A group of concerned citizens in Caseyville are circulating a petition asking Mayor Leonard Black to resign.
A petition requesting the resignation of Caseyville Mayor Leonard Black
The group of five, some of whom were Black supporters during the 2013 election in which he was elected mayor, want to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Black, Bob Romanik or Village of Caseyville employees aligned with Black.
The group’s goal is to gather as many signatures of registered voters as possible and present the petitions to Black at a future Village Board meeting. The petition is non-binding and the mayor can simply ignore it.
Language at the top of the petition indicates that Black’s position has become untenable and cites reasons for their request.
“On at least two occasions, Mayor Leonard Black has adversely affected the image of the Village by engaging in public action against the chief of police without Village Board approval,” the petition states.
Black’s first two attempts to fire Alvarez came before he sought the approval of the Village Board. The fourth attempt to fire Chief Jose Alvarez will be presented to the Village Board in closed session Wednesday evening. The Village Board meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The petition also indicates that Black’s actions toward Village of Caseyville employees has “dramatically impaired or paralyzed the ability of village business to be conducted.” The Teamsters Local 50, which represents the office workers at Village Hall, filed charges against Black for allegedly calling the office workers “bitches.” Black verbally apologized to the office workers, insisted he did not really call them bitches and said he does not recall offering to write a letter of apology.
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After Board member Brenda Williams read a letter from the union to Black, in a Village Board meeting requesting the mayor to write the letter of apology, Black drafted his own letter, requesting a letter from the offended office workers that they accept his verbal apology before he would write a letter of apology.
Black has also threatened legal action against Williams, the union and union representative Marc Archer for reading the letter in a public meeting.
“I think that was unfair what she did,” Black told The Metro Independent in March. “I think that was a personnel situation.”
Black also suspended Linda Peters, with pay, from October 2013 until March 2014. Peters computer was confiscated and put into storage at the police station pending an investigation into her alleged improper use of Village equipment. Peters is the long-time girlfriend of former mayor George Chance, whom Black narrowly defeated in the last election.
Peters was reinstated without further disciplinary action in March. It is unclear, based on information received in a Freedom of Information Act request from the Village of Caseyville, exactly what the allegations against Peters were, why an investigation by the Village was initiated and if a forensic investigation of her computer equipment was ever conducted.
The final allegation in the petition is that Black has failed to deliver on a campaign promise to eliminate corruption and repair the image of Caseyville.
“He has brought so much embarrassment to our community,” a member of the petition group said. “If he can’t stand on his own, without Bob Romanik, he should not be mayor.”
Black acknowledges a friendship with Romanik, but denies he has ever taken advice from Romanik, a convicted felon, radio show host and adult club DJ.
“He doesn’t make any decisions that I know of,” Black said in March. “He’s never asked me for anything.”
Black told the Illinois State Police on May 13, 2005 that he often seeks advice, and not always from the correct people.
“I gotta go by advice, you know what I mean?” Black said.
Black spoke to the Illinois State Police in a videotaped interview questioning his alleged use of Canteen Creek Drainage District tax breaks and credit cards to purchase equipment for use in his lawn care business.
“I do believe a lot of people I shouldn’t believe in,” Black said.
The interview with the Illinois State Police is available on The Metro Independent’s YouTube channel athttp://youtu.be/qpr6Jy0C7RY.
No charges resulted from the interview.
Black did not return multiple requests for comment on the petition.
