Homer Glen Mayor Vetoes Ordinance Appointing Legislative Counsel

HOMER GLEN, IL — Homer Glen Mayor George Yukich has vetoed an ordinance creating a new legislative counsel position and appointing to it the law firm Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath, Ltd.

The ordinance had been approved at the village's July 28 board meeting in a 5-1 vote.

"I am not required to provide specific reasons for my veto, nevertheless I would like to address several of the issues with the ordinance," Yukich said during Wednesday's village board meeting.

He said the trustees failed to answer when he asked them who drafted the ordinance.

"I can only conclude that it was Odelson's law firm who drafted the ordinance for their own appointment," Yukich said. "This is inappropriate and self-serving."

Yukich said he also believed the ordinance would result in "unnecessarily higher costs" for the village.

According to board documents, the legislative counsel would not have replaced the existing village attorney, but was an additional position. The legislative counsel would have been paid at an hourly rate of $185 per hour, board documents state.

"There is no reason to burden the village residents with an additional cost of another law firm," Yukich said.

Yukich said the trustees also promised to conduct an open and transparent search for a counsel, but, according to the mayor, there is no evidence of any search or consideration of other law firms.

"Clearly, the selection of the Odelson firm was conducted behind closed doors," Yukich said.

Yukich added that the appointment of the firm would create conflicts of interest between the village and Homer Township, which is also represented by Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath, Ltd.

According to the rules for the conduct of village board meetings in Homer Glen, the village president has the power to veto any resolution or motion which provides for the "expenditure or appropriation of its money."

The village president must provide objections in writing.

The ordinance will be returned to the board and reconsidered at the next regular meeting. If two-thirds of all the trustees agree to pass the same ordinance, the board can override the veto and the ordinance will go into effect.

• Homer Glen Trustees Hire Legislative Counsel In 5-1 Vote

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