Clarendon Hills Keeping Acting Village Manager: Report

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – The village president of Clarendon Hills told a newspaper earlier this month that he has decided to keep the acting manager.

But the Village Board makes the final call.

Last September, the Village Board voted to appoint Paul Dalen, the village's public safety director, as the acting manager. His contract ends in mid-March.

Dalen replaced Village Manager Zach Creer, who resigned with a severance agreement. That was after Village President Eric Tech had placed him on leave without giving the public an explanation.

According to a recent Chicago Tribune story, Tech said he scrapped plans to search for a new village manager and keep Dalen in the post.

Before becoming the public safety director in early 2024, Dalen was the police chief for six years. He has worked with the village since the mid-1990s.

The Tribune reported that the assistant village manager, Mera Johnson, was uninterested in the top job.

Tech praised Dalen as the manager.

“Paul’s unique background gives him a rare and valuable perspective,” Tech told the Tribune. "He understands our organization from the ground up, and that insight has been instrumental in maintaining continuity and forward momentum."

Tech and Dalen did not return messages for comment on Wednesday.

Dalen's salary for this year is budgeted at $193,994, according to the village's compensation report. That is above Creer's $178,500 salary. Their salaries are far less than what Deputy Fire Chief Michael DeLillo, who has other duties, was paid last year.