Augie Filippone
Mount Prospect trustees voted to tighten regulations governing potential conflicts of interest involving board members Tuesday.
But Trustee Augie Filippone said the real targets of the revised ethics ordinance are him and his wife and law partner Trisha Chokshi.
Filippone, who cast the only vote against the ordinance, received vocal support from several residents who argued the ordinance is discriminatory.
The ordinance covers a wide range of potential ethical pitfalls. They include rules regarding trustees representing clients with business before the village board and would ban immediate family of trustees serving on commissions. It also carries penalties including possible fines and even expulsion from the board.
Filippone, an attorney, has refrained from voting on matters involving clients.
However, one time he refrained from voting, when the board was considering a zoning petition, he informed Mayor Paul Hoefert he had a professional conflict and left the board dais. Moments later, he and Chokshi were at the podium before the board serving as the petitioner’s attorneys.
In addition, Chokshi serves as chair of the village’s Finance Commission. Under the revised rules, she would not be allowed to serve.
“You are doing this as a political vendetta,” resident Ronak McFadden protested, adding that it discriminates against Chokshi as a woman of color serving on a commission.
Hoefert protested that the ordinance is not targeting any particular trustee.
“I’m proud that we’re updating this,” Hoefert said.
Other trustees argued it levels the playing field for all trustees.
“There’s three attorneys on the board. It applies equally to all three of us,” Trustee William Grossi added.
“I think, too, in a town of 56,000 people, it’s good to get diverse views on boards,” Trustee John Matuszak said, adding that if trustees just put spouses on boards, “We’re missing diverse views. So I think this is a step in the right direction.”
Filippone said he is favor of an ethics ordinance and even submitted a draft of his own that would have been more comprehensive than the current update, covering both trustees and village employees.
“The proposal before you tonight is not broad-based,” Filippone said. “This board took a comprehensive ordinance concept and whittled it down to target me, my wife and my business.”
“This measure raises serious discrimination concerns based on marriage. The notion that married couples can’t carry and express their own individual opinions is ridiculous and a large step backward for this village. It’s misogyny on full display,” he added.
Regarding the time when he represented his client before the board, he said that “staff actions immediately prior to the public hearing” must be taken into account, as well as the board’s ultimate decision and the legal impact of that decision on the petitioner.
Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert
Mount Prospect Trustee Bill Grossi