Politics & Government

Magic 8 Ball: Local Predictions for 2012

Patch consulted an expert--a Magic 8 Ball--for answers to village's ongoing problems.

As we bid goodbye to 2011 and say hello to 2012, Patch consulted the old Magic 8 Ball for some hyperlocal predictions. (Tell us your predictions at the end of the story.)

Here are some of the answers we received:

  • The investigation into the former village attorneys’ termination in 2009 for alleged overbillings and malpractice continues. The meter is still running and at last count Patch has filed another freedom of information act request so expect an update soon.

Patch: Will the legal investigation ever end?

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Magic 8 Ball: "Better not tell you now."

  • The village on June 24, 2011. The U.S. Attorney’s office requested meeting minutes and audio tapes from the Oak Lawn Village Board’s executive sessions between May and August 2009, as well as all other information and documents related to the changing of the village attorneys in 2009.

Patch: Will the village purchase a digital voice recorder for $40 at instead of the 20th century cassette recorder and tapes it currently uses to record village board meetings?

Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Magic 8 Ball: "It is decidedly so."

  • During the village board’s last meeting of the year on Dec. 13, trustees voted 4-2 to give the option of choosing one of two revenue-generating ordinances for “the cost of doing business in Oak Lawn.” The village board rejected a motion by the mayor to table the vote because of a “communication breakdown” between the village and the medical center. Trustees said that Advocate Christ had a month to respond to the village’s parking garage tax idea “but somehow when something isn’t beneficial to them there is a month-long non-responsiveness.”

Patch: Will the village board bend down and kiss Advocate Christ's derriere the way the rest of Oak Lawn does, or will trustees show some testicular fortitude?

Magic 8 Ball: "Concentrate and ask again."

  • Relations between the Oak Lawn Fire Department and the village continue to be cool. At the fall budget hearings, --$1 million over the budgeted $250,000—didn’t get under control. Again Deetjen blamed “an archaic provisions in the early 1990s” that set a minimum staffing of four per fire apparatus. The firefighters’ local countered layoffs “would only increase overtime.” To be continued.

Patch: Will the village and firefighters agree on a union contract? Will staffing be reduced on fire apparatus? Will the village be forced to reinstate six firefighters laid off in 2008 with back pay?

Magic 8 Ball: "Ask again later."

  • The next consolidated election is only 15 months away and if the last local election was any indication, The mayor, village clerk and three trustee seats in even-numbered districts are up for re-election. A special election will also be held for the first district trustee for a two-year term. Asked last April if he still liked being mayor, Heilmann responded,It’s still early but given the amount of “fact based literature” cluttering residents’ mailboxes in the last election, it’s going to cost some money to run a campaign to send out mailers accusing your opponent of and worse. We'll be watching the party room at

Patch: Who will challenge the mayor if he decides to run for re-election? Will the Unity Party make up? Will the statute of Ernie Kolb in front of village hall start spinning? What about at Sward School?

Magic 8 Ball: "Reply hazy. Try again." 

Next year we're consulting a psychic!

Read more 2011 wrap-up stories:

 

 


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