Clarendon Hills Botches Police Chief Appointment Process

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – A new police chief was sworn in at the beginning of the Clarendon Hills Village Board's meeting Tuesday.

The problem: The Village Board had not voted to appoint Ed Leinweber as the new chief.

After the swearing-in ceremony took place, a Patch reporter asked a village official about who appointed Leinweber. She said Village President Eric Tech did.

The reporter then checked the village code online. Under an ordinance, the village president gets to nominate the chief and other top officials, subject to the board's approval.

The reporter emailed Tech and Village Manager Zach Creer, sending a screenshot of the relevant provision in the code.

A couple of minutes later, Creer told the board that it must vote on the appointment.

The reporter then asked whether it was legal to take such a vote without notifying the public beforehand. The state Open Meetings Act requires a public body to alert the public to all matters that it plans to vote on.

Creer said the "Police Chief Swearing-in" item was listed on the board's meeting agenda, which he said may suffice. But he said he would consult with the village's lawyer on the situation.

The board voted unanimously for Leinweber.

In an email a few minutes later, Creer thanked Patch, saying, "I will check with legal to make sure the concurrence vote is sufficient. If not, we will reconsider at the next meeting."

In 2017, the Village Board voted on former Chief Paul Dalen's appointment before he was sworn in.

In 2020 and 2021, Patch discovered that a series of appointments were made in Western Springs without required board votes. That trend included an elected trustee's position.

The Western Springs village attorney later examined the matter and determined votes needed to be taken. The Village Board then voted in the officials who were installed incorrectly.