Aug. 19--Some politicians lose their campaigns for re-election and disappear from public life. Others run again, hoping to avenge their defeat.
Oak Forest Ald. Nancy Hullinger, 60, lost her seat in 2011 but has returned to City Hall in the years since to do janitorial work. In that capacity, records show, Hullinger has made nearly $30,000 since 2012.
As an alderman, Hullinger made about $8,000 a year, city officials said.
Hullinger cleans City Hall and other municipal properties, officials said. Oak Forest officials said they weren't satisfied with the city's previous cleaners, so they looked around and turned to Hullinger. The city also said she does it for less money than the previous company.
The city selected Hullinger to work as the town's cleaning person because she's "a known entity" in the community who has also worked for years as a school crossing guard, said Oak Forest Clerk Scott Burkhardt.
Hullinger and city officials said she previously did cleaning work for a local school district, which helped encourage them to make the hire.
"It has nothing to do with the fact, in my opinion, that she was an alderman," Burkhardt said.
"They wanted someone they could trust," Hullinger said, noting that the cleaning person goes into places where "things are going on," for example the police department.
Hullinger said she doesn't believe her prior work as an alderman had anything to do with her selection.
"I didn't (immediately) go from being the alderman to the cleaner," Hullinger said. "It was 20 months later."
Hullinger said she works hard at a job that is not "very glamorous" for relatively little pay, which is hourly.
Hullinger said the job fits into her schedule, as she can show up a little early or a little later, and "as long as it's clean, they don't care."
Hullinger described herself as "not your typical 60-year-old grandmother." She said she walks 2 1/2 miles every day and has "always done heavy work."
"Is it a physical job? Yes. But I'm working two hours a day," Hullinger said. "It's very active. It's never bothered me."
She said she has never been "bitter" about losing her re-election campaign. Losing has its benefits, Hullinger said -- now she can "pick and choose" which committees she wants to get involved with and "nobody says anything."
Aside from cleaning at City Hall, Hullinger said she also serves as a crossing guard and grooms a few dogs.
Part of her motivation for the cleaning gig, Hullinger said, is to have money to pay for one of her hobbies.
"I have a horse, so it pays for my horse, is what it boils down to," Hullinger said.
gpratt@tribpub.com
