Stickney Officials Drive Village Cars to Casino, Bars

A 14-month Better Government Association investigation raises questions about the conduct and judgment of officials in the Village of Stickney, including their misuse of taxpayer-funded vehicles.

"In these times of rising car insurance and gas prices, you would think public officials would take extra care to conserve public resources," says BGA Executive Director Jay Stewart. "Apparently that's not the case in Stickney."

THE MAYOR

BGA investigators observed Village President Donald Tabor using his village-owned car for personal use, including trips to HarrahÕs Joliet Casino, on numerous occasions from May 2005 to June 2006.

Tabor has full-time use of the municipal car, though his Village President position in the small suburb is part time. WhatÕs more, he lives next to StickneyÕs Village Hall.

Footage of the village car Tabor was driving reveals it did not have valid Illinois license plates, but rather commemorative ones that simply said ÒMayor,Ó which are not registered with the state.

After some time, those plates were replaced with Illinois Municipal plates, yet the BGA could find no record that the number that appeared on them was not registered to that vehicle.

The BGA investigation also observed Tabor and several village trustees present at the American Legion Hall, near the Village Hall in Stickney, while multiple patrons received cash payouts after playing one of several video poker machines there.

TaborÕs job as village president includes responsibilities as the liquor commissioner, who regulates establishments, such as the American Legion, that serve alcohol.

The concern is whether Tabor was aware of the payouts being made while he was in the building. If so, he needs to monitor more closely the activities going on there to ensure they donÕt continue to happen.

ÒMayor Tabor might want to spend less time driving around suburban Cook County and start paying more attention to what is going on in his own village,Ó says Stewart.

THE PUBLIC WORKS MANAGER

The BGAÕs investigation also monitored the activities of former Village Supervisor James Kubinski. Kubinski oversaw StickneyÕs Public Works department. BGA investigators observed him driving his village-owned car to restaurants and bars, some of which are located well outside Stickney. In two instances, undercover video and observations found him consuming hard alcoholic drinks at a restaurant bar and driving the vehicle upon leaving.

During the BGAÕs most recent surveillance on June 2, 2006, Kubinski was observed driving to Golden Steer Restaurant in Forest Park, consuming eight drinks of hard alcohol in approximately three hours, then leaving in the same vehicle.

On an earlier occasion, the BGA watched Kubinski, after drinking hard liquor, drive from the restaurant to ParenteÕs Lounge, a bar in Berwyn, where he stayed for a short time.

"The BGA is very concerned about Mr. Kubinski's use of a village car," Stewart says. "Incidental use of a vehicle is one thing, driving to bars and restaurants and having drinks is another."

THE FIRE CHIEF

The BGA also has concerns about the activities of part-time Stickney Village Fire Chief Larry Meyer, who also works at the fire department at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia.

Meyer travels more than 35 miles each way to the laboratory several times each week using his village-owned car. As Fire Chief, Meyer needs the car in order to respond to emergencies. However, his ability to respond quickly could be hampered by this 35-mile distance, in addition to the safety responsibilities he upholds at the high-profile nuclear testing facility. If there are simultaneous emergencies in Stickney and Fermi, which one is a priority for MeyerÕs services?

THE RESULTS

In an interview Monday with ABC-7 News, Village President Tabor expressed concern after seeing footage of Kubinski drinking and then driving. On Tuesday, Kubinski reportedly resigned his position as Village Supervisor.

Tabor, on the other hand, defended his and othersÕ ability to use village vehicles, calling them necessary for officials who are constantly on-call. Stickney has no village ordinance or written policy governing personal use, nor does it require employees to keep track of personal miles. That is not to say that such regulations could explain the manner in which officials used the village-owned cars.

In any case, the Village President and Attorney are reportedly planning to better document such policies and procedures in the near future.

ÒPublic officials need to be careful how they use public resources. Citizens all across Northeast Illinois are tightening their belts to deal with ever rising government taxes and fuel prices. Using government vehicles for purely personal use tells the average citizen that the public officials involved have no problem sticking them with the bill,Ó said Stewart.