Orland Park Names Interim Village Manager

ORLAND PARK, IL - The village of Orland Park has named an interim village manager to fill the role Police Chief Tim McCarthy has served in since the departure of Village Manager Paul Grimes last summer. The board of trustees this week appointed Assistant Village Manager Joe La Margo to the interim post and named Karie Friling, the village’s director of development services, as the interim assistant village manager.

A news release from the village indicates McCarthy requested to return to full-time police duties. He had been serving in both roles concurrently.

"Joe and Karie will be a great team running the daily operations of the village until the board hires a permanent village manager," Mayor Dan McLaughlin said in the release. "They've both done a great job in their respective positions and the village is lucky to have them."

La Margo has been with the village since 2006 and has served as the deputy village clerk, public information officer and assistant village manager. Friling has also been with the village since 2006 and before that served as the economic development director in Peoria.

A report from the Edgar County Watchdogs in January indicated she spent more than $800 on a hotel room and more than $90 on a meal during a business trip to Las Vegas in 2016.

Mayor-elect Keith Pekau expressed his “disappointment” in the two interim hires in a report published by the Daily Southtown.

“They should have waited to make any decision on this until I was on board," he said. Read more via the Daily Southtown

The village is expected to begin the search for a full-time village manager to replace Grimes after Pekau is sworn in as mayor in May.

Photo via Google Maps screenshot