Western Springs To Close Doors On Leader Discussion

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs officialsplan to close their doors Monday to discuss the replacement of Village President Alice Gallagher, who died unexpectedly March 21.

The state Open Meetings Act gives the board the option of holding a closed session to discuss a replacement, but the board can keep such deliberations open.

The meeting agenda indicates that the board will close the doors at its meeting at 7 p.m. at Village Hall. The closed session is set to follow a moment of silence in honor of Gallagher.

The board must vote on the new village president in public, which its agenda indicates it will do.

Some states, including New Mexico, require government boards to keep their doors open when discussing the filling of vacancies of elected positions.

The board's last meeting was March 20, the day before Gallagher died. It was announced that she was ill, so the trustees voted for Trustee James Tyrrell to preside over the meeting.

Tyrrell and Heidi Rudolph are the longest-serving trustees, having been elected in 2017.