Mayor Has 60 Days to Recommend New Orland Park Trustee

Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin has begun the process of filling a vacant board seat left by Brad O’Halloran, who resigned last week following mounting scrutiny in his roles both in the village as a trustee and as the Metra board chairman.

McLaughlin has about two months to pick a new board member, and the remaining board members will vote on the appointment before O’Halloran’s seat officially is filled.

“I don’t expect it will take that long,” McLaughlin said after Monday night’s village board meeting. “I’m not really setting up a formal system because we have kind of a farm club in terms of so many volunteers who’ve served on different advisory boards and commissions over the years and people involved in the community. We know a lot of the interested parties out there.”

McLaughlin said five to six people have either contacted him directly about the open board seat, or have been recommended to him for the spot. Whoever is chosen, with the board’s blessing, will then serve until the next municipal election in April 2015.

Since O’Halloran won re-election in April for another four years, the seat filled by the appointee will be open in 2015 and the winner will serve for two years.

O’Halloran resigned on Thursday from both the Orland Park Village Board and the Metra Board of Directors. He was facing mounting criticism in regard to Metra after allegations made by former Metra CEO Alex Clifford that he applied political pressure for Clifford to make decisions on Metra contracts and hires. Clifford also accused Metra board member Larry Huggins of the same, and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Huggins resigned from the Metra board on Friday.

Scrutiny on O’Halloran built even more last week when it was revealed that he accepted differed compensation from the village for serving as a trustee for about 16 months after he was appointed to the Metra board, which was in violation of state law.

O’Halloran returned the money earned from the village in July, shortly after he spoke in front of the Regional Transit Authority board about a severance package for Clifford that could be worth as much as $718,000.

McLaughlin said he only spoke briefly to O’Halloran since he resigned about clearing out his space in village hall and handing over keys.

“I think it was the right thing to do,” McLaughlin said about O’Halloran’s resignation. “Right now I want to put it beyond us and let’s get going. It was a distraction for three or four weeks and I’m anxious to move on.”

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