The recently seated Homer Glen Village Board majority cited a lack of confidence in the village’s legal counsel Wednesday, voting to hire another law firm to advise trustees.
The new legal adviser does not replace the existing village attorney, Eric Hanson, and his law firm, Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, but is an additional position.
The board voted 5-2 to create the new position and hire Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath, Ltd. at a rate of $185 per hour.
Odelson and Sterk also represents Homer Township and the Homer Township Road District. Recently, the township sued the Homer Glen when the village announced plans to seize control of the road district’s assets. A circuit court judge ruled in favor of the village earlier this year, and an appeal was dropped.
Former Homer Glen trustees Sharon Sweas and Keith Gray said hiring a duplicate attorney was wasteful and fiscally irresponsible. They said the People Not Politics slate, which won in April, ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility.
“If you want a personal type of attorney, then pay for it out of your own pocket and not burden the taxpayers with this nonsense and wasteful spending,” Sweas said. “This is a prime example of wasteful spending on the taxpayers’ dime, and it’s really sad to see this attitude and division on the board.”
Newly seated Trustee Jennifer Consolino, a member of the People Not Politics slate, said she feels as if the election should have ended in April, but does not believe it has.
She said the incoming board has taken a back seat to Mayor George Yukich and Trustee Beth Rodgers when trying to get legal advice.
“It is our right to have secondary legal counsel represent us on this board,” Consolino said. “Numerous municipalities already do this. We are not the only village with a board conflicted and filled with mistrust. There is no shame in admitting there is a problem and attempting to resolve it.”
Consolino said having two legal advocates to guide elected officials, follow municipal codes, Roberts Rules of Order and the village ordinances and policies will protect the village, staff and residents.
Trustee Nicole La Ha, who also ran on the People Not Politics slate, said hiring a second lawyer was comparable to getting a second opinion from a doctor or going to a specialist. She said she sees the new counsel as a “safety net.”
“No one should feel uncomfortable, unheard or misrepresented at their job ever,” La Ha said. “I did promise fiscal responsibility. Fiscal responsibility doesn’t just mean we are smart and we respect our community members’ hard earned money. It also means that we as elected officials have the discernment to put proper precautionary measures in place so big expensive mistakes are not made.”
Rodgers, who has served on the village board since 2015, said hiring a new lawyer is “completely inappropriate and lacks merit.” Having the same firm as the township is also a conflict of interest, Rodgers said.
The village previously used the Odelson and Sterk law firm and the bills were “astronomical,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers and Yukich were the only two people on the board to vote against hiring the legal adviser to the board.
Yukich said he feels the village doesn’t need two law firms.
“We’re here to run a village and make sure it’s the best it possibly can be,” Yukich said. “We don’t have problems. I don’t need two law firms.”
Yukich said the village has been well run for the last six years with no fighting and no debt.
Trustee Ruben Pazmino, who has served on the board since 2019 and supported hiring the new legal counsel, said he feels it is the best move.
“Let’s face it, this was a very contentious campaign,” he said.
