Country Club Hills residents angry about excess spending by the city packed a council meeting Monday night. They’re pointing the finger at one man, Mayor Dwight Welch.
Last spring WGN-TV and the Better Government Association worked on an investigation about the mayor’s spending habits. He used his city-issued credit card on things like a $500 white tux, lunches, dinners and golf outings.
At first council members reacted by taking away all but one of his credit cards. That didn’t seem to work. Then, a new treasurer started looking at the books and realized they didn’t make sense with perhaps $8 million unaccounted for.
Monday night, the city voted unanimously not to use the mayor’s appointed auditor but an independent auditor to review the books. Residents are also calling for a state and federal investigation on the city’s accounting practices.
