Controversies over a flood basin at Heather Hills Elementary School and the firing of a former police chief are among the reasons Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson faces a challenge in Tuesday’s election.
Village Trustee Joni Bradley-Scott, a real estate agent, said as mayor she would be more inclusive and transparent than Nelson, who was first elected in 2021.
“Flossmoor is at a political juncture,” Bradley-Scott said Wednesday. “We can do things as they’ve always been done, or we can make new inroads. And that is asking the community what they want — in terms of businesses, in terms of events, in terms of support.”
Bradley-Scott was elected village clerk in 2017 and appointed a trustee two years later.
Police chief firing
Bradley-Scott was outspoken in her criticism of decisions made by Nelson’s administration, including firing former police Chief Jerel Jones last spring, less than a year after he was hired.
The village settled a lawsuit in October where Jones, who is Black, claimed his firing resulted from a complaint he filed five months earlier about experiencing “disparate treatment” from Village Manager Bridgette Wachtel.
Bradley-Scott said she stands with Jones, believing racial discrimination played a role in his dismissal.
“There is bias within our organization,” Bradley-Scott said.
Meanwhile, Nelson, who is white, denies race played any role in her decision to fire Jones, who she said at the time oversaw “serious operational and administrative lapses.”
“I understand how it looks like bias, but it wasn’t,” Nelson said Friday. “At the end of the day, when an employee tells their boss, me, three times that they don’t want to talk about their job performance, that they don’t want any help … I had to make a painful decision to get rid of him.”
Nelson hired Carl Estelle, the former administrator for Country Club Hills, as director of police services. He was hired in July with the intention of transitioning into the police chief role once he becomes a sworn officer in Illinois.
Amid Nelson and Bradley-Scott’s face-off for the mayor’s seat, seven candidates are vying for three trustee spots. Gary Daggett and Brian Driscoll are seeking reelection, and face Phil Lee, Kevin Anthony Dorsey, Troy Holmes, Carolyn D. Rodgers and Belgee L. Falkner.
Nelson and Bradley-Scott both said they are not part of a slate of candidates, though Bradley-Scott said she aligns with Rodgers and Dorsey “in agreement that things need to be done differently.”
Heather Hills
Though Nelson said she voted in favor of a flood basin constructed near Heather Hills Elementary School last year, Bradley-Scott has criticized the project. The basin, meant to collect stormwater and prevent flooding, drew opposition as it was positioned alongside the school’s playground.
A group of Flossmoor residents filed a lawsuit, though it failed to halt construction.
“Such a large and deep structure poses significant safety hazards, especially for young children who may inadvertently come into contact with it,” the lawsuit said.
Nelson said she remains proud of the project, especially considering she worked to “make concessions” as residents expressed concerns, including installing a 6-feet-tall fence to prevent children or others from falling into the basin.
“My only regret I would have is that we weren’t able to bring everybody together,” Nelson said.
Nelson said in a second term she would continue building momentum toward economic development, including securing state and federal grants to reduce flooding and support businesses.
Bradley-Scott said her priorities include creating more opportunities for residents to make their voices heard and promote businesses outside of the more well-known downtown area.
“I think it will take new leadership in order to get things back on track,” Bradley-Scott said. “I’m hoping and praying that the residents will do their due diligence by showing up at the polls, expressing their concerns via their vote.”
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
