Joliet eyes oversight change for inspector general

Oversight of the city inspector general would shift from the mayor to the city manager under a proposed ordinance change that will be reviewed Thursday by a Joliet City Council committee.

The proposed change comes as the inspector general position has come under increased scrutiny.

The City Council in August narrowly turned down a bid to block payments to Inspector General Sean Connolly, an outside attorney contracted by the city for the job, in a 5-4 vote. Connolly, meanwhile, is engaged in a lawsuit that faces opposition from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, both of which are challenging the powers of the city’s inspector general.

More changes could be coming, with Mayor Terry D’Arcy saying the city needs to reconsider its contract with Connolly.

“I think there are some good things that come out of having an inspector general,” D’Arcy said Wednesday. “I think we need to take a look at the contract we have.”

D’Arcy said he has talked with Connolly about some of his concerns with the contract.

D’Arcy said he supports the proposed ordinance change, which takes the appointment of the inspector general out of his hands.

“Under Illinois law, I have to support the change,” he said, calling the proposal “the proper procedure” under Joliet’s city manager form of government.

The City Council in December 2015 created the inspector general position at the urging of former Mayor Bob O’Dekirk.

The ordinance creating the position put appointment power in the hands of the mayor with consent from the City Council. The inspector general also sends reports on investigations to the mayor, although that was changed in April shortly before O’Dekirk left office so that the entire City Council also would receive reports directly.

Under the proposed change, the reports also would go to the city manager.

The city manager also would have sole authority to appoint and remove the inspector general.

The change is recommended by interim City Attorney Todd Greenburg, who cited Illinois Supreme Court rulings and said state law does not give the mayor and City Council authority to hire and fire employees under city manager form of government.

Joliet is in the process of looking for a permanent city attorney and a permanent city manager. Rod Tonelli has been interim city manager since June.