Western Springs Official Wrongly Sworn In

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — On Monday night, Western Springs resident Scott Lewis was sworn in as a trustee and the village issued a news release about his appointment. In a news story, the Chicago Tribune reported the board "unanimously approved" Lewis for the position.

But Patch noticed a problem with Lewis' appointment: The board never voted on it — let alone had a unanimous vote. That means Lewis is not a trustee because he needs the board's approval.

At Monday's meeting, Village President Alice Gallagher directed acting Village Clerk James Horvath to swear in Lewis, a retired Nicor executive, without calling for a vote. He was to fill the seat left vacant by last month's death of William Siffermann.

In response to Patch's inquiry, Gallagher said in an interview Wednesday that Lewis's appointment should have been voted on.

"It was not a valid process," Gallagher told Patch. "I appreciate you bringing that to our attention. Next month, we will put up a motion to confirm Scott's appointment."

She said the vote "slipped through the cracks with everything else that is going on." She noted it was the first meeting that the village used the Zoom video conferencing program, with most officials connected from home.

Lewis voted on a number of issues after he swore in, but Gallagher said his votes technically do not count, given that he is not a trustee. Removal of his votes would not make a difference in the outcomes.

Gallagher said she had run the idea of appointing Lewis during individual conversations with the trustees and that they supported him. She and Trustee James Tyrrell had interviewed three applicants for the position.

"All three candidates had very strong resumes. Any one of them would have been an asset to the board," Gallagher said at Monday's board meeting.

Gallagher noted Lewis was joining the board with extensive experience in federal and state legislative processes. "It seems that we are increasingly dealing with legislative issues at both the state and federal levels," she said. Among those issues is the regulation of 5G antennas, which many residents oppose.

Lewis and his wife, Ann, live in the Field Park neighborhood. They have two grown daughters, who both live in Milwaukee.

Siffermann, who was elected to the board in May 2017, had a work history that included being a probation officer and a juvenile justice consultant. He died March 19.

If the board approves Lewis next month, his term will last until May 2021.