Hinsdale Leader Wiped Away 'Acrimony'

HINSDALE, IL – At his last Village Board meeting Tuesday, Village President Tom Cauley named those in local government who helped him over his 16 years.

It was a long list.

One thing Cauley largely avoided – talking about himself.

He began by noting the U.S. presidents during his terms – Obama, Trump, Biden and Trump again.

"Not that that means anything to anybody, but that's kind of how I keep track of time," said Cauley, a lawyer.

At the meeting, officials described a much different village government before Cauley took the helm in 2009. It's a period that Trustee Neale Byrnes calls BC, or "Before Cauley."

"Streets had long been neglected and were in terrible shape," Byrnes said. "One resident, an older gentleman, likened village streets to those he saw in Europe right after World War II."

In the 2000s, the trustee said, Hinsdale's tree-lined streets were losing hundreds of elms a year because of Dutch elm disease. That's because the village saved money by stopping its inoculation of trees against the disease – something that changed after Cauley, he said.

Byrnes said the village's finances had deteriorated along with its streets. That occurred in a town that is one of the state's wealthiest.

"Village Board meetings were contentious, full of acrimony among trustees and residents," he said. "Watching board meetings on Channel 6 was must-see TV for residents. It was like watching 'Days of Our Lives.'"

But that quickly changed with Cauley's election, with meetings becoming dull, Byrnes said.

Under Cauley, the village launched a long-term master infrastructure plan. As a result, the village repaved or reconstructed all of its streets and repaired numerous water mains and sewers, Byrnes said.

"What had become a bloated village staff was reduced to the proper level, and along the way, President Cauley made some excellent hires," Byrnes said.

The other trustees also praised Cauley's service. Among them was Trustee Luke Stifflear, who said Cauley took positions that angered the village president's friends.

"I said, 'So and so is not going to be happy about this,'" Stifflear said. "And Tom would say, 'I don't care. It's not the best for Hinsdale.'"

The Village Board adopted a resolution in Cauley's honor.

Hinsdale resident Greg Hart, who ran unopposed, takes office Wednesday night. Cauley did not run again.