Joliet city attorney plans to depart for Naperville

Another high-level official will leave the city of Joliet following a change in leadership in the wake of the April election.

On June 22, Joliet Corporation Counsel Sabrina Spano submitted her letter of resignation because she will be working for the city of Naperville's legal department, said Krystal Walsh, senior human resource generalist for Joliet.

The corporation counsel is the head of the city's legal department.

Walsh said there is "no knowledge yet" of who will replace Spano.

Spano will start her position as deputy city attorney for Naperville on July 24, said Linda LaCloche, Naperville's communications director.

Spano's planned departure follows the resignation of former Joliet City Manager James Capparelli. His biggest supporter for staying on as city manager was Bob O'Dekirk, who lost the mayoral election on April 4.

Spano joined Joliet in 2018 as an assistant corporation counsel. During her time with the city, Spano has worked on various legal matters, such as complex lawsuits and police disciplinary cases.

In 2020, Spano was offered the position of interim city manager after she reportedly received support from a majority of the city council at the time, but she declined the job.