The drama continues in Campton.  As written by Dan Campana of the Beacon news.  www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/talk/1697602,2_1_AU03_KANETALK_S1-090803.article

The directors of Campton are trying to vy for Patti Blagojevich's role on "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here."    Here's more evidence that the citizens of Campton are in such a tough quandry with the leadership, er "payrollees" who are paid for by the taxpayers of Campton Hills.

Cue the teen-pop soundtrack.

Announcer: "On the next episode of 'The Hills': A report on the treasurer comes out at a public meeting, leading the board to oust her. Is it about her performance? Is it about her financial forecast for the young village? No one knows, because village officials won't give up the report. Later, a board member wants to cut police funding to pay for an administrator, but the president says not on her watch. All of this, next time, on 'The Hills.'"

Never a dull moment out in Campton Hills, eh?

Residents or avid watchers of the two-year-old town's plight haven't had to wait too long between interesting episodes.

The last month has produced more unfolding drama, with a lot of it tied to money. Board members debated whether former treasurer/finance director Kathy Catalano used bum numbers to project when Campton Hills would need to dip into its reserves.

Meanwhile, Trustee John Strauss floated the idea of giving less money to the police department in favor of using that cash to hire a village administrator, which had been a part of the budget plan floated during the incorporation movement.

President Patsy Smith said: oh no, not while she's in charge, because it's a waste of money. It also means, to me, she's not quite ready to share village decision-making, direction-shaping power with an administrator.

All that's a subplot to Catalano getting the boot and suing the village to make sure she gets paid. It's not a secret that a report on Catalano was given to the board to guide their decision at a June meeting, but the village is holding onto it tightly.

When Beacon freelancer Nick Swedberg filed a Freedom of Information request, he was told the report is in Catalano's personnel file, making it exempt for release. The village did not want to violate her privacy, they reasoned. An appeal was filed, which prompted village people to essentially turn to a stall game.

Instead of flat-out rejecting the appeal, Smith said the village wanted the attorney general's office to give an "advisory opinion" in an effort to be sensitive to Catalano's rights, while also trying to get Swedberg and, in turn, the paper to give up any rights to FOIA-based litigation. The AG's office told Swedberg that while all of this was going on, enough time elapsed to basically create a default rejection of the appeal.

Now, if anyone in this building or named Nick Swedberg wants to further contest the FOIA, it'll have to be in court.

Talk about a teaser worthy of TV. Stay tuned.