Thanas Confirms Plans to Quit City Manager Job After Council Criticism

Joliet City Manager Tom Thanas confirmed today he will resign his position once his successor is chosen, although he apparently has not yet submitted a written resignation to city council members.

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Thanas reportedly announced his intent to quit during a heated closed session Tuesday over his perceived failure to disclose negative information about the Electric Daisy Carnival, but council members said Wednesday they did not know if he was serious.

He definitely was, Thanas told WJOL (1340 AM) this morning. He said he told the council Tuesday night they needed to put together a transition plan so he could assist the new city manager in taking over the job.

However, unlike his announcement to resign in March, which he later withdrew, he did not put it in writing.

Thanas did not return Joliet Patch calls Wednesday or today.

Councilman Mike Turk said he spoke with Thanas Wednesday about trying to resolve some of the acrimony that came from the closed meeting, but Thanas never mentioned he was intent on leaving. He said he assumed Thanas' comment about leaving was something said in the heat of the moment.

"I thought he was still employed with the city until I heard him on WJOL," Turk said. "I hope it's not definite, but I understand his position."

Thanas was reportedly questioned Tuesday night about a report that cited drug problems that occur at electronic music festivals, such as the Electric Daisy Carnival being held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet this weekend, sources said.

In that report, Electric Daisy promoter Insominiac was named specifically because of an event at which 18 people were treated at hospitals for ecstasy-related medical issues and one person died.

Thanas was apparently aware of the report but did not mention it to council members before they approved permits for the Joliet event, sources said. Some council members wanted to know why and questioned him in closed session about it, sources said.

Turk said he would not disclose what what said in that meeting but acknowledged that such questions in the past have led Thanas to believe his credibility was being challenged.

Two months ago, Thanas himself said he felt like he was being accused of "corruption" when council members questioned him over the status of a building on Chicago Street needed for the under-construction downtown transportation hub. Some members said they were not told the city had an agreement under which with the building's owner would remain as manager and collect tenant rent until the city was ready for demolition.

Thanas tendered his resignation then, but later withdrew it when the council refused to accept it.

Because of the murky way things were left Tuesday night, council members Larry Hug and Jan Quillman said Wednesday they did not know how things stood with the city manager. Because Thanas came to work on Wednesday and did not submit a resignation letter, Hug said he did not think Thanas was leaving.

Quillman also did not know. "That's something you'll have to ask him," she said.

Turk said he believes the council has a right to ask questions but sometimes it's the manner in which a question is posed -- rather than the question itself -- that can cause irritation.

"Everybody has a different style," he said. "I very rarely go to a meeting and ask a question that (Thanas) doesn't already know I'm going to ask. I'm going to ask him before the meeting so he has the answer.

"Not everyone does that. It just seems like some members like the element of surprise."