La Grange Without Finance Director For 4 Months

LA GRANGE, IL – The village of La Grange is without a finance director and an accounting manager.

In May, Finance Director Suzy Mika left the village after less than two years to take the same job in Villa Park. She replaced Lou Cipparone, who retired after three decades with the La Grange village government.

In August, the accounting manager left for her former employer, Village Manager Jack Knight said in an email to Patch on Wednesday.

"Interviews for the Accounting Manager position have just begun, with a hire anticipated next month," Knight said. "Plans for filling the Finance Director position are still under consideration."

After Suzy Mika's departure, the village hired MGT Impact Solutions to provide financial services. It now has two consultants working for the village. Staff in other village departments are also helping, Knight said.

The village can take months to fill key positions. When Mika was hired, the position had been vacant for a couple of months.

In 2021, the village took nearly six months to hire a new public works director. In May, a new public works director was hired after the post went vacant for five months.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, resident Alan Foreman said he checked for records online and found a couple of payroll cycles missing from the documents.

"I'm not sure, with the absence of supervisory control, whether you're catching everything that needs to be included in the public documents," he said.

Village President Mark Kuchler said the staff would make sure that the documents are accounted for.