Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Longtime Lockport government official Dave Oxley was to be sworn in as the 22nd Will County Board member at a special December 9 County Board meeting.

But a concurrent deal regarding the presidency of the Forest Preserve of Will County Board failed, leading to a postponement of the appointment.

The appointment was for the vacancy created in County Board District 5 when former board member Annette Parker was elected Will County Clerk on November 5.

Will County Board members also serve as Forest Preserve District commissioners, which are hypothetically non-partisan posts.

That board was scheduled to have its reorganization meeting following the special County Board meeting to seat Oxley. But the 10 Republicans now on the board walked out before the Forest Preserve meeting, and a vote on the presidency, could take place.

County Board Member Joe VanDuyne, D-Wilmington, recently named Speaker for the County Board, acknowledge he has no standing on the Forest Preserve Board.

But because more than one of the Democrats sought the Forest Preserve post, he said he was asked to intervene in brokering a deal to seat Oxley and bring a candidate or candidates forward to lead the Forest Preserve Board.

VanDuyne said he and some other Democrats on the board already had some reservations about Oxley being seated on December 9, but only because of the rapidity of how it took place. He said he received notice from the County Board District 5 Republicans only last week. Some of his caucus didn’t get the word until Monday morning before the meeting.

Regardless, he said he was willing to set his concerns aside if Republicans would go along with the Democratic caucus’ choice for Forest Preserve president.

But VanDuyne’s initial choice wanted to serve the entire two-year term, instead of splitting it with the Republicans — each serving one year– as he wanted, since there would be 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats on the board, once Oxley were seated.

He said he brought two names — one Democrat and one Republican — to Jim Richmond, R-Mokena, Republican Caucus leader, as candidates to share the Forest Preserve presidency. In exchange, VanDuyne said he would support seating Oxley.

They had an agreement, VanDuyne said, but then, his initial choice for president said they now would agree to sharing the presidency. Richmond initially said he would support it, VanDuyne said, but the former came back right before the special County Board meeting to say his caucus would not accept it.

Contacted by phone Tuesday, Richmond said he told VanDuyne his caucus would not agree, and the deal was off. Oxley’s name was pulled, he added, “by mutual agreement.”

Since few, if any, of the board members knew why VanDuyne didn’t nominate Oxley, Republicans and a few Democrats commented during the meeting that this was unprecedented and must be the result of political gamesmanship.

When his turn did come to speak, VanDuyne said only that he did not put forth a name because too many of his caucus members were unfamiliar with Oxley. Once they were, he said, he’s sure there would be no problem with his appointment.

Since the Republicans walked out, the Forest Preserve reorganization meeting scheduled did not take place. VanDuyne later said he hoped to have the issue cleared up in time to have Oxley seated before the December 19 County Board meeting.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.