Mass Resignations, 'Moral Difference' As Shields Township Sheds Staff

LAKE BLUFF, IL — Declaring that residents of Shields Township "deserve better," the township's supervisor and staff of its assessor's office jointly tendered their resignations Monday.

The resignations of Supervisor Heather Kerr, Chief Deputy Assessor Kelly Ugaste-Cooprider, Deputy Assessor Andrea Wagner and Deputy Assessor Mark Romer follow last month's actual resignation of Township Assessor Scott Helton and promised resignations of Clerk Tammy Bryan and Trustees Kathryn Walker-Eich and Jeff Urso.

After an attempt by Urso and Walker-Eich to oust the township's attorney amid an investigation into an allegation of unwanted touching of an employee by Walker-Eich, the township's law firm has also withdrawn.

"There appears to be a philosophical rift between the values that my firm stands for and the direction of the township board majority," Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, a partner at the firm Ancel Glink, said in a resignation letter earlier this month.

Shields Township includes all of Lake Bluff, northern Lake Forest, southern North Chicago and the unincorporated communities of Knollwood and Arden Shores. The nearly 18-square mile area has a population of about 36,700 people. In addition to handling assessments and a general assistance program, the township government administers 9.3 miles of roadway.

Whistleblower Complaint

The improper touching probe stems from a complaint filed late last year by a township employee, who reported that Walker-Eich, who has not responded to multiple requests for comment, had touched them improperly without consent, Patch has learned.

On Nov. 16, 2021, Krafthefer notified Walker-Eich of the allegation and requested an interview, explaining that the township was required to promptly investigate, according to a copy of their correspondence obtained following a public records request.

In response, Walker-Eich said her attorney, Keith Brin, would be unavailable for the next six weeks, and questioned whether there was any law that requires an immediate response.

"We have an employee who raised a complaint weeks ago at this point, who is fearful for their job and continuing to complain of stress," Krafthefer said. "We are unwilling to allow this to continue for over a month, as you suggest. There is not a statute about speedy investigations; there is an entire body of law about what a public body needs to do when it receives a complaint."

The township attorney told Walker-Eich that, although she had no right to have an attorney present during the interview, she was seeking to accommodate the trustee's request.

"We will conduct and conclude the investigation without your participation in light of your noncooperation. It is not a partial investigation. We are simply gathering information and it is surprising that you are unwilling to participate in this," Krafthefer told Walker-Eich in December. "If you don't want your side known, that's your choice, although I find it surprising, I have been representing Illinois public officials for over 30 years and I have never had an innocent public official refuse to participate in a simple investigation."

Attempt To Remove Township Attorney

At the township's March 31 meeting, with Urso chairing, trustees voted to assign a trustee to be liaison between the supervisor's office and the township's attorney, with Trustee David Weil abstaining and Supervisor Kerr being absent. Urso then motioned to demand Krafthefer's resignation, but only received the support of Walker-Eich.

At that point, Bryan, the clerk, suggested that she would be the deciding vote on the matter.

"I would be the tiebreaker vote when there are ties," Bryan said. "So then my vote would be 'yes.'"

The Illinois Attorney General's Office has opened a review to determine whether both votes violated the Open Meetings Act.

In response to the office's inquiry, Kerr said the draft minutes from the meeting stated that "Clerk Bryan broke tie with a yes to request attorney to resign," even though state law says otherwise.

"I am committed to following the Open Meetings Act," Kerr told Assistant Attorney General Jane Sternecky a few weeks after the meeting in question. "If there is anything your office can do to have our trustees follow the Open Meetings Act or listen to the advice of our legal counsel, who teaches classes on township law and the Open Meetings Act, I would appreciate your help."

Resignations Threatened

On April 21, at the board's next meeting, Helton, Urso and Walker-Eich read prepared statements declaring their intention to resign, effective May 2. Bryan said she had tendered her resignation, effective May 31.

"I joined the Shields Township board because of the respect I had, and continue to have, for the various community members who invited me to join their slate, including Assessor Helton, whose accomplishments I am most delighted with, both as a trustee, and, I say that from my professional background as a real estate valuation person," Walker-Eich said, announcing her resignation plans.

Elected officials in the township ran unopposed as a unified slate in last year's elections as the Shields Team Party. Helton said it was unfortunate that the board was unable to work as an effective team once in office.

"The township supervisor, in my opinion, has not provided the leadership needed to allow the board to bring their ideas and concerns forward and provide the quality of service and fiscal responsibility that we promised the voters we would provide," Helton said, asking Kerr to step down.

"I guess, after I've seen the uneasiness that's now taking place in my office because of things in the other side of the township office," the assessor said, "even my staff has recognized that something's wrong."

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Official Misconduct Allegations

On May 5 and on May 16, the three staff members of the assessor's office who resigned this week filed a series of six complaints alleging wrongdoing and official misconduct against Helton.

The complaints were received by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and "forwarded to the appropriate investigative agency," according to a spokesperson for the chief county prosecutor.

They allege that Helton improperly instructed staff to lower the valuation on Walker-Eich's home, that he provided her with taxpayer-financed inside information to help her work as a managing director of a property valuation and tax appeal firm and that Helton asked office staff to make personal airline and automobile reservations for himself and Walker-Eich, according to records sent to reporters by the then-attorney for the now-resigned township staffers. Walker-Eich's attorney, Brin, is a partner at a state senator's father and son property tax law firm where Helton works as property tax administrator, according to its website.

In a May 5 joint letter to the state's attorney's and attorney general's office, the trio of assessor's office employees suggested Helton had engaged in a ruse to lower Walker-Eich's property tax bill a couple weeks before his resignation.

"This request is particularly problematic because Mr. Helton is apparently showing favoritism toward another elected official with whom he is rumored to have a personal relationship," the staffers said. "If true, this would not only be improper and unethical, but also illegal, a misuse of his official position and abuse of the public trust."

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Resignation Reversals

After declaring in April that they would resign if Kerr did not step aside, Walker-Eich, Urso and Bryan had changed course by time the township's May board meeting came around. Helton had not.

"Helton stated that he would be resigning as Assessor effective May 2nd if I did not resign," Kerr said at the May 19 meeting. "Then, Assessor Helton moved out of his office and left a letter for his staff. After that, on May 4th, Trustee Urso delivered to us a letter dated April 25th stating that Assessor Helton was withdrawing his conditional resignation. However, on May 8th, he submitted another unconditional resignation letter to us."

This week, it was Kerr who had submitted a resignation. Although unlike the three deputy assessors, the supervisor's resignation must be accepted by board to become effective.

Kerr's, Ugaste-Cooperider's, Wagner's and Romer's letters of resignation Monday were accompanied by a joint statement, which referenced the allegations of wrongdoing by Helton and Walker-Eich.

"We have proudly served Shields Township for a combined total of over forty years and are grateful for that opportunity," they said.

"However, the actions of certain Shields Township Elected Officials have hindered our ability to govern with integrity and in an effective manner. We believe that the constituents of the Township deserve better," their statement continued. "There appears to be both a philosophical and moral difference between us and the majority of the Shields Township Board."

According to the township's website, the board meeting that had been scheduled for Thursday has been postponed to an unspecified date.