Toss Island Lake Mayor

And toss the lawyer for the Village of Island Lake as well?

Island Lake Mayor Debbie Herrmann pitched Police Chief Anthony Sciarrone out on his ear last Friday, placing him on paid administrative leave (paid suspension) without consulting with the Village Board or even informing them until an email to them on Monday. Who does this woman think she is? Queen of England? (No slight intended toward Elizabeth II.)

And then, instead of convening an emergency or special meeting of the Board, they are forced to call it themselves. According to this morning's Northwest Herald, Mayor Herrmann is quoted as telling the reporter, "I will not attend the meeting."

The Village's lawyer, Scott Puma, is apparently right in the thick of things. Again according to the article, the investigation (of Chief Sciarrone) is being conducted by attorneys (presumably by the Village's attorneys); Village Board members have been told not to talk; one Board member said she was told by the Village law firm not to go to tonight's meeting; Puma said he has told board members "not to make this a political situation". The Village's law firm is Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush, DiCianni & Krafthefer, P.C. (www.ancelglink.com).

The Village Board is still being kept in the dark about Herrmann's decision to throw Sciarrone out.

Is Sciarrone suspected or accused of some crime? If so, why isn't a police agency, such as the Illinois State Police, investigating? Why is the Village's law firm "investigating"? Is Sciarrone suspected of some civil misdeed that is so serious that Herrmann won't even tell the Board about it?

Puma told the Northwest Herald that there is is a contract with the police union. Is Sciarrone, as Chief, a member of the union? Or is this smoke and mirrors?

Puma reportedly said "we (they) are following all the rules." Normally, discipline as serious as a paid administrative leave would require involvement of a town's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. So far, they are not being mentioned by other media. Who are the Commissioners?

Will tonight's 8:00PM special meeting of the Village Board be packed with concerned citizens? Will Mayor Herrmann be there?