The Caseyville Village Board considered hiring a new village attorney and a new Tax Increment Finance attorney Wednesday. One motion passed and one left an uncomfortable silence in council chambers.
Caseyville Mayor Len Black / Photo by Roger Starkey
Mayor Leonard Black’s nominee for the next village attorney garnered so little support from the Village Board that they did not even allow the motion to be brought for a vote.
Black asked J. Michael Weilmuenster, seated in the audience, to stand during the Wednesday Village Board meeting to answer any questions the board members – or presumably the public – had for him. With no questions raised, Black asked for a motion to approve hiring Weilmuenster as the village attorney.
Following a short silence, Trustee Rick Casey Jr. made a motion. Black asked for someone to second the motion. A long pause followed. Black looked left and right, then announced that the motion failed. No vote was taken.
“OK, I guess we’ll continue on with the Cueto firm, as we’re doing now,” Black said before moving on to the next agenda item.
The Law Office of Christopher Cueto, Ltd and John Gilbert, of the Sandberg Phoenix law firm in Edwardsville, served as the village attorneys from May 2013 until June 4. Gilbert was the primary attorney until Black announced Gilbert’s resignation at a June 4 Village Board committee meeting.
Michael Gras, of the Cueto firm, served as the attorney for the regularly scheduled Board meeting Wednesday.
An attempt to appoint a new TIF attorney was more successful. TIF committee chairwoman Brenda Williams’ nomination of the Chatham & Baricevic law firm to replace Stephen Kernan was approved by a 5-1 vote. Kernan was appointed on May 21. His resignation was accepted by the Board Wednesday.
Casey was the lone Board member to vote against Chatham & Baricevic. During Board discussion on the motion, he asked TIF committee chairwoman Brenda Williams if the firm had experience administering TIF. Williams response that the firm has an in-house specialist, an outside specialist it consults, and another specialists coming to the practice was not enough to earn Casey’s vote.
“I think there are better qualified candidates out there that can help keep our costs down,” Casey said after the meeting.
When asked if he had suggested anyone, he answered rhetorically.
“Would it matter if I had?”
On June 18 Casey, who was chair of the TIF Committee on the Board of Trustees before stepping down earlier this year, was the only member of the Board to vote against delaying action on new TIF projects until the new TIF attorney can become acquainted with the situation in Caseyville. Black told the Metro Independent previously that Casey’s father, Rick Casey Sr., is assisting the village with TIF projects.
