Village attorneys don’t get much attention until something goes sideways in municipal government. And then they are called on to sort out often bad options and craft a solution. But a good municipal attorney has enormous sway in a complex bureaucracy. And it is always worth keeping an eye out for the ways that person uses their influence, shares historical perspective, steers outcomes that accomplish the goals of elected leaders while keeping the community in bounds on legal consequences.
Paul Stephanides has been Oak Park’s village attorney for better than 10 years. He is leaving this week to take up the same post in west suburban Glen Ellyn. This will be a loss for Oak Park as Stephanides has been a quiet but steady hand in our complicated and ambitious village.
In a comment to the Journal, Stephanides said he would be doing much the same work in Glen Ellyn but at a different pace than in Oak Park. A fair assessment of Oak Park’s intensity.
We wish him well and are glad to hear he intends to remain an Oak Parker.