The Ford Heights Village Board voted Wednesday to nominate an established good friend of period in-between Mayor Freddie Wilson as village trustee, in addition to a person with a crowd connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin.
Wilson used to be named period in-between mayor latter time following Griffin’s conviction for embezzlement.
Germaine Hooks, who mentioned he’s the brother of Griffin’s son Leland Hooks, and Douglas Jones had been appointed to 2 vacancies at the board, one created when Trustee Wilson used to be named period in-between mayor.
The appointees gained complete assistance of the board and a status ovation from about 50 society in attendance, as asked by way of Wilson. Generation the board didn’t speak about both Hooks or Jones’ backgrounds or enjoy ahead of balloting to nominate them, Wilson mentioned later on he selected them according to their involvement and hobby within the Ford Heights population.
“Hooks has been here all his life, since he was a little kid,” Wilson mentioned.
He mentioned past Jones has simplest lived in Ford Heights a couple of years, he temporarily become concerned about village affairs, attending maximum board conferences.
“Only concerned citizens show up to these meetings, unless something crazy is going on,” Wilson mentioned.
Wilson mentioned past he doesn’t have any explicit plans he thinks Hooks and Jones will assistance, he’s having a look ahead to “not having restriction on your side when you need something passed or done.”
Hooks declined to reply to questions later the assembly, however showed he’s a brother of Leland Hooks, the folk works manager for Ford Heights who testified all the way through the Griffin’s trial about his personal spending with a village debit card.
Hooks used to be appointed to switch Jimmy Viverrete, who resigned as trustee later the surrounding’s legal professional’s place of work notified him a previous felony conviction made him ineligible to handover.
Jones, who’s filling the emptiness left when Wilson become mayor, mentioned he appears to be like to “support the trustees and the mayor, always support making the town a better town.”
“Whatever the mayor wants, that’s what we’re going to try and make happen for the villagers,” he mentioned after.
The assembly, lasting not up to an date, together with transient discussions on Ford Heights’ greater than decade lengthy failure to pay its debt of greater than $2 million to Chicago Heights for the village’s aqua provide, in addition to the close finishing touch of the village’s fresh refreshment heart.
Wilson mentioned Ford Heights leased an legal professional for a pending lawsuit, although an promise between the 2 villages would possibly cancel Chicago Heights from continuing with litigation.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
