Published: December 14, 2007 02:18 am            

ALBION: Hadick demands trustees resign

ALBION — Albion Mayor Michael Hadick demanded Wednesday that all four of the village trustees resign.

The strange turn of events took place moments after trustees Bruce Sidari, Kevin Sheehan, Michael Neidert and Dean Theodorakos adopted a resolution expressing their lack of trust and confidence in the mayor’s leadership, in light of recent negative publicity concerning his personal life.

The resolution accused the mayor of harming the village’s reputation. It also stated Hadick has been “unwilling to work together” with the trustees in the best interest of the village and that he has been ineffective as a leader.

The mayor’s demands for their resignation drew a range of reactions from trustees — from anger to pessimism.

“It’s nuts. I think he’s absolutely gone off the deep end,” Sheehan said. “We have done nothing but serve this village honorably.”

“The unfortunate problem with the mayor is that he can’t accept the problems he has created and wants to blame everyone else for his problems,” Sidari said.

Theodorakos fears Wednesday evening’s dispute may have broken any chances the board had of amicably serving the community. “We’re at the point now where we’re not working as a team. It’s the trustees versus the mayor. ... I’d love to see us move forward and beyond this, but I guess I’m not really optimistic.”

Hadick, who was unaware of the trustees’ united front at the village board meeting, sent prepared letters to each of the trustees requesting their resignation. He proceeded to read a list of accusations he considers the trustees guilty of — among them, conducting village business without the mayor’s consent and for personal gain.

Hadick said the trustees are casting stones to make it look like he is neglecting his duties. He cited an example to show his willingness to work hard for the village. When residents approached the board in favor of a four-way stop at West Academy, Washington and West Park streets to curb speeding, he spent an entire Saturday afternoon knocking on 40 to 50 doors polling the neighbors’ opinions, he said.

“The trustees are the only ones that continue to stir the pot. They choose to continue to take shots at me,” Hadick said. “I have no flaws. ... It’s a political thing. They’re trying to make sure I’m not re-elected. They keep drilling it into people’s heads.”

Hadick remains firm that he will run again for mayor in 2010. If an election were held tomorrow, he would win again, he said.

Unlike the trustees, Hadick is hopeful the board will be able to pull together after Wednesday’s run-in, he said. “As long as (the trustees) stay open minded and pro-village, I still think we can accomplish everything. I really do. They have to be pro-village, not anti-Mike,” Hadick said. “I’m not a quitter. I’m going to do the job I was elected to do and do it the best I can.”

Before asking the trustees to resign, Hadick issued a written apology to the trustees for the recent events in his personal life.

Hadick’s action is the latest chapter in a string of stories published by The Journal-Register since he rolled his SUV into a ditch June 3 while driving under the influence of alcohol. When nude photographs, supposedly of Hadick, surfaced on a Web site prone to publishing slander about him in September, angry village residents insisted the mayor apologize and step down.

About a week after the Web site rumors faded, Hadick was pulled over and accused of driving without a seat belt and talking on a cell phone. In November, his 19-year-old daughter, Shardae, was arrested with three others for allegedly selling and possessing crack cocaine in the village.

The trustees repeatedly asked Hadick to resign as mayor, but he refused. For the sake of performing their elected duties, both the trustees and the mayor publicly declared they would continue to support each other, despite their personal opinions.

“I really feel badly that it’s gotten to this point. I’m embarrassed by it,” Theodorakos said. “It almost takes me back to my school days — a couple of kids out on the playground spouting off.”

The trustees’ goal now is to survive the next three months, he said. There is a budget to plan for and daily business to conduct. The village needs to apply for a small cities grant and continue with consolidation studies.

Come elections in March, however, Sidari and Neidert will be up for re-election, Theodorakos said, and Neidert has made it clear he will not be running for the trustee position again.

The situation also has Sheehan and Theodorakos reconsidering whether they will run again when their four-year terms are up, they said.

“It’s a very difficult environment right now. We’re struggling,” Theodorakos said. “Right now, we’re at least four trustees working together. ... We’re just not as effective as we can or should be.”

Behind the scenes, the mayor and trustees’ differences spiraled over who will replace Kathleen Ludwick as village clerk. Sheehan said the deputy clerk, who has been with the village for more than 20 years, was the board’s unanimous first choice, even though she is not a village resident and is Sidari’s sister-in-law.

The deputy clerk’s appointment was included in the village board agenda so the board could vote her in as the next clerk, he said. No other candidates responded to advertisements for the position.

Hadick said it then came to his attention that village law states it is the mayor’s power alone to negotiate or direct employees. Dissatisfied with the board’s choice for the clerk position, he offered the job to someone else in the village office with less experience. That individual has since declined the position, he said.

“I am to do the appointment. It’s not a board vote. Those guys are adjusting the rules to what suits them,” Hadick said. “There was some concern because (the deputy clerk) is not a village resident. It’s on the books that she is supposed to be a village resident.”

Hadick said he is opposed to offering the position to the deputy clerk because he doesn’t get a “warm feeling” from her.

“The clerk works side by side with me. I just don’t get that feeling that I would have a good working relationship with her,” he said. “Maybe she would make a good clerk, but she’s not the person that is my first choice. ... People walk into that job everyday and learn it.”

Hadick said he will be approaching a few other individuals to see if they are interested in taking the position. If a replacement is not found before Ludwick retires at the end of the month, the deputy clerk will have to pick up the responsibilities.

Theodorakos said the trustees did not realize the village clerk position had to be appointed by the major.

“It’s something that we need to have happen very quickly, otherwise clerical tasks do not get done,” Theodorakos said. “(The deputy clerk) is the logical choice for the job. ... We started talking about this issue months ago. In all that time we were discussing this, the mayor never proposed doing anything different. ... His tendency is to kind of go off and do things on his own.”

Theodorakos said Hadick had to “dig” to find petty incriminations on each of the trustees. One such example: Hadick accused Theodorakos of approving an annual raise for the village attorney — the same attorney Theodorakos asked to put a campaign sign on his front lawn.

Sheehan was accused of negotiating with the Orleans County Task Force without Hadick’s permission — meetings the board agreed Theodorakos and Sheehan should sit in on as the trustees representing the police department.

Neidert apparently ripped his letter up and handed it back to Hadick.

“He’s an embarrassment to this village. I’m embarrassed that I ran with him,” Sheehan said. “The only thing the four of us want is what is best for the village. What is best for the village is for the mayor to go.”

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 2227.

        

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