In mid-October, Maria Maxham, commissioner of accounts and finance, suddenly resigned from her position because of family matters with six months left in her term.
Commissioners unanimously approved Amy Binns-Calvey to replace Maxham at the Nov. 9 council meeting. She will serve on the council through the April 6 election, when four commissioner seats and the mayoral post will be on the ballot.
“I look forward to keeping the seat warm for whoever fills it during the next election,” said Binns-Calvey, a Forest Park resident of 32 years.
Binns-Calvey is a regular contributing writer for the Forest Park Review.
After Mayor Rory Hoskins swore her in, Binns-Calvey sat at the dais and abstained from voting for two agenda items after her appointment.
She approved a unanimous vote to make herself commissioner of streets and public improvement, and for Michelle Melin-Rogovin to lead accounts and finance — the position Maxham previously held.
“Accounts and finance is also a vice mayor position. I thought we would stay with this thought process that it should be someone that people have elected,” said Jessica Voogd, commissioner of public property. The vice mayor leads council meetings if the mayor cannot.
Village Administrator Rachell Entler told commissioners at the last council meeting that they were allowed to rearrange the departments that they oversee after appointing a new commissioner.
Before Binns-Calvey and Melin-Rogovin switched seats at the dais, council members shared their reasons for appointing the newest commissioner.
“She has been an active member in the community and served as chair of the village’s recreation board for over six years, where she and I worked together,” Voogd said of Binns-Calvey. “Amy has worked with staff and other commissioners throughout that time. Her work with others and her leadership style is positive, unifying and collaborative. Her knowledge of Forest Park and her many years of experience working with council and staff makes her an ideal candidate to fill this vacancy so late in the term.”
Melin-Rogovin agreed: “Everyone who stepped forward was a good candidate to consider. In evaluating the qualities and the expertise of candidates, my choice was Amy Binns-Calvey because her service and activism and activities were Forest Park-based.”
Contenders for commissioner
Ryan Nero, commissioner of public health and safety, motioned to appoint Steven Rouse as the newest commissioner, before Voogd moved to appoint Binns-Calvey and Melin-Rogovin seconded her motion.
All three commissioners were visibly confused about the process, and Nero asked Hoskins to clarify what it was.
“If you want to appoint Steven Rouse, we make a motion to appoint Steven Rouse and discuss that. But if there’s another name you have, then you don’t make that motion,” Hoskins said. “I don’t believe you have a second for that motion. Is there an appointment for any other candidate?”
During his commissioner’s comment at the end of the meeting, Nero congratulated Binns-Calvey, but shared his disappointment in the process of appointing the newest member of the village council. He said commissioners received three resumes for the position.
“The process tonight was a little shocking to me,” Nero said. “To not second a motion — for a resume of someone who wanted to have an opportunity to represent the Village of Forest Park on the council — to give us an opportunity to talk about that individual is shocking to me. Then, it could have been voted [on], but to just dismiss it altogether was pretty disappointing, to be honest.”
Nero said Rouse also submitted to speak during public comment at the start of the meeting, along with three other residents who were not called to the podium to share their comments.
“I thought it’d be a good opportunity for him to introduce himself to you folks,” Nero said of Rouse. “I think it was important for you folks to hear from those candidates who took the time to submit, regardless of how the vote was going to be, in the essence of transparency.”
At the entrance to the room where council meetings occur, there were four sign-in sheets with names of residents who wanted to speak during public comment. The top of the sign-in sheets read, “Please complete the following information and submit to the clerk.”
Clerk Carla Taylor said none of the residents brought the sheets to her at the dais. She became clerk in February after Vanessa Belmonte retired last year.
Nero told the Review that, in his eight years as commissioner, he’s never seen in-person public comment gone unshared at meetings.
After appointing Binns-Calvey, Voogd shared her appreciation for the two other candidates who submitted resumes to the council for the open commissioner position.
“Running for office and serving as commissioner is a serious responsibility and a commitment to the village, and it’s not one to take lightly,” Voogd said. “I respect everyone who has served and who is willing to put themselves out there to run for office and to volunteer to fill this vacancy. I’m not interested in debating pros and cons of who has been nominated or who has thrown their hat into the ring, so to speak. But to show up and to volunteer shows that you are dedicated to this village, and I want to thank those of you who have been willing to answer that call to public service.”