Island Lake Trustee Jennifer Villarreal resigns

Villarreal announced her resignation Tuesday in a letter emailed to Mayor Charles Amrich and other village officials. It was effective immediately.

In the letter, Villarreal said additional work and family responsibilities are preventing her from dedicating the time needed to serve as trustee.

Amrich said he is grateful for Villarreal's service and wished her well.

It'll now be up to Amrich to nominate someone to serve on the board until the next local election in 2021. The appointment must be ratified by the village board.

Villarreal was elected to a 4-year term in 2017. She previously had served on the town's lake management committee.

Villarreal was involved in several controversies during her time on the village board.

In May, she was among the trustees seeking to fire the village's attorney, David McArdle. The maneuver was unsuccessful.

Later in May, she voted to fire Building Commissioner Wayne Schnell, calling his hiring "an act of blatant nepotism." Schnell had run Amrich's mayoral campaign in 2013.

Last year, Villarreal and then-trustee Sandy Doehler openly feuded about Doehler's behavior during the Independence Day parade. Doehler was accused of making offensive gestures and insulting comments to village employees and a fellow trustee while observing the parade from her driveway.

Villarreal demanded an apology from Doehler. When none came, the board censured Doehler. Doehler later resigned.

Also last year, Villarreal was one of only two trustees who voted against firing Police Chief Anthony Sciarrone following an investigation revealed problems with how Sciarrone ran the department.

Villarreal had voted against hiring an independent attorney to launch that investigation.

Trustee Will Ziegler called Villarreal "a very respected member" of the board.

"She will be sorely missed," Ziegler said.