes the money to the Village.  Anderson cites the Illinois law and Illinois Supreme Court ruling stating that a person cannot be a candidate for office if that person owes the Municipality money.

Anderson also objects to certain notaries on the petitions filed by Williams as Williams notarized some of her own petitions as did another notary who signed Williams's petitions a violation of State law according to Anderson.  Anderson claims in her objection that this would leave Williams without the requisite number of signatures to have her name as a candidate for Village Clerk and she should not be certified for the ballot.

Williams, who could not afford to pay for the trip to Washington DC on her own dime in 2013, has  apparently hired a high profile downtown Chicago attorney to defend her to keep her on the ballot.  Anderson is stating that there is a blatant show of conflict of interest in the Electoral Board process if they should allow Clerk Williams' daughter, Trustee and now Mayoral Candidate Rosie Williams to continue to be a part of the Electoral Board process with charges against her mother.  Anderson filed a motion to recuse or exclude Rosie Williams from the Electoral Board and Debbie Williams is fighting that challenge as well.

"At what point do you say that this entire process is rigged" asks Anderson?  "When you have the daughter sitting in judgment over her mother, you know which way that is going to go", Anderson said.

Williams's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the entire matter at last week's hearing and Anderson expects that the Electoral Board will likely vote to dismiss the matter.  "Well, when you have an electoral board that is clearly biased, the results are a foregone conclusion" Anderson said.

"We will immediately appeal the electoral board's decision if they vote to dismiss the matter.  Rosie knows better, but this goes to show you what kind of ethics that this family has", Anderson said. 

The matter is being presented before the Village's Electoral Board at 6pm tonight at Village Hall.  The Electoral Board is comprised of David Hanks, Rosie Williams and Trustee Derrick Burgess who will also act as the "temporary clerk" during the proceedings since Clerk Debbie Williams is the subject of the challenge. 

Marva Campbell-Pruitt

While Williams may be on the April ballot, she will face a formidable candidate and the outcome of the election is anything but certain.  Marva Campbell-Pruitt has filed proper nomination petitions for Village Clerk and will challenge Williams one-on-one this April.   Pruitt did not challenge the validity of Williams' nomination petitions; however, she does intend on beating her at the ballot box.  Williams failed to gain 50% in a crowded field of candidates in 2013 but won a majority of the votes cast for her re-election bid.  Pruitt believes that the residents have "Williams fatigue" and are ready for change and to restore faith and trust in the office of Village Clerk.

Pruitt is running as an independent candidate for Village Clerk and said she is ready to restore confidence in the office of Village Clerk once more.  Pruitt plans on running a "progressive" and grass roots campaign for Village Clerk.

Pruitt currently serves as Vice President of School District 168 and revitalized the Village's current Beautification Committee in 2009 bringing back the time-honored "Hootsie Award" and annual village-wide clean up campaign. 

CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

CLICK LINK TO READ BINDING OPINION ISSUED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL

GRANT REINSTATED FIRST ON BALLOT FOR TRUSTEE

RODRICK R. GRANT

Independent Candidate

Village Trustee

SAUK VILLAGE |  Village Trustee candidate Rodrick Grant has been restored to his first position on the April, 2017 ballot following an unprecedented election blunder by Village Clerk Debra Williams.

Grant's name was originally drawn from among the candidates who filed at 8am on the first day to file nomination petitions by Williams.  Williams failed to pull the remaining three candidates names to determine the ballot position instead held an unprecedented "do over" later that day re-pulling for first ballot position.

Grant filed a formal objection and complaint with the office of the Village Clerk and Cook County Clerk David Orr's office demanding that he be put back in first ballot position again and then the remaining three positions.

Earlier Tuesday Williams, for reasons unknown but certainly after consulting with the Village's attorney, reinstated Grant to his original first ballot position according to another candidate. 

Marva Campbell-Pruitt, who is opposing Williams for Village Clerk said she will "get it right the first year" she is in office.  "It will not take two terms" Pruitt said.  Pruitt blasted Williams for costing taxpayers money in attorney fees for not knowing her job.  "We must find a way to conduct our own investigations without paying attorneys to tell us how to do our jobs" Pruitt said.

Grant's name will appear first for the office of Village Trustee as an independent candidate.  Bernice Brewer-Houston, Independent Candidate will appear next followed by the former Village Clerk and now Independent Candidate Beth Zupon third.  The remaining candidates will follow.  The seats of Rosie Williams and Lynda Washington will be open as they are not running for Village Trustee in April.

Williams confirmed she will certify the ballot with Grant's name being first on the ballot for Village Trustee according to Grant Tuesday night.

"I'm very pleased that we were able to resolve this without having to seek other relief.  We only wanted what was fair and what was originally done according to the law" Grant said.

Grant is 27 years old and is youngest candidate seeking election and should he be elected as Trustee in April, 2017, Grant would be only the 7th youngest in Village history.

