Lyons Mayor Endured Raucous Meeting, Cancels Most Afterward

LYONS, IL – Christopher Getty, who holds two elected positions, presided over a rough meeting in early September.

After that, he stopped holding most public meetings. That was while he was running for Congress as an independent. Last week, he lost, receiving 11 percent of the vote.

Getty is the mayor of the village of Lyons and supervisor of Lyons Township.

On Sept. 8, the township board held a meeting during the height of the controversy over a video of a Democratic Party boss kissing the elected clerk, Elyse Hoffenberg.

At the time, Getty was accused of tipping off Hoffenberg's Cook County Board opponent about the footage, which he denied. (Hoffenberg won in a landslide last week.)

During public comments, a few sided with Getty, but many others backed Hoffenberg. At the meeting, a Lyons resident demanded the village release the video of his arrest, which he considered retaliation for his criticism of Getty.

In Lyons, the village board last held a regular meeting on Aug. 18. The last eight regularly scheduled board and finance committee meetings were canceled.

The board held a special meeting Sept. 17, nearly two months ago. It is due to meet again Tuesday.

The township board canceled its Oct. 13 meeting, but met on Tuesday, a week after the election.

Getty didn't return a message for comment Wednesday.

Many suburban mayors make nothing or only a few thousand a year. Getty's salary is $86,745, up from $46,659 in 2020.

As the township's supervisor, Getty's pay rose to $74,000 last year. When he started in 2017, it was $40,474. By 2028, his salary will reach $80,000, according to township records.

Getty also runs a local insurance office.

In August, Hoffenberg, the township's clerk, said she rarely sees Getty in the office.

She said he attends the township board's monthly meetings and perhaps comes in a couple of other times a month. In response, Getty said he was on duty around the clock.

Although he has gone unopposed in elections for years, Getty has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from village vendors.