A group of Niles residents unhappy with the cutbacks, reductions and disruption at the Niles-Maine District Library since four board members were elected in spring 2021 have formed a political action committee to oppose them in the spring 2023 election, campaign finance records show.
A D-1 statement of organization shows the Committee to Save Niles-Maine District Library was established Oct. 7. Paperwork filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections was processed Oct. 13.
The chair of the committee is Jeanette Lee. The committee treasurer is Kathy Toy, and the assistant treasurer is Peggy Reins.
In a statement sent to Pioneer Press, Toy said the committee would support candidates who oppose President Carolyn Drblik, Treasurer Joe Makula and Secretary Suzanne Schoenfeldt.
“We’re excited to formalize the groundswell of support to save our library, and are in the final stages of our initial launch,” the statement said. “We look forward to supporting candidates dedicated to reversing the disastrous, reckless policies of Joe Makula and company.”
All three officers are Niles residents, according to the statement of organization. Toy said all have been involved in the Save Niles Library campaign, which opposes the actions of board members who support cutting services, staffing, materials and preventive maintenance at the library. However, she added, the political action committee is a separate entity from the Niles Coalition, a citizens’ organization behind the Save Niles Library campaign.
According to the statement of organization, the committee has not yet raised any money.
The library board has been paralyzed for more than a year in a 3-3 deadlock between two factions of trustees. Drblik, Makula and Schoenfeldt have said they are focused on slashing spending.
Vice President Patti Rozanski, Trustee Becky Keane and Trustee Dianne Olson have advocated forlibrary services, staffing and spending the way they have been in past years, and advocated for lifting a temporary hiring freeze imposed in May 2021 that is still in place. They have also advocated for performing preventive building maintenance, such as roof repairs.
The board has failed to appoint a seventh, tie-breaking trustee for more than a year, despite 13 candidates applying to fill the seat. That led the Illinois General Assembly to pass a law empowering Secretary of State Jesse White to make appointments to library board seats that are vacant for more than 90 days.
White appointed former Des Plaines Library Trustee and recent Maine Township resident Umair Qadeer to the board Sept. 16. Hours before Qadeer was set to be sworn in, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Alison Conlon granted an emergency restraining order requested by Makula to prevent Qadeer from being seated on the board. Conlon made that restraining order permanent Oct. 7.
White said last week he stands by his office’s appointment of Qadeer to the board. State Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, is carrying legislation to counter the legal reasoning behind the restraining order. Murphy plans to present the follow-up bill during the General Assembly’s November veto session, which begins Nov. 15.
![An extra-alarm fire destroyed a home and damaged two others on the near West side Wednesday night, though fire officials said no one was injured in the blaze. The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. on the 1300 block of West 16th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood, according to a social media update from the Chicago Fire Department. Officials quickly upgraded the blaze to a 2-11 fire. Neighbors who clustered around the scene Wednesday night said the home had been under construction and appeared to be vacant. Although the fire was declared struck out at 9:30 p.m. in a social […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-structure-fire-041724-06.jpg?w=525 "An extra-alarm fire destroyed a home and damaged two others on the near West side Wednesday night, though fire officials said no one was injured in the blaze. The fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. on the 1300 block of West 16th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood, according to a social media update from the Chicago Fire Department. Officials quickly upgraded the blaze to a 2-11 fire. Neighbors who clustered around the scene Wednesday night said the home had been under construction and appeared to be vacant. Although the fire was declared struck out at 9:30 p.m. in a social […]")
