Call it revenge, retaliation or merely a redistribution of work, but Lake in the Hills Village President Tina Thornrose mustered enough support from trustees to do a little bloodletting at Village Hall.
Thornrose and three trustees chopped Village Clerk Joyce Arient’s duties and salary by more than half last week. Thornrose cast the tie-breaking vote that separated the position of Village Collector from the clerk’s duties, an action that cut Arient’s annual compensation to $5,200. Arient was paid $11.30 per hour for her service as collector, a rate that amounted to $200-$300 a week, Arient said.
Revenge sparked the push for a separation of powers, according to Arient.
“What happened was political retaliation because I turned her in for falsely signing referendum pages,” Arient said. “I would have done it with anyone, had I seen what I saw.”
Arient raised election fraud allegations against Thornrose in 1993. Thornrose was indicted on six felony counts of perjury, but in a plea bargain pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of disobeying the election code. She was fined $750, sentenced to 18 months of probation and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.
Thornrose and Arient’s relationship has been acrimonious at best since both were elected in April 1993. The most recent election eliminated two of Thornrose’s most vocal political foes, Trustees Helen Jost and Ron Sloan. They were replaced by newly seated trustees Jim Kennedy and Mike Meyer, Thornrose’s fiance.
Thornrose previously stated her belief that the revised board of trustees would give her the support needed to pass legislation and make changes. Meyer, along with Trustees Michael Krech and Scott Berg, sided with Thornrose in the move to cut Arient’s responsibilities.
“I suggest every employee watch their back, because she has an agenda,” Arient said. “She’s obviously got control of the board.”
Thornrose steadfastly proclaimed her innocence throughout nearly two years of legal wrangling and last week continued to characterize the charges against her as trivial. “All I had done was to cross out some print,” Thornrose said.
Thornrose did not hesitate to question Arient’s job performance and the motivation of the three trustees who voted against separating the clerk and collector positions.
“I think friendships cloud people’s judgment,” Thornrose said in response to the split vote. “There was a real problem with the job duties and (Arient’s) performance was unclear.”
Thornrose also commented, “I think that a great number of people in this building have been horribly cruel to me.”
Several high-ranking employees have also left Village Hall under Thornrose’s administration, although Arient said she will continue as clerk despite the board’s action.
Village Treasurer Wendy Larson tendered her resignation May 15 after serving six years. Acting Village Administrator Tim Savage left April 5 in the wake of what has been described as a turbulent relationship with Thornrose. Thornrose attempted to terminate Savage for insubordination shortly after her election in 1993.
Savage’s predecessor, Milton Faurot, and former Finance Director Russ Knockels left in 1993. Former Public Works Director Dave Gregoria stepped down in early 1994 to accept a lesser position with the village’s water department. Receptionist Euella Petway quit in late May and left trustees with a letter spelling out the problems that she says are prompting the exodus out of Lake in the Hills.
Trustees Thursday voted to hire a deputy collector, replacement receptionist and a building department secretary.
The collector will be paid $9 per hour.
Replacements for the positions of administrator and treasurer have not been chosen, prompting some trustees to speculate that the problems at Village Hall could worsen with Arient effectively out of the daily loop.
“It’s certainly not going to help things,” said Trustee Tom Swan. “We’ve already got several vacancies from people leaving.”
