Jan. 24--It's a classic small-town political power struggle in south suburban Sauk Village that the new police chief got caught in the middle of when he was hired two months ago.
The problem is between Mayor Lewis Towers and village board members.
Mayor Towers hired Robert Fox to be police chief from outside of the department in November against the wishes of the village board.
The board responded by passing ordinance limiting the mayor's power to appoint personnel.
The limit was set at 60 days for any new appointee to stay in his job without board approval.
That 60 days came Monday, which is when Chief Fox says some village trustees, including Derrick Burgess and David Hanks, had the locks changed on the police chief office.
On Tuesday a Cook County judge threw out that 60 day ordinance and reinstated Fox to his position.
Through the last two months, Fox says he wasn't being paid by the village but did not want to give up on the job he says he was qualified to do.
Village trustees will meet Tuesday night on the agenda is a no-confidence vote against Mayor Towers.
None of the trustees contacted by WGN Tuesday afternoon returned calls for comment.
Copyright 2012 - WGN-TV, Chicago
