Tully Assumes the Gavel

It was a friendly crowd gathered in the Village Council chambers Tuesday night to offer thanks, congratulations, proclamations, and gifts to outgoing Mayor Ron Sandack and retiring Commissioner Bruce Beckman and a hearty welcome to new Mayor Martin Tully and three newly sworn commissioners.

Sandack shepherded through a last ordinance, which enacted term limits for Village Council members, and with Beckman gathered accolades from his fellow commissioners before passing the gavel to Tully.

Commissioner William Waldack, who has shared an adversarial relationship with Sandack in recent years, said it was no secret he and the outgoing mayor disagreed at times—further evidenced by Waldack's lone vote against the term limits ordinance, which had been passed without the customary one-week waiting period. 

Despite their differences, Waldack wished Sandack well, noting that they’d both made  “similar political mistakes.”

“One of my political mistakes was supporting you for mayor, and you could say that one of your political mistakes was supporting me for commissioner,” he said, a comment met with laughter from around the room.

With his term as mayor complete, Sandack can devote his full energies to his job as state senator, which he has held since November.

In his parting words, Commissioner Sean Durkin jokingly warned Sandack that “I’ll be lobbying for a number of bills.”

On a more serious note, Commissioner Bob Barnett thanked Sandack, saying, “We now have a local government that you can argue ranks higher than many—and certainly higher than it’s past—in terms of…transparency, accessibility to it’s leaders, and much of that came from [Sandack’s] leadership.”

“It’s that leadership that impressed me and why I think that Springfield will be well-served,” he said. “I think that Springfield’s gain is likely our loss.”

When Sandack’s turn to speak came, he started with a joke—“I got to Village Hall today and my parking space was gone; Tully had already taken it”—and ended with his voice choking with emotion.

“The one sentiment I want to express clearly, unambiguously, without any mistake: it has been an honor, it has been a privilege and it has been my pleasure to serve this village,” he said. “The best part of Downers Grove is its people.”

He thanked his wife, Kevan, and children Claire and Jack for “lending” him to the community. “I’m ridiculously lucky,” he said.

To the village staff and those who serve the community, Sandack offered thanks “for letting me hang with you for a while. We did some pretty cool things that I’m proud of,” he said, overcome with emotion. “Thank you for letting me serve.”

The crowd at Village Hall responded with a standing ovation, the second of the evening for Sandack. "Godspeed and welcome to the new council," he said.

The council then adjourned briefly before Mayor Martin Tully and Commissioners Durkin, Geoff Neustadt and Becky Rheintgen were sworn in by Judge Tim McJoynt of Downers Grove.

Tully pointed out that, as mayor, he is accepting a "demotion." He held up an organizational chart of the village pointed out that the top box of the chart said “Citizens of Downers Grove.”

“This is something I never forget, and that’s why I say that when you take a seat up here, it’s a demotion,” he said.

He thanked residents for the privilege of serving as their mayor, noting that while it’s impossible to always please everyone, he’d do his best. “But I believe that we will work through issues,” he said. "I believe that through open discussion, inclusive governance, doing our homework and working towards a solution that we will reach outcomes that everyone will be able to support and respect, even if they don’t necessarily agree with it as their preferred outcome.”