O’Halloran Resigns from Metra and Orland Park Boards

Brad O’Halloran has resigned from the Metra Board of Directors and the Orland Park Board of Trustees.

O’Halloran sent letters Thursday — one to the Cook County commissioners who chose him for the transit system’s board and another to Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin — where he resigned immediately from the two positions.

O’Halloran had been facing increasing scrutiny since June 21, when the Metra board approved a severance package that could be worth as much as $718,000 for former Metra CEO Alex Clifford, who had nine months left on his current contract. O’Halloran was named in a memo written by Clifford as applying political pressure to make executive decisions, as well as Metra board director Larry Huggins and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

O’Halloran met further criticism when it was revealed that he continued to receive compensation as an Orland Park trustee after he was appointed to the Metra board, which is against state law.

O’Halloran wrote in his letter about Metra that it was with “mixed feelings” that he resigned.

“I have come to the sad conclusion that, so long as I am Chairman and a member of the board, the truly critical issues facing Metra will be left aside while the focus remains on the next big headline or attention-grabbing quotation.”

Read O'Halloran's full letter about the Metra resignation above.

Also read his full resignation letter to Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin.

O'Halloran wrote in the Metra letter that he stands by the board's decision in regard to Clifford's resignation, following their legal counsel's advice to accept "the lessor of two bad choices in order for the agency to move forward under new leadership."

O'Halloran included an ominous note about not being able to take on attorney Patrick Collins to review Clifford's accusations, due to a conflict, that reads "powerful people in this state must be breathing a sigh of relief that Mr. Collins is not able to lead this effort." 

In his resignation from the Orland Park Village Board, O'Halloran wrote that he came to the board with a "singular purpose" to serve neighbors and improve the village.

"Continually achieving that result demands that each Trustee give their undivided attention toward addressing those challenges and concerns that matter most to families and our community," O'Halloran wrote. "I now know that my continued service in that capacity is not possible."

He thanked the other trustees and McLaughlin, and wrote that he hoped he would be remember for what he helped accomplish for the community.

McLaughlin said in a statement that O'Halloran's resignation was an unfortunate choice to have to make, but a necessary one nonetheless. He thanked O'Halloran for "a lasting and important contribution" to the village's progress.

 "That record of service should not be completely eclipsed, dismissed or forgotten by the difficulties and controversy confronting him now. I hope his service to this community will be remembered for what he helped accomplish," McLaughlin said in the statement. "I hope his service to this community will be remembered for what he helped accomplish.

"Each of us on the Village Board has worked tirelessly to make Orland Park one of the most desirable communities in America and we are proud of what we've done. We must now put all this behind us and continue to move forward."