Angel Contreras off of Joliet housing board

Joliet — Angel Contreras is off the board of the Housing Authority of Joliet a little more than two weeks after his arrest for aggravated DUI.

Mayor Bob O’Dekirk, who appoints housing board members with City Council approval, said Tuesday that the move was already in the works before the DUI incident.

“His term had expired,” O’Dekirk said. “I had talked to him prior to the trouble he had gotten into. He was not attending a lot of [HAJ] meetings because of his job as township supervisor.”

Contreras also is supervisor of Joliet Township.

He was vice chairman of the housing board and had previously served the board as chairman.

Contreras did not immediately return a call Tuesday night for comment.

The City Council voted 7-0 without discussion at its meeting Tuesday night to replace Contreras with Marge Franchini, a Joliet businesswoman who is active in the community.

O’Dekirk discussed the matter after the meeting and said the DUI arrest did not cause Contreras’ removal from the housing authority board.

“It was going to happen anyway,” O’Dekirk said. “Obviously that [the DUI arrest] highlighted the need to move on.”

The replacement of Contreras on the board was not listed on the City Council agenda.

Contreras faces a potential felony conviction, which could cost him his position as township supervisor if found guilty of the charge of aggravated DUI that he now faces. He also was charged with DUI, driving while his license was revoked and other offenses.

According to police, Contreras was stopped at 2:24 a.m. driving near the intersection of Western Avenue and Wilcox Street after being seen swerving in traffic with the lights off on his vehicle.

He was appointed to the HAJ board in 2016 by O’Dekirk with council approval.

In January 2016, Contreras pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person in Elkhart County Superior Court in Indiana. At that time, Contreras held an elected position on the Joliet Township High School board.

He was elected supervisor of Joliet Township in April 2021.

Housing board Chairman Glenda Wright-McCullum could not be reached Tuesday night for comment.

HAJ board Treasurer Garland Mays said, “As chairman, Angel served the housing authority well, and we wish him the best on his future endeavors.”