Two Burr Ridge trustees say even if Mayor Mickey Straub has authority to appoint someone to the Police Pension Board, the manner in which the appointment was made has gotten under their skin.
In December, Straub appointed Vasanthi Seeras, a certified public accountant, to replace Tom White, who had been critical of the village’s level of financial contributions to the police pension fund.
Trustee John Manieri praised the new Pension Board member, saying he was “amazed any resident is willing to serve after the public beat down of a six-year Pension Board member.”
His reference was to White being rebuffed by Straub after the Pension Board member presented a proposed levy for the police pension fund $211,000 higher than the village’s planned $593,000 allocation to the fund for 2015. At that same November board meeting, Village Administrator Steve Stricker and Finance Director Jerry Sapp presented information that contradicted what White had said earlier and painted the Pension Board member as pro-police union.
While impressed with the new Pension Board member’s qualifications, Manieri balked Monday at the mayor making the appointment himself instead of bringing his recommendation to the Village Board for approval.
By law, mayors can make appointments to advisory panels, such a Pension Board, without Village Board approval. However, in most area towns it is customary for those appointments to go through the respective Village Board.
“It’s a dictatorship, not a democracy,” Manieri said of Straub’s move.
Manieri pointed to fellow Trustee Guy Franzese stepping off the board’s dais at one meeting and going to the speaker’s podium during resident comments over the lack of trustees’ input on issues.
“A trustee stepped down and asked you to include the board in decisions,” Manieri said to Staub. “This is not political. I am not running for re-election … You have learned nothing.”
Manieri provided The Doings with a copy of the Dec. 23 email that Straub sent out regarding Seeras’ appointment. In the email, Straub wrote, “Please know that trustees’ recommendations were heard and I believe were met with this appointment.”
Straub thanked Manieri for his comments and said he is willing to talk with the trustee about concerns.
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“You are welcome to contact me anytime to discuss any issues,” Straub said.
While Trustee Diane Bolos did not chime in Monday night, she bristled in a Doings interview last week at Straub bypassing the Village Board for the appointment.
“That is not how you do it,” Bolos said.
When Straub recommended a replacement for White this fall, that appointee came under fire for his perceived lack of financial management experience. After heated debate on the issue, Straub withdrew the nomination at a board meeting; and the nominee later withdrew his name.
White said it is inaccurate to classify him as being pro-police union because of his calls for the village to increase its pension funding level.
“Look at the statutes and what police pension board trustees are supposed to do,” White said. “The village, on the one hand, is a party in this case and is looking to get by as cheaply as it can. Obviously, the police want the benefits that they can get.”
While said any Penion Board member is only going to provide what the statutes call to provide in benefits.
“You are going to do things prudently. I felt it was my responsibility to do a good job for the village,” he said. “I did talk to a lot of trustees about the responsibility. You are not supposed to represent the officers; you are supposed to represent the fund and do what’s best for the fund.”
Straub and Village Administrator Stricker have said the village’s Police Pension Board is already stacked in the officers’ favor with two current officers and one retired officer on the board and just two residents. They have said the resident representatives need to have the village’s interest in mind.
Village Treasurer Noel Hastalis said at a Police Pension Board meeting earlier this month that such thinking is “wrong” and that police pension board trustees’ only responsibility is to the pension fund.
White said he wishes Vasanthi Seeras well in the position and will be happy to provide her with information. He said, however, that she may be expected to have the village’s viewpoint when deciding issues.
White said if the village does not increase its pension funding, it will eventually need to cut expenses to meet its funding obligation. Those cuts could include one less police officer on the streets, he said.
“I don’t think that it is option anyone wants,” White said.