Tinley Park trustees have appointed Bernard Brady, a longtime resident and business owner, to fill a vacancy on the Village Board that arose in June when Dave Seaman was appointed mayor following the resignation of Ed Zabrocki for health reasons.
Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Brady, who owns an accounting firm, and he soon had to abstain from a vote concerning a special taxing district in the downtown area. He also asked the board to remove two sites he owns from that district.
The Main Street South tax increment financing district provides property tax breaks to encourage redevelopment in the area near the Oak Park Avenue Metra station.
Brady abstained from a preliminary vote on the village acquiring a vacant house north of the train station for $60,000. Trustees are scheduled to take a final vote on the purchase at their Aug. 18 meeting.
More Top Picks Best Small Torque Wrenches
Trustee Jake Vandenberg said the village intends to demolish the 125-year-old house to make way for redevelopment in the 6700 block of North Street. The house is owned by Harry Teehan III.
Seaman told trustees that the house is “an eyesore and, to some degree, a bit of a public nuisance.”
Brady said he abstained because he owns two properties in the TIF district near his business in the 17400 block of 67th Court, creating a conflict of interest for him to vote on issues related to the 12-year-old district.
He said the Village Board will likely discuss removing his land from the district at its Aug. 18 meeting, followed by a vote on his request at the Sept. 21 session.
Brady, a certified public accountant, has lived in Tinley Park with his wife, Angie, since 1974. He has served as chairman of St. George Catholic Church’s finance committee for more than 20 years and also was a volunteer at the Tinley Park Mental Health Center and the Howe Development Center for more than 20 years.
He has operated his firm, Bernard E. Brady & Associates, since 1992. He previously worked for 10 years with the accounting firm, Arthur Andersen & Co.
In a prepared statement, Seaman welcomed Brady to the board, saying he’s a “skilled and experienced accountant who will be an excellent addition to the Tinley Park team.” Brady will fill the remainder of Seaman’s term, which expires in April 2017.
Village Clerk Patrick Rea recalled an incident five years ago when Brady helped a group of young visitors who were brought to Tinley Park by the U.S. State Department.
Rea said Brady was in his office when he “noticed a cluster of people” who “had stepped off the train and had no place to go.” Brady took the group to his home, where he and Angie provided them with temporary quarters that the State Department had failed to arrange, Rea said.
Dennis Sulivan is a freelance reporter.