Facing felony charges of official misconduct and criminal damage to government-supported property, North Chicago Ald. Anthony Coleman, 2nd Ward, wants the opportunity to talk about his situation with his colleagues privately but legally.
Unwilling to discuss pending charges publicly, he sought a way to discuss in an executive session of the City Council where what he said could not be disclosed to the public.
Coleman’s request for an executive session at the April 1 North Chicago City Council meeting was scuttled during a council meeting on March 18 at City Hall because such a discussion is not appropriate in the privacy of a closed-door meeting.
Coleman was indicted on charges of official misconduct and criminal damage to government-supported property by a Lake County Grand Jury on March 13 in Waukegan, according to the indictment.
Both charges stem from allegations Coleman allegedly damaged a wire connection to a surveillance camera at the City of North Chicago Water Plant Aug. 28, 2023, according to the indictment.
During the March 18 City Council meeting, Coleman said he was not as prepared as he usually is. He lacked the time over the preceding weekend to read the information on the matters to be discussed at the meeting as thoroughly as he normally would.
“The same day the packets came out two indictments came out,” Coleman said at the meeting. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance. I had a few extra things to do this weekend.”
After explaining why he was not as prepared as normal for the meeting, Coleman asked for an executive session at the next council meeting scheduled for April 1. City Attorney Adam Simon asked him the reason for his request,
“Can we have an executive session for disciplinary action to an alderman,” Coleman asked.
Though Coleman was not specific about who would be disciplined or why, Simon said a city council in Illinois can only discuss discipline of a council member when it has the authority to remove the individual from office.
“Since the City Council does not have the authority to remove a member of the city council, we can’t go into closed session to discuss the discipline of an alderman,” Simon said.
Though he was not specific about why he wanted the closed session, Coleman said after the meeting he wanted an opportunity to explain to his colleagues on the council his side of the story in a closed but legal manner
While he did not discuss the criminal charges he faces after the meeting, Coleman said he plans to run for mayor again in 2025. He lost to incumbent Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., in the 2021 Democratic primary with 31.89% of the 604 votes cast to Rockingham’s 68.11%,
Rockingham said he had no comment after the meeting either on the charges against Coleman, the alderman’s candidacy next year, or his own plans for the 2025 election.