WILLIAMS CANDIDACY CHALLENGED

TRAVELGATE SCANDAL COULD KEEP WILLIAMS OFF BALLOT

SAUK VILLAGE |  Shades of Travelgate, the so-called “personal trip” that Debra Williams and her daughter Trustee Rosie Williams took to a Building One America Summit in July, 2013, continue to plague the Village Clerk.  

Former Village Trustee Francine Anderson filed a formal objection to Debra Williams’s candidacy for Village Clerk claiming that she in fact owes the Village money from the trip.  Anderson in her objection claims that Williams solicited “donations and sponsorships” in her official capacity as Village Clerk.  That Williams accepted a check for $500 from a village vendor and provides a copy of the check to support her claim.  Anderson claims that Williams did not deposit the money into the village’s account, as required under law, therefore, owes the Village said money.  Under Illinois law, a person cannot be in arrears on any debt or owe money to a municipality and be eligible to run for office.  Anderson cites case law to support this claim in her objection.

To support Anderson’s claim, she included a copy of the Binding Opinion issued against Williams by the Illinois Attorney General stating Williams “acted in her official capacity as Village Clerk…” during the solicitation of funds for the Building One America Summit.

Anderson lists other objections to Williams’s candidacy along with several exhibits to support her claims.  Williams apparently notarized her own petitions, which Anderson cites that under Illinois law, that a Notary Public cannot notarize any document to which they are a party to within the document.

Attempts to reach Anderson for comment were unsuccessful; however, she did provide a copy of her 33 page objection to the Sauk Villager.

The objection further asks the electoral board for the recusal of certain members from serving on the board including the Village Attorney, David Hanks, Debbie Williams, her daughter Rosie Williams, Trustees Derrick Burgess, Lynda Washinton and Edward Myers for various reasons and conflicts of interest.  Typically Electoral Boards are not to have any conflicts of interest in the matter which they are to decide.  The Mayor, Village Clerk and the senior most Trustee which would be the daughter of Debra Williams, Rosie Williams, would serve on the Board.  Anderson claims all three have a direct conflict of interest in rendering a decision in the matter.  Anderson claims that Rosie Williams was a participant in the Building One America trip and that Debra Williams is her mother. 

Williams was first elected in 2009 as Village Clerk and ran with former mayor Lewis Towers.  Williams is being challenged for Village Clerk by Marva Campbell-Pruitt, who currently serves as Vice President of the School Board.  Campbell-Pruitt challenged Williams in 2013 in a crowded four-way race and Williams won with less than 50% of the vote.  Campbell-Pruitt promises rebuilding faith and trust in the office of Village Clerk.  Campbell-Pruitt promises not to solicit village vendors for personal gain.

DAVID HANKS- 2016 SAUK VILLAGER PERSON OF THE YEAR

SAUK VILLAGER PERSON OF THE YEAR! This award is established to honor a person who has made a significant impact to or for the Village. Just as Time Magazine had honored Adolf Hitler and Joe Stalin in 1938 and 1939, respectively and most recently named Donald Trump for 2016 as their persons of the year, I choose David Hanks as the Sauk Villager's Person of the Year 2016. David Hanks' announcement in September to retire from politics may be the most significant single impact to the Village’s future!

This announcement was the biggest and most historic announcement of the year in Sauk Village and was cautiously and hopefully expected by many. (CLICK HERE to see Video)  (CLICK HERE- to read the story) It could be the impetus for voters to bring to an end the Village's continued political turmoil which began back in May, 2009. 

Hanks fell into the office of mayor on the heels of Lewis Towers' disgraceful resignation on November 8, 2012.  In Towers' wake, Towers left a trail of financial woe; leaving over $1,000,000 in unpaid bills in addition to a General Fund Deficit totaling over $1.2 million. Credit is to be given to the then sitting Board of Trustees who were diligent in preventing Towers from illegally using the $3 million balance in the water fund.  David Hanks and the Trustees that support him, however, have managed  to erase that $3 million reserve by voting for the same illegal usage of the water fund that they were so diligent in preventing Towers from doing.  As a result, this lame duck Mayor will likely leave office with over $1.7 million owed to the water fund, in addition to over  $1 million in unpaid bills. 

Hanks financial incompetence was further exacerbated when he appointed his staunchest trustee supporter, Rosie Williams to the position of Finance Committee Chair, after two of his Trustees loss their re-election bids in 2015.  Hanks, with the help and guidance of Trustee Rosie Williams, have been using water fund revenues to pay for expenses unrelated to water, causing an even greater fund balance deficit of nearly $1.7 million today!

