Voters in the small village of Hazel Crest (population 14,075) have a big question to decide about the village’s future in next month’s election.
Actually, two big questions.
Amid a backdrop of past conflict between administrators and elected officials, and a history of fighting between political factions, Hazel Crest voters will find two referendum questions on the March 15 ballot.
The first question asks, “Shall the Village of Hazel Crest retain the managerial form of municipal government?”
The second asks, “Shall the Village of Hazel Crest adopt the strong mayor form of municipal government?”
Some, like former village manager Marlo Kemp, believe voters should say “Yes” to the first question and “No” to the second one. They say the Village Board is elected to set policy and select a village manager who administers day-to-day affairs, such as supervising employees and conducting routine business with contractors.
“I believe (Village President Vernard Alsberry’s) goal is to get administrative control of the village,” Kemp told the Southtown. “He wants control over the everyday business operations of the village.”
Alsberry became Hazel Crest’s top elected official in 2013 by defeating former Village President Robert Donaldson with 1,374 votes to 1,270. He says he favors an “administrative” form of government where management is collaboratively shared between an appointed administrator and the elected board.
“My first two years in office turned me against the managerial form,” Alsberry told the Southtown. “It was a rough couple of years.”
On his personal campaign website, Alsberry states, “I am urging all residents to vote ‘NO’ on both options.”
Hazel Crest resident McStephen “Max” Solomon is an attorney for the group Citizens for Hazel Crest, which successfully petitioned to have both questions placed on the ballots. Solomon urges Hazel Crest voters to say “No” to the first question and “Yes” to the second.
“It’s up to voters to decide if they want change,” Solomon told the Southtown. “Right now we have a village manager who is not directly accountable to voters.”
Following the 2013 election, Alsberry took office on the short end of a 4-3 board majority. Alsberry says he opposes the first question because the managerial form of municipal government concentrates too much power in one individual and “could leave the village very vulnerable with the wrong individual in charge.”
When he took office three years ago, Alsberry asked Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart to look into double-digit pay increases awarded to former village manager James Whigham, Sr., and two other employees. The raises were part of a budget the Village Board approved by a 4-3 vote, though a Tribune investigation at the time found the budget did not explicitly detail the salary increases.
Whigham left the village manager’s position at the end of February 2014 and was replaced shortly thereafter by Kemp, whom Whigham had brought aboard as the village’s chief financial officer. Kemp served until he was placed on administrative leave on May 1, 2015, and then fired by the village on June 10 last year.
“When I was village manager I thought there were several times when (Alsberry) was trying to overstep his bounds,” Kemp said. “It was my contention that the administrative side belonged to the village manager.”
When Kemp was fired, the village also sued to have the severance provisions of Kemp’s contract voided, but lost its court fight. An arbitrator is set to hear Kemp’s dispute with the village over his compensation on Feb. 16. At stake is about $500,000 in compensation Kemp says he is owed, according to the terms of his contract.
In last year’s Village Board elections, Alsberry and his supporters took control of the board with a 6-1 majority. Three trustees were elected by each garnering about 1,000 votes, or 17 percent, compared to incumbents who each finished with about 900 votes, or 14 percent.
The political scene in Hazel Crest has long been volatile, Solomon says.
“It’s no secret that in Hazel Crest there have always been factions and camps,” Solomon said. “The village can do better.”
The strong mayor form of government would be more fair to residents since aldermen would represent specific areas of the village, instead of all trustees being elected at-large, Solomon says.
Alsberry contends the mayoral form of government would be more costly to Hazel Crest taxpayers because voters would have to elect a treasurer and pay to staff that office.
One thing is clear: Hazel Crest could do a better job informing residents of the referendums. Hazel Crest’s official newsletter, The Villager, published confusing information about the questions in its January/February issue.
For starters, the Villager reported, “The first referendum asks residents whether the Village of Hazel Crest should eliminate the ‘Managerial Form’ of government.” In fact, the question on official Cook County ballots uses the word “retain,” generally considered the opposite of “eliminate.”
The Villager goes on to say about the second referendum, “The Strong Mayor form of government enlarges government size and cost by requiring the creation of at least 8 to 20 Wards with an Alderman to be elected in each of the 8 to 20 new Hazel Crest Wards.”
Actually, the Illinois Municipal Code states towns of less than 25,000 residents shall have eight aldermen and half as many wards, or four.
When asked who is responsible for the information in the Villager newsletter, Alsberry said “We all kind of put it together.” He said the description of the first question captured the spirit of the issue, and that the actual word choices were not all that important.
As for the second question, about the range of eight to 20 wards instead of four, Alsberry said that was a generic description of the population-based method of determining the number of wards and not meant to describe Hazel Crest’s situation.
Alsberry said he did his best to clear up any confusion about the referendums during a town hall meeting with about 100 residents Saturday at Village Hall. He says Village Attorney John Murphey answered good questions from residents, such as what would happen if a majority of voters says “Yes” to both questions.
“If that happens, the vote for the strong mayor overrules” the affirmative vote to retain the village manager, Alsberry said.
Hazel Crest is now paying its fourth different village manager in the past two years. After firing Kemp, former Orland Hills administrator John Daly was brought on board as interim manager. The current village manager is Donna Gayden, former manager of Glenwood.
“We’re doing wonderful now,” Alsberry said.
Hazel Crest voters will decide on March 15 whether they agree with Alsberry’s assessment. I just hope they understand the questions and what the outcomes will mean for the future of the village.
Twitter: @tedslowik
