In what doubled as a last-minute campaign speech of sorts before the City Council, Waukegan Ald. Sam Cunningham, 1st, on Tuesday evening formally called for a “full forensic audit” of the city’s finances.
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Cunningham — who is running in the Democratic mayoral primary next Tuesday, Feb. 28, against incumbent Wayne Motley — read from a prepared statement during the portion of the council meeting reserved for aldermen to speak on whatever topics they want.
“This is not our government. It belongs to the residents of Waukegan,” Cunningham said. “And if we find there have been mistakes, which regrettably I am sure we will, let’s be unified in correcting them.”
Cunningham acknowledged the timing of his statement, which amounted to an attack on Motley.
“The timing is what it is,” he said. “In fact, the timing is of benefit. When better to get a commitment to protect the taxpayers than when the entire electorate is watching? Mayor Motley, this is your administration. The ball has been and remains primarily in your court.”
Motley did not respond to Cunningham’s comments during the meeting. The other aldermen did not respond, either, though Cunningham was one of the last to speak.
On Wednesday, Motley responded by calling Cunningham’s comments “politically motivated.”
“I am very disappointed in the comments made by Ald. Cunningham last evening,” Motley said. “The fact that he is requesting a forensic audit has absolutely no basis. This is the worst form of politics, when you are making allegations you know are not true. I have tried to run a positive campaign. It is unfortunate that my opponent has chosen a different path.”
As he has done throughout the campaign, Cunningham on Tuesday questioned the “lack of competence” surrounding an episode last year that involved a $1 million state invoice sitting on a department head’s desk for months and not surfacing until after the aldermen narrowly voted to demolish the lakefront’s dormant Bombardier Recreational Products site, a $2 million effort.
Cunningham and Ald. Lisa May, 7th, who will run against the Democratic primary winner as an independent April 4, have identified the issue as a reason the city is facing an operational deficit this year.
Earlier Tuesday, Motley said the department head, Public Works Director Tom Hagerty, was suspended for two weeks for the oversight and that the issue led to a stricter policy surrounding grant funds. The invoice from the Illinois Department of Transportation is the final bill for completely rebuilding Sheridan Road from Belvidere Street to Grand Avenue including new street lighting and water and sewer mains, which the council originally approved in September 2007.
Cunningham on Tuesday also raised concerns about Jorge Torres, a Waukegan special projects manager and friend of Motley’s who also works as an independent contractor, according to Motley, for the city of Park City. Cunningham questioned whether Torres was double-dipping, completing work for Waukegan and Park City during the same hours. Torres also works for Motley’s re-election campaign.
In a written statement he provided earlier Tuesday, Motley called Torres “undoubtedly one of the finest civil servants who has ever worked for the city of Waukegan” and said Torres informed him of the Park City position “from day one.”
“I indicated it was permissible so long as any work or duties were performed outside of his work hours for Waukegan,” Motley said in the statement.
Cunningham said “objections and concerns” that he and others have raised “can no longer be casually dismissed.” He submitted his statement to the city clerk to be made part of the official record.
“What else is taking place that has been shielded from some, if not all, members of this legislative body?” Cunningham said. “Do we just wait and see what comes next?”
During public comment time, local activist Margaret Carrasco, a frequent critic of Motley’s, challenged Cunningham and Motley to appear Saturday for one final debate before Tuesday’s primary.
Cunningham accepted the offer. Motley said he already had campaign-related plans. Carrasco then asked whether he could do it on Sunday. Motley declined, and expressed frustration at Carrasco’s demands.
Twitter @lucashammill