The Village has been on a steady decline since 2013 because Hanks has had full control of the Board of Trustees and they have historically voted in lock step for every major decision that affects the Village. Even with Hanks' appointments of a Village Administrator, an assistant for the Administrator, his Finance Director and appointing him an assistant, with all this manpower, the village should have expected a vast improvement over its finances.  Instead, the Village's financial staus is on the brink of insolvency!

The Hanks' legacy will be marred by other questionable and scandalous events; too many and too big to mention here.

But today Hanks gets the honor of being 2016 Sauk Villager's Person of the Year for announcing he would retire from politics and more importantly, for keeping his word!

Past Honorees:
Click the links below to read those stories

2015 - Senior Pastor Rev Melody Seaton, Grace UCC

2014 - Dr. Donna Leak Superintendent 168

2013 - Derrick Burgess, Village Trustee

2012 - Alan Stoffregen, Fire Chief

2011 - Robert Chavez, Sr., Village Trustee

VILLAGE CLERK DEBBIE WILLIAMS DOES ILLEGAL "DO OVER"

SAUK VILLAGE |  Anytime there is a simultaneous filing of nomination papers for the offices of Mayor, Village Clerk and Village Trustee there is a lottery to determine ballot position.  This lottery was called in accordance with the law for 1pm Wednesday, December 28th following proper notice to the candidates and to the public of the event.

At I pm on Wednesday, December 28th, the lottery to determine candidates' positions on the ballot was held.  The offices of Mayor, Village Clerk and the first position of Trustee were duly executed according to election guidelines.  

What happened next, defied past precedence and what is established as a guideline in the Candidate’s Guide published by the State of Illinois. Village Clerk Debra Williams, after drawing Rodrick Grant’s name for the first ballot position for Village Trustee, decided to "assign" numbers for ballot positions 2 through 4.  Williams claimed that each of the candidates who filed at 8am was given a piece of paper with a number on it and that will be how they will appear on the ballot.  Trustee candidate and former Village Clerk Beth Zupon openly objected.  I don’t believe that’s right, Debbie.  You're supposed to continue drawing for as many positions as had candidates at 8 am that first filing morning,” Zupon said. .  Williams said that was the way that she understood it to be done and said she would "check" with the Village’s Attorney and if there was a problem she would “let us know”.

Williams contacted Zupon later that afternoon via telephone that she was admitted to Zupon that she had “incorrectly conducted the Trustee lottery and she wanted to "redo” the Trustee lottery at 5pm at Village Hall.  Please note that Village Hall is closed at 5pm and no public notices were posted or given.  According to Zupon she conveyed to Williams that she felt that Grant should retain the first position since his name was drawn at the earlier lottery, during her phone conversation with Williams said she agreed with Zupon.

When the candidates arrived at Village Hall at 5pm for the “do-over” lottery, for which no public notice was given nor any official notice to all candidates that were present at the 1pm lottery, Clerk Williams apparently "changed" her mind and conducted an entirely new lottery for the ballot position claiming that it was in accordance with approved Illinois State Board of Elections process.   Williams re-pulled for the first ballot position for Trustee displacing Rodrick Grant from the first ballot spot.  Grant and Zupon objected to no avail.  A candidate who filed Williams’s nomination papers was pulled for first ballot position.  

Grant indicated late Wednesday that he will file a formal objection with election authorities as he was the candidate who drew first ballot position at the legally constituted lottery drawing.

We will provide updates as they are received.

FEDERAL INVESTIGATION: HAS THE VILLAGE MISAPPROPRIATED GRANT MONEY? PAY TO PLAY?

ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL ISSUES DETERMINATION- VILLAGE VIOLATED LAW... AGAIN!

SAUK VILLAGE | The Illinois Attorney General has once again issued a determination that the Village has violated the Freedom of Information Act.

A request through the Freedom of Information Act for documents was made to the Village on May 11, 2016 for documents pertaining to a grant the Village received from the Illinois Public Risk Fund to purchase bullet proof vests for members of the Sauk Village Police Department.  We requested “all receipts, invoices, purchase order/requisitions, communication and correspondence showing the use and expenditure of these funds from said grant”.

On June, 2, 2016, the Village finally responded and furnished a one-page accounting which appeared to be an account ledger.  The Illinois Attorney General determined that the Village violated the Act because it did not respond to the request nor did it ask for additional time to complete the request as the law states.

On July 7^th the Village submitted a response to our Request for Review to the Attorney General’s office.  The Village stated that Mohan Rao, the Village’s Finance Director, is the “record keeper for grant materials”.  In the Village’s response they provided additional information that they submitted to the Attorney General in confidence and the Attorney General therefore could not provide us with copies of that confidential “information”.

Our response to the Village at that time was that the Village did not deny they received the grant and therefore it should maintain additional records related to its receipt and expenditure.

The Illinois Attorney General’s office determined that the Village violated the Freedom of Information Act because their response was “untimely” that it did not conduct a “reasonable search” for the documents we had requested. 

The Village’s official response was that the Village Finance Director “cannot locate the records, nor the specific measures the Finance Director took to search for them.”  Additionally the Illinois Attorney General stated that the confidential correspondence with the Village Attorney “does not adequately describe the scope of the search…”.  According to the Attorney General “The records related to a State grant recently received by the Village, and it appears likely that additional records exist regarding the application, award and expenditure.”

It appears that the Village has once again "lost" pertinent records regarding the details of the grant.  Accordingly we have reported this information to higher authorities.

The Illinois Attorney General had issued a rare binding opinion ordering the Village of Sauk Village to turn over “all documents” we requested with respect to Village Clerk Debbie Williams and her daughter Rosie Williams’ “personal trip” to Washington DC, which we have referred to as the Travelgate Scandal. ***CLICK HERE TO VIEW BINDING OPINION*** The Williams duo had used the Village’s website and Village resources to solicit “donations” from Village vendors, yet the Williams duo claimed “this was a personal trip”.  Both Debbie Williams and Rosie Williams spoke at a Building One America Summit in Washington DC in July, 2013.  Village vendor Pat Couch, now a Police and Fire Commissioner was appointed shortly after the trip to the Police and Fire Pension Board which may have been a “quid pro quo” or “this for that” or more commonly referred to as “pay to play”.  After the documents were finally disclosed two years later, it revealed that Couch actually paid for the dynamic duo's, Debbie and Rosie Williams, airfare to fly to Washington DC for this “personal trip”.  Couch actually attended this conference with the Williamses.  No documents were provided showing that Debbie and Rosie Williams reimbursed Couch for her money.

The Village Administration, supported by Rosie Williams and the votes she cast, has established a pattern of blocking the public’s access to documents and overall transparency.  The Village sued the Attorney General in order to block production of the documents concerning the “Travelgate” scandal.  Hanks and the Williamses spent thousands of tax dollars in their failed attempts to block the production of these documents.  

It is only due to the persistence of information can we find the answers we seek from this administration.  The big question for Sauk Village residents is WHY? WHY CAN'T INFORMATION BE FORTHCOMING WITHOUT BEING MADE TO DO SO?

For more information on Travelgate ***CLICK HERE***

HISTORY- FIRE STRIKES AREA DURING GREAT CHICAGO FIRE

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Times were tough in the “prairie days” of Sauk Village and the region.  Before George Theobald sold off his 50 acres at the corner of Sauk Trail and what would become the Calumet Expressway.  We’re going back to the days just after the Civil War, when Sauk Village didn’t exist and it was simply a settlement of New Strassburg founded in 1839 along the Great Sauk Indian Trail.  Let’s go back to 1871. 

St. James original church, built in 1847 would have been very
similar to St. John the Evangelist Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in
St. John, Indiana (Photo- John Paul Bender)

The Michigan Central Railway (today the CN Railroad) passed through the area along farmlands of the early settlers.  There were some 50 famer homes scattered about the area.  At the time there stood St. James Catholic Church (referred to by the settlers as St. Jakobs- Germanic for St. James), the building was originally an old log cabin similar to many homes of New Strassburg’s original settlers, who moved to the area in 1839 with his family.

Now comes along the fall time of the year 1871, and a dry fall it was recalls Charles Jabob Sauter, nephew of Vincent Sauter in a 1926 with the Star Newspaper.

On the 8^th day of October, shortly after dinner a freight train going east along the Michigan Central Railroad, dropping fire on the track which very quick started the grass to burning. There was a strong south wind blowing, the fire spread rapidly, Sauter recalled and fire would burn all over the south 80 acres of the farm.  Charles Sauter owned 160 acres north and south of what is now US 30- Lincoln Highway in neighboring Ford Heights, then not even a town.

Sauter remembered that a whirlwind picked up a bunch of blazing corn stalks in James Millars' (April 12, 1826 -  Nov 26, 1877) field which was the southeast corner of present day Cottage Grove east of the present day Ford Stamping Plant.  The tinder was carried aloft by the wind, taking it along for nearly half a mile, to the stack yard in a moment everything, stacks and stabling was ablaze recalled Sauter.  The fire then rapidly made its way across an orchard, and the road where it struck James’ brother’s William Millars (June 7, 1822 – Nov 1, 1877) farm stacks and stabling destroying everything in its way, and finally dying out for the want of further material for it to work on. The farm houses were quite a distance away, which was the only thing that saved them Sauter remembered.

Coincidently, all of this was going on as word was brought to area that the whole city of Chicago was ablaze recalled Sauter.  “Oh, that was a day which has lingered long in my memory” according to Sauter.

While the Great Chicago Fire killed some 300 people and destroyed 3.3 square miles, the fire that hit the area on October 8, 1871, only burned several acres and nobody died.  But the fire never-the-less must have been pretty great to the farmers in the area.