Trustees on the defense after criticism over inconsistencies in Harvey library vacancy appointment records

An unidentified Blue Island resident dubbed the appointment of library trustee Keith Price “illegal” at the board’s August meeting because Price owes thousands to the state. 

According to state records, as of March 2023, Price owes $37,000 in unpaid filing fees for the political action committee “People for Price.” Price mistakenly believed the committee had been dissolved in 2021, then moved and dealt with familial health matters, according to an appeals report. Price’s appeal of the fees was denied.

In 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that such fines prohibit a person from appearing on any election ballot while the fee is unpaid. The Illinois State Board of Elections notified the Cook County Board of Elections, which removed Price from the 2023 municipal ballot as he attempted to run for 6th Ward alderperson, state records show.

However, there isn’t an unidentifiable precedent for whether those fines prevent someone from being appointed to fill a vacant municipal role, in which case they wouldn’t appear on a ballot, anyhow.

Still, a speaker at the board’s regular meeting last month contended the appointment is subject to scrutiny, demanding Price’s appointment be vacated because the library submitted incorrect appointment paperwork to the State Librarian. 

The Illinois State Library Act requires secretaries at local libraries to report both a vacancy and vacancy appointment to the State Librarian within 60 days of their occurrence. 

State records confirm the library was late to report a vacancy that occurred in June 2023, Price’s appointment the following month, and the wrong staffer submitted the documentation. But library leadership swore it wasn’t on purpose and defended his appointment.

Conflicting library records

Former interim director Kim Peake erroneously completed the vacancy paperwork, officially signed on March 11. Peake also incorrectly identified secretary Chapelle Hooks as having been appointed to fill Garcia’s vacancy. Hooks was elected in 2023.

That Blue Island resident, a frequent face at library meetings, then demanded the board vacate Price’s appointment because “he was not properly and legally sat.” 

Trustee Anthony McCaskill defended the board’s appointment of Price’s appointment.

“If there was an issue with the paperwork, the minutes still reflect that Keith Price is still a trustee. Second of all, it was voted on by the entire board,” McCaskill said. “Those who voted yes was—we only had one person who voted no, and then Ms. Nesbitt wasn’t here.” He added he was “addressing the public” because that resident “put out some things that wasn’t true.”

Former trustee Yadira Garcia signed her resignation letter to the board in June 2023. The board both accepted her resignation and approved Keith Price’s appointment on July 13, 2023.

According to that night’s meeting minutes, treasurer JoAnn Nesbitt, is listed as present. However, the minutes don’t include her name as having voted on Price’s appointment or any other official business, altogether.

According to the minutes, McCaskill motioned the appointment. He also seconded his own motion, according to the minutes. According to Roberts Rules of Order, structuring rules to govern, a motion that is not seconded by another person fails. McCaskill, Tamika Price, vice president Monique Williams, and secretary Chapelle Hooks voted yes. Charwana Morgan abstained.

That speaker then handed out copies of an email exchange between the Illinois Secretary of State and Tamika Price to attendees, along with other items.

“We were going through our files an[d] noticed a discrepancy in dates on the notification form filled out by your former director, Kim Peake,” wrote Amanda Saia, Library Program Specialist at Illinois State Library to Tamika Price.

“Also, Ms. Peake is still listed as director of Harvey Public library in our universal directory. If there has been a new director hired, or an interim director appointed while a search for a new director is being conducted,” Saia continued, “please let us know who is filling that role so that we can update our records.”

“The email that was sent to the District was generated by me, because I spoke to her. I told her that the dates was incorrect. She sent the form,” Tamika Price, Keith Price’s wife, clarified at the meeting.

The comments made at August’s board meeting come as library leadership as another vacancy arose on the board.

Nesbitt passed away in July. The board has 90 days from her passing to make an appointment, according to state law. Mauzkie Ervin, who served between 2015 and 2021 and previously submitted a letter of interest to fill Garcia’s position, expressed his interest to fill the position. 

Elected in 2019, Nesbitt’s seat was already scheduled for election in 2025. The board’s appointee will serve the remainder of her term until then.

After that resident exited, Keith Price was overheard referring to her as a “devil.”

Official business

Vice president Monique Williams arrived late. Trustee Charwana Morgan attempted to join the meeting virtually but could not. That request would have had to be made at least prior to the meeting per new state law, according to McCaskill.

The board approved the 2025 fiscal year budget.

The treasurer’s report, originally tabled at the July meeting, was not provided at the finance committee meeting that preceded the night’s regular convening.

Also absent from that meeting was Philip Fairweather, founder of the Entrepreneurs Academy. Fairweather was set to present on a proposed urban food farm housed inside of a shipping container, expected to be placed on a vacant lot directly across the street from the library, but couldn’t because he was teaching a class, he told the board in August.

The urban food project would be another endeavor EA has brought to the library. Fairweather’s team helped bring the 3D printer to the library and is teaching a drone class. But confusion arose over whether contract details Fairweather sent to Tamika Price were actually received, program benefits, and class hours.

“What’s in it for us?” Keith Price asked. McCaskill expressed interest that students be primarily, if not exclusively, from Harvey. But Fairweather noted that for the hours he will teach students, his team is paying for the security expenses at the library. The board didn’t vote on any items pertaining to the project,

Listen to the full library meeting audio here: