Much ado about nothing? Hardly

At first glance, it may have appeared to be much ado about nothing. A trustee wanted a clarification about the use of a village policy by the Village Board President.

Yawn.

But last week’s exchange between Village Board President Beverly Sussman and Trustee Jeff Berman went beyond a mere discussion of the village’s communications policy. It raised questions about the level of leadership and interaction by Village Board members.

This isn’t breaking news. 

The issue was brought to light by a seemingly frustrated Berman, the senior member on the Board.

As I have noted before, more interaction from Board members during meetings would be a welcome addition. And, from listening to Berman at the Aug. 7 Committee of the Whole meeting, there’s a need for more communication among board members and from Sussman as Village President.

Berman chided Sussman for her support via the village’s website of two events sponsored by the Mazurdance, a Buffalo Grove dance school. The evens were the “Big Show of Jewish Dances” on Saturday, Aug. 5 and the “International Festival of Dance” on Sunday, Aug. 6, an event so big, as touted by Mazurdance, it happens only once every 10 years.

The fact that Mazurdance was looking for support is no big deal. However, the fact that it was done on the village web site, is what Berman took exception to.

But let’s leave Berman on the back burner for now, something some people may see as a challenge.

What needs to be done, is divorce the message from the messenger. Many wags on social media, most of whom were not at the meeting, took the approach that the mean Mr. Berman was unfairly attacking the poor Mrs. Sussman. In the words of the late Howard Cosell, Berman was just “telling it like it is” in his own inimitable style.

A reality of public service is that the microscope is constantly in the on position. In other words, transparency is front and center.

As the late Robin Williams once said in an episode of “Mork and Mindy” – Reality; what a concept.

There was not a clear reason given by Sussman for the promotion of a business on the village’s web site, except for the fact that it was “…an international celebration – a very major event,” which, she added, attracted “dignitaries and people from around the world.” 

            I’m all for diversity, but the reality is this – it was two days of dance performances, and not the G8 summit. 

Sussman added that she wanted to welcome participants “to the United States of America and Buffalo Grove.” Dance détente, how nice. Maybe the village will want to host Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

Sussman’s manipulation of a village policy opens a can of worms and set a difficult precedent because, quite simply, how do you handle requests from other organizations, especially businesses that want free advertising? 

Adding gas to the fire, was the back page of the program from the weekend events featured a thank-you from Mazurdance to “Mrs. Beverly Sussman, the Buffalo Grove Village President, for support to (sic) the Cultural Event.”

The ad included Sussman’s official village portrait, which apparently was taken off the village’s web site without permission.  For the record, the infamous communications policy requires permission for use of any image from the village website.

The ad does not separate Sussman from her role with the village. If the village was supporting the event, support should have been approved by the entire Board, not just on a whim by the Village President.

“The Village President does not unilaterally create, or countermand, policy. That is the prerogative of the Board. So, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear absolutely nothing from the Village President. I received no explanation or any suggested rationalization for her usurpation of the authority of this Board by directing staff to act in a manner forbidden by the established policy,” Berman said.

Sussman, however, doesn’t seem to see it that way. As part of her defense she said, “My name is Beverly Sussman and I am president of Buffalo Grove.”

Thank you for that clarification Mrs. Haig, but that does not give you, or any public official, the right to usurp policies or protocol.

In remarks directed toward Berman, Sussman resented Berman emailing her, saying he should have just called her. “Nothing was done on purpose,” she said, adding that she would have preferred a phone call from Berman. “You sought to embarrass me. I did not mean to do anything wrong,” she said.

Perhaps the most telling part of what Sussman say was that “nothing was done on purpose.” However, what apparently was done on purpose was not communicating with anyone on the Board. And why did she want Berman to email her? Probably so there would not have been a public discussion and she would not, despite what she said, have been embarrassed.

But wait, wasn’t transparency a big issue when she ran for Village Board President? All public officials, elected or not, need to be transparent and open with their constituents, a point that Berman’s statement dwelled on.

Only Trustee Andrew Stein, in his apparently new role as teacher’s pet, thought it should have been up to the Village Manager’s office to guide Sussman, a comment that seemed to make Village Manager Dane Bragg bristle, and justifiably so.

The spotlight is on public officials, perhaps now more than ever, as is the need for transparency. It comes with the territory. 

If it is that difficult of a concept to grasp, then maybe the village should hire a dermatological consult who can offer skin transplants from onion to something tougher.