Northbrook has a new village clerk with the Dec. 1 retirement of Debra J. Ford. Ford held the elected office of village clerk and also was the salaried director of administrative services at Northbrook Village Hall.
Former Northbrook Village Trustee A.C. Buehler will finish Ford’s village clerk unexpired term through April 2025 on a volunteer basis. The clerk has been unpaid for an unconfirmed number of years, according to the village.
But that may change when the village clerk’s term ends in 2025, said Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla at the Nov. 28 Board of Trustees meeting.
“What has happened for three generations of village clerks, is that the person who’s been village clerk has also been a member of the village staff, so those positions were combined,” Ciesla said. “But as times change, that is not going to occur anymore.
“So at some point in the future,” Ciesla said, “you are likely to see a resolution on our agenda which would approve pay for a village clerk to match the pay of a village trustee but that won’t come into effect until the next elected term.”
A village trustee’s annual stipend is $5,800. The desired village clerk elected officeholder has been slated and popularly endorsed by the Northbrook Caucus.
Buehler served on the Village’s Plan Commission from 1988 to 1995 and was elected to serve on the Village Board six times from 1995 until 2019. Buehler serves on the Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals plus the Pedestrian and Bicycle Commission.
Buehler was not seen at the Nov. 28 meeting as the last official Board of Trustees meeting for Ford. Ford will be recognized at the Dec. 12 board meeting.
In a statement from the village, Buehler said, ‘I like serving the village and have had a connection to village government in some way most of my life.
“I am always willing to serve in any capacity I am asked to do, and I am excited to now serve as village clerk,” Buehler said.
Village Hall confirmed that, “It is not anticipated that A.C. Buehler is seeking employment with the village at this time or in the future.
“The village manager (currently Cara Pavlicek) is responsible for the hiring of all village employees.”
According to the village website at https://www.northbrook.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/6151/Employee-Compensation-FY-23-24, Ford had an annual salary of $175,434.41, a $6,000 vehicle allowance, $10,295.52 in health insurance, 12 annual accrual sick days plus 24 annual accrual vacation days.
Pavlicek’s office noted, “The village manager is independently reviewing the organizational structure in the village manager’s office and will post position vacancies for application for employment on the village website.”
Pavlicek’s office indicated that Ford’s dual positions were, “distinct.”
Ford was hired as a village employee on Feb. 2, 2000 and while employed, was elected village clerk in the April 5, 2005 consolidated election and sworn into office on May 2, 2005. Lona Louis was village clerk until that term end in April 2005.
On July 25,1987, Louis, who began working for Northbrook village administration in 1981, was appointed by the village president to fill the unexpired village clerk term when Sandra Kent retired.
In 1989, Louis ran for village clerk and was elected for four consecutive four-year terms. In June 2003, Louis retired as Village Hall full-time staff but completed the remaining village clerk elected term (to April 2005) unlike Ford.
Pavlicek’s office indicated, “Statute dictates that the village president presents the name of a village clerk appointee for consent of the village board but there are no other requirements for the appointment process.
“It is up to the village president to put forward a qualified resident to fill an unexpired term of elected office.”
The board approved Ciesla’s appointment of Buehler on Nov. 28 and Buehler was sworn into office on Dec. 1. By April 2025, residents should know if the next Northbrook elected village clerk can have “combined” (as Ciesla stated) statuses of also being a village employee.
Time will tell if future legalese or village employee policy language will be updated to possibly encourage newcomers to confidently run for village clerk.
Critics have alleged conflicts of interest and the appearance of exclusivity or favoritism for past village clerk elected roles held by village employees with lucrative salary packages.
“We’ll see what happens,” a village hall spokesperson indicated on Dec. 1, adding what happened in the past with previous administrations is the past.
Ciesla also has the authority to name a new village trustee to replace outgoing Village Trustee Muriel Collison in a position Collison vacates on Dec. 11.
What is different about Collison’s replacement is that the trustee vacancy was posted on the village website in an open call for qualified applicants. Trustee applications closed on Nov. 28.
Ciesla explained in a statement to Pioneer Press why Ford’s village clerk vacancy was not publicly posted for applicants and why Collison’s trustee vacancy was.
“Given the vacancy left by Trustee Collison’s resignation, I believe the current circumstances warranted posting the position,” Ciesla said. “A trustee sets policy, whereas the village clerk does not.
“Our clerk, who is not currently paid for that role, has limited duties.
“The roles and responsibilities are distinct, and at this time, having differing approaches makes the most sense,” Ciesla said.
Collison was recognized at the Nov. 28 board meeting for six years of village board service and received a green framed resolution plus a hall lobby reception featuring a festive customized cake.
A tearful Collison, having access to a box of tissues on the boardroom dais, is leaving for personal reasons.
“So I already cried, like, already four times today,” Collison said at the Nov. 28 meeting. “It’s hard when you’re not ready to go.
“With what’s going on in my family, I just feel very honored and supported by this community and I’m very grateful for that.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
