Silence On Clarendon Hills Village Manager's Status

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills Village Hall remains silent about the status of Village Manager Zach Creer, who appears to have been away from the office for the last month.

Weekly, the village posts department heads' updates on the town's website. Creer hasn't written a report since July 25, with Assistant Village Manager Mera Johnson filling that role since then.

Village President Eric Tech hasn't answered Patch's inquiries.

Creer's phone message continues to answer, "I am currently out of office."

On Aug. 25, Patch submitted a public records request for documents related to Creer's status.

Under state law, a request must be answered within five business days or extended for limited reasons.

Last Tuesday, the village said it was delaying by another five business days because the lawyer needed to review the request.

Two weeks ago, the Village Board held a standalone closed-door meeting to discuss personnel issues. It was the first such session since early 2023, when Creer's predecessor, Kevin Barr, was in hot water with the board.

At the beginning of the Aug. 18 open board meeting, Tech started by saying, "Zach isn't here. He wasn't able to make it," adding that Johnson would fill in.

Creer, previously the assistant manager, took the helm in July 2023.