Embedded Files
HICKS NEWS INVESTIGATION
A Job No One Knew Existed: LaSalle Faces Transparency Concerns Over Police Chief’s Sudden Reassignment
By Jamie Hicks
Photo credit: John Small, WLPO
“Retired or Reassigned? Questions Swirl Around LaSalle’s Sudden Police Leadership Shuffle.”
RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT RAISES NEW QUESTIONS
LaSalle, Illinois — The City of LaSalle announced the retirement of Police Chief Mike Smudzinski earlier this month, marking the end of what WLPO described as a 30-year career in law enforcement. The announcement included a ceremonial escort and a final “10-42” radio call, the traditional sign-off marking an officer’s end of duty.
However, the retirement narrative did not last long.
In the same news cycle, WLPO published a second update noting that Smudzinski would continue to work for the City of LaSalle — not in law enforcement, but in the Parks and Recreation Department. The contrast between a celebrated retirement and immediate continued employment has prompted questions from residents and observers
“A JOB NO ONE SAW COMING”
The central issue is not whether a longtime official continues to serve the community, but how he came to occupy a newly assigned role. Residents are asking how the former chief could begin working in a new department without a job posting, without listed applicants, and without approval from the City Council.
Illinois law requires public positions to be created, classified, and approved through a transparent process. At present, no such record appears in agendas, minutes, or public documentation in LaSalle.
“LEGAL STANDARDS FOR MUNICIPAL HIRING”
Under the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/3.1-30-5), appointments to salaried municipal positions must be authorized by the mayor with the advice and consent of the city council. Such actions must be conducted openly, placed on a public agenda, recorded in official minutes, and made available for public inspection.
No public record shows that a Parks and Recreation position for the outgoing chief was ever created, discussed, or approved.
This absence raises several questions:
• Was the position formally established?
• Did the council authorize the reassignment?
• Was the job budgeted or described before it was filled?
• Why was the move framed as a retirement instead of a personnel action requiring oversight?
“TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT”
Municipal hiring is further governed by the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120), which requires significant personnel decisions to occur in a public forum. Recent council agendas show no discussion, vote, or acknowledgment of a new Parks and Recreation role for the former chief.
This lack of documentation has created a transparency gap at the heart of the city’s official explanation.
In most municipalities, the retirement of a department head triggers a standard process:
• The vacancy is publicly posted.
• Applicants are screened and interviewed.
• The city council is briefed and votes in public.
• Any newly created positions are established through ordinance or formal action.
In LaSalle, the timeline unfolded differently:
A retirement was announced.
A replacement chief was named.
A new position — absent from agendas — was assigned to the outgoing chief.
The absence of any public process has led to concerns about compliance with state law and good-governance standards.
“PUBLIC OFFICIALS SERVE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY”
The core question is not whether Smudzinski should remain employed with the city, but whether the process that placed him in a new role followed the laws and procedures required of municipal government.
A public job cannot be created in private.
A reassignment cannot be approved behind closed doors.
And a retirement announcement cannot substitute for formal authorization.
Residents of LaSalle deserve clarity, not contradictions.
WLPO’s dual announcements — one celebrating a retirement, the other confirming continued city employment — highlight a procedural issue that remains unresolved:
Was this a retirement, or a reassignment without public approval?
Until the City of LaSalle provides documentation showing when and how this new role was authorized, the community is left without answers. In municipal government, process is not optional, and transparency remains the cornerstone of public trust.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse