Thebes trustees choose new mayor

THEBES, Ill. -- John Kennedy was named the third mayor of Thebes since 2005 at a special meeting of the village's board of trustees.

Kennedy was chosen by a unanimous vote of the board Dec. 26 to replace Bill McHughs, who stepped aside after about six months in the post. McHughs was selected by the board to replace Scott Bomar, who resigned in July after winning his job in the April 2005 election.

Kennedy said Friday he wasn't sure whether he would seek a full term in April. Along with the mayor, four seats on the six-member board will be up for election.

Thebes, a village of about 450 people nestled on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, boasts a historic courthouse dating to the 1840s but no retail business or industry because of repeated flooding. Harsh divisions among townspeople have made village board meetings loud affairs, with accusations flying over favoritism in town dealings.

"Everybody in town has got to work together or else it isn't going to work for anybody," Kennedy said. "It takes cooperation from the townspeople."

The town has been without a police officer and animal control officer and has had one public works job open for several months. While the town is taking applications for those posts, Kennedy said, funds are short. "Right now the village is in pretty bad shape," he said.

Since Bomar won office in April 2005, the town has weathered IRS action to collect unpaid taxes withheld from the pay of town employees and a threat by utility suppliers to cut off the village's natural gas. Bomar, in an interview in early December, said he quit because of the inability of the board to work together for town improvements.

Town treasurer Pat Knapp, who has survived attempts to oust her from her job, said Kennedy is seeking to calm the factionalism.

"He has come in and is trying to take care of the things that need to be taken care of," Knapp said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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