The Munster Town Council is down a leader as one of its members in a surprise move resigned from his positions.
Councilman Chuck Gardiner, R-3, announced at Monday night’s council meeting that he’s stepping down after 6 ½ years as councilman and Redevelopment Commission member. His resignation is effective Tuesday, Oct. 20, he said.
In a letter he read near the end of the meeting, Gardiner, who was also Council Vice President for 2026, said he admires the community’s “forward-thinking spirit” and is grateful to have contributed to it. He thanked residents for their support and respect and praised town employees for “professionalism that is second to none.”
“Overall, I have always believed that a community grounded in connection, optimism, and unity is far stronger than one driven by fear and division,” an emotional Gardiner read. “Together, we faced two major crises: the 2020 pandemic and the 2026 EF1 tornado. In both, our residents and staff stepped up and went above and beyond.”
More Top Picks Stick Vacuums
Gardiner didn’t specify in his letter why he’s stepping down, but in a conversation with the Post-Tribune after the meeting, he expressed frustration with the politics and discord among the council.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, and I’ve tried to be as thoughtful and as good a councilman as I could be. I want the town to succeed, but I’m burned out,” Gardiner said. “I also don’t want to go through a campaign in a year and a half.”
As far as choosing a candidate to finish out Gardiner’s term, Gardiner will first need to bring his resignation to the Lake County Clerk’s office, Lake County Republican Party Chairman Randy Niemeyer said Monday night. Once that happens, the party has 30 days to organize a caucus to select his replacement.
Council President Joe Hofferth, R-2, said Gardiner has been a “great vice president” and a responsible member of the council.
“I can’t say that I’m not sad and somewhat disappointed to see you go,” Hofferth said. “You showed up, you worked hard, you got involved and built bridges. You guarded information when it needed to be guarded, and it’s sad to see you leave, but thank you for your service.”
Councilmen Dave Nellans, R-4, and Jonathan Petersen, R-5, also thanked Gardiner for his service and wished him well. Councilman George Shinkan, R-1, said he learned a lot from Gardiner in their time on the council.
“You worked with everybody — and I mean everybody — and I’m going to continue that,” Shinkan said.
In a Monday morning social media post, however, Shinkan alluded to someone causing issues on the council.
“I didn’t want to go here, but Munster, it’s time to wake up,” Shinkan wrote. “How does one person create so much division and damage the sense of community we’ve worked so hard to build? Munster is bigger than any one individual, any political party, or any personal agenda. … We may disagree on issues, but we should never lose sight of what makes Munster special. At some point, we have to ask ourselves: Are we putting Munster first, or are we allowing personal agendas and political fighting to come before our community?
“No one person should have the power to divide a town. It’s time to put the people of Munster first, restore common sense, and remember that our community matters more than any individual.”
The town’s longtime attorneys Nicole Bennett and David Westland, meanwhile, resigned in June, citing harassment by Petersen as the main reason, the Post-Tribune previously reported. Town Manager James Marino then left the following month and told the Post-Tribune that “it was time to retire,” at which point Tricia Abbott was hired as Town Manager.
Gardiner’s resignation is the latest in a string of resignations the Town of Munster since 2024, starting with former Town Manager Dustin Anderson and Public Works Director Jill DiTommaso in February. Abbott, who was then Comptroller, filled in as interim Town Manager until the town hired James Marino in April 2025, while DiTommaso’s replacement, Robert Valois, left Munster in early 2026.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